If you are addicted to Indian food, you should try to make your own naan. Follow the steps below, you’ll see how simple it is, and how good and soft your naan will be! Perfect to be served with a curry or a dahl.
Naan (Indian bread)
Ingredients
Naan dough
- 500 g flour
- 125 g yogurt
- 8 g fresh yeast
- 18 cl tepid water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Seasoning (optional)
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves
- Few sprigs of coriander
- butter or ghee or olive oil
- cumin seeds
- spreadable creamy cheese
Instructions
Preparing the dough
- Dissolve the yeast in a little tepid water and add the sugar. Mix well with a knife or spoon. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt, then make a well.
- Then add the liquid ingredients: oil, yoghurt, the diluted yeast and 9 cl of tepid water.
- Mix vigorously with a wooden spatula then continue to mix with your hands (floured them beforehand) to knead the dough well.
- Knead for 10 minutes. Add the remaining water as you go along, and a little flour as needed. Form a ball.
- Slightly flour the ball of dough and place it in a bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rest for at least 2 hours (you can also prepare the dough one day in advance).
- If you prepare the dough the day before, put it in a cool place. Then, the next day, take it out at least 1 hour in advance and put it in a heated room or near a heat source.
- After the dough has rested long enough, divide it into 8 pieces of the same weight.
- On a floured work surface, flatten the dough pieces with a roller to form discs about 20/25 cm in diameter.
Instructions for plain naan
- Cook the naan in a large and hot pan with a little fat (butter, ghee or oil) on medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid.
- After 5 minutes, turn the naan over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. You can remove the lid to check if the naan is well cooked.
- Brush the naan with a knob of butter, ghee (or olive oil) and eat immediately: the naan should be eaten hot.
Instructions for garlic, butter and coriander naan
- Finely chop one or two large cloves of garlic and fry the chopped garlic in a little oil or butter for 3 minutes.
- Gently press the garlic with your fingers into one side of the uncooked naan.
- Then lightly crush then naan with a roller (in this case, it’s better if you have not completely lowered the naan before incorporating the garlic).
- Then bake according to the instructions above. At the end of cooking, brush with butter and sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.
Instructions for cumin naan
- Sprinkle one side of the naan with cumin seeds and “inlay” the seeds by flattening the naan with a roller (in this case, it’s better if you have not completely lowered the naan before incorporating the cumin).
- Then cook according to the instructions above.
Instructions for cheese naan
- Flatten an uncooked naan, spread the cheese in the center of the naan and leave the edges free.
- Fold the dough in half to close the naan, flattening again with a rolling pin.
- Bake according to the instructions above.
Notes
You can also combine all these seasoning options and try other seasonings (sesame, black cumin seeds, etc.).