Naan bread is the number one side dish ordered with an Indian curry, and we used to buy either a keema, garlic or Peshwari naan bread. Not anymore, we just make it ourselves to save money, and it's healthier too because you know what is going in to it.
This bread can also be made for different meals, some examples of what it could be used for include; garlic bread to serve it with pasta dishes, top a plain naan with butter and herbs to accompany a soup or turn it into a lunch by putting a tomato sauce on top with cheese and any other toppings that you love.
Ingredients
- Dried yeast (1 sachet - 7g)
- Warm water (320ml)
- Milk (6 tbsp)
- Sugar (2 tbsp)
- Salt (2 tsp)
- Strong bread flour (400g)
- Groundnut or sunflower oil
Method
Put the warm water and yeast into a bowl and stir. Leave for 15 minutes until the yeast has activated and starts to bubble/froth.
When the yeast has activated, add the sugar, milk, flour and salt to the bowl and mix until you have a soft, sticky dough. Flour a clean, dry surface and pour the dough onto it, kneed back and forth until you have a light, fluffy non-sticky dough, add as much flour as needed to stop it from sticking.
Get a large mixing bowl, grease the sides with oil all around to avoid the dough sticking, place the dough inside, cover the bowl with a towel and leave it in a warm, dry place for up to 90 minutes or has doubled in size. When you are happy with how much the dough has risen, pour out of the bowl onto a floured surface, kneed for 5 minutes, coat in flour and cut into 4-6 equal balls.
Place a frying pan on medium heat with one tablespoon of oil in. Roll out one ball at a time into a round/teardrop shaped naan and place it into the frying pan. When they puff up during cooking, push the bread down with a spoon to ensure it cooks thoroughly. They should cook within 5 minutes, a couple of minutes on each side. Serve with your favourite curries, chutneys or even soup.
Naan Bread: Frequently asked questions
How to make a peshwari naan bread?
You will need to make a coconut, almond and sugar paste that you stuff inside the bread just after making the dough.
How to make a garlic naan bread?
To make a garlic naan the process is similar as above but instead of the coconut filling you will want to prepare crushed garlic, butter and dried parsley and place that inside the naan bread securing it inside by folding and rolling out gently.
How to make the best naan bread?
Traditionally naan breads are cooked on the wall of a tandoor which gives it a distinct flavour that is difficult to replicate at home. This is because the tandoor oven has thick walls and a bigger flame that generates a lot more heat than what is possible in a typical oven. For the best naan bread you should make sure that the pan is very hot and you should top the bread with butter when it is cooked and serve immediately.
Up next: Sri Lankan Roti Bread Recipe.
