Naan: Grilled Flat Bread from India

Naan is a flatbread original to Northern India. One could say that it is a close cousin to pita bread.  Naan is also prevalent in Central and South Asia where it is traditionally served as an accompaniment to stews.

Naan vs. Pita

The history of naan can be traced to the 14th century, making it younger than its Middle Eastern counterpart-the pita.  Pita came first, however at the time, yeast as a leavening agent was not really understood.

The first mention of  naan in recorded history is made by the Indo-Persian poet Amir Kushrau. In his writings, he refers to it as "light bread." Consequently, the word naan comes from the Persian word non which means bread. In Turkish languages, flat breads are also knows as nan.

Traditionally naan is cooked in either a tandoor oven (derived from the Persian word tannur),  or  flat iron grill with concave sides called a tava. If you don't own either (most people don't), no worries, an outdoor grill, a stove top griddle or a sandwich press work equally well. When it's winter and 5 degrees I use my indoor sandwich press grill.

Today, naan recipes have made it mainstream. Supermarkets are selling pre-packaged naan- plain or herb flavored. There is also naan pizza!!! This is definitely a nice change from the humdrum pizza dough. At home we often have a make your own pizza night where we use naan.

Step by step photos to make naan

1. Gather all your ingredients and have them measured out and ready to go. This is a very simple recipe with very few ingredients: dry active yeast, water, all purpose flour, sugar, pain yogurt, 1 egg and salt.
2. Heat the cup of water in the microwave for about 30 seconds. The temperature should be around 100°F but not above 110°F. Check with a thermometer.
3. Add the yeast and ¼ tsp of sugar to the water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes and it will appear frothy when ready.
4. Mix together the beaten egg and the yogurt and set aside.
5. In a large bowl add the flour, sugar and salt. Stir the dry ingredients to combine. Preferably you can do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook.
6. Add the yeast water mixture and egg mixture.
7. Mix with a dough hook on low-medium speed until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and forms a ball.
8. Knead the ball on a floured surface for 10 minutes. You can poke the dough ball and it will spring back when it is ready.
9. Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly oiled to prevent sticking. Cover and set aside for 1 hour or until is has risen to about double in size.
10. Punch down the risen dough and transfer to a floured surface.
11. Form a ball and cut into 8 equal pieces.
12. Place the dough balls on a sheet and set aside covered to rise for about 30-45 minutes.
13. Preheat your grill or griddle while the dough rises a second time. After rising, roll out the dough balls on a floured surface into 6-8 inch rounds.
14. Transfer to a plastic cutting board and brush with some melted butter on each side.
15. Grilling can be done two ways. The first option is to use a panini press until golden brown. This will produce a crispy and more dense round.
16. The second option would be grilling on a griddle until golden brown to even have a few black crispy bits. Grill on each side by flipping over. This will produce a soft fluffier round.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long can I store the naan bread? You can keep this at room temperature for about 4-5 day. Keep it sealed in a container or zip-top bag to prevent drying.
• Can I freeze naan bread? Yes, be sure to freeze in airtight freezer bags and it stores nicely for up to 3 months.
• How do I know when to flip when cooking on a griddle? It will start to bubble up on top and you can lift the bottom slightly and check for a nice brown color underneath.

Benefits to DIY

• The recipe is fairly simple and not very time consuming.
• The results are much better that anything you could buy in a store.
• You can freeze it for later use without loosing flavor or texture.
• Try it as an alternative to toast with your morning coffee/tea, or even as a substitute for pita with your  hummus.

Naan is one of those items I alway have to order when I visit an Indian restaurant so I can dip it in spicy sauce.  A couple to try at home are chicken tikka masala and rogan josh.  Both of these have a tasty sauce that is perfect for naan dipping.

If you like making homemade breads here are a few more to try that are traditional with an ethnic flair.  Moroccan country bread is a simple rustic bread that is typically eaten with tagine dishes.  Irish soda bread is one of my favorites to make for Saint Patrick's Day and goes will with Guinness beef stew.  Another exotic bread type dish I love to make is Lebanese cheese fatayer which is really easy to make with a pizza dough and filled with a feta cheese mixture.

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Naan - Grilled Flatbread From India

Here is an easy naan recipe I like to make on my indoor grill or panini press . If you like naan and want to grill some during winter here is a great way to do it.  You can also use a griddle.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: flat bread, grilled bread, simple bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 217kcal

Author: Analida Braeger

Ingredients

• 1 package of dry active yeast (.25 oz.)
• 1 cup water warm (about 110 F)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tsp salt

1-2 Tbsp herbs such as parsley or chives are optional. Nigella seeds are also interesting to add for flavor.

Instructions

• In a small bowl place 1 cup of water in microwave and heat for about 30 seconds to about 100°F to 110°F. Using a meat thermometer test the temperature. Make sure it is not above 110°F. Add ¼ teaspoon of sugar and the yeast. Mix slightly and set aside for about 10-15 minutes or until it begins to appear frothy.
• Mix beaten egg with yogurt and set aside.
• In a large bowl place 4 cups of flour, ¼ cup of sugar and salt. Stir up the dry ingredients to combine.
• Add the yeast water and the egg mixture and mix thoroughly until dough is soft. You can do all this in a mixer that has a dough hook attachment.
• Once the dough is all mixed together, knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place dough in a large bowl that has been oiled. Cover and set aside for about 1 hour or until it has risen to twice its size.
• Punch down the dough and add the herbs blending them well into the dough.
• Break off about 8-10 pieces the size of a golf ball and place them on a cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for about 30-45 minutes.
• Preheat your grill or griddle. I use my panini press on about 375°F-400°F and the same on my griddle.
• Roll out each ball into a thin circle around 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place on a plastic cutting board to prevent sticking and brush with butter on both sides. Grill each circle for about 3-5 minutes on each side.
• ** If you don't have an outdoor grill, a Panini press works well or a griddle as one you would use to make pancakes.

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How long can I store the naan bread? You can keep this at room temperature for about 4-5 day. Keep it sealed in a container or zip-top bag to prevent drying.
• Can I freeze naan bread? Yes, be sure to freeze in airtight freezer bags and it stores nicely for up to 3 months.
• How do I know when to flip when cooking on a griddle? It will start to bubble up on top and you can lift the bottom slightly and check for a nice brown color underneath.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2.5mg