Naan Recipe (Without Yeast)

One of the most popular flatbreads in India and some South Asian countries, the Naan Bread is made with a leavened dough. Here’s my tried and tested Naan recipe to make these soft, slightly chewy and delicious flatbreads, without yeast. The incredibly easy one to make, if you find using yeast is a daunting affair. You can cook it on a griddle (tawa) or a skillet on a stovetop. Alternatively, grill in a tandoor or oven. Here I show 2 ways of roasting these breads – on the stovetop on direct flame and on the skillet.

About Naan

Naan is a light, soft and leavened Indian flatbread, prepared with all-purpose flour, salt, oil, sugar and leavened with yeast or a mixture of baking powder and yogurt.

It is cooked in a tandoor or on a hot griddle or skillet. This chewy, pillowy bread pairs perfectly with rich curries, lentils and kebabs.

Like I said in the beginning, Naan Bread is made in some countries in Asia. These breads are baked in a tandoor (a cylindrical oven made of clay). It is also popular in India and is served in almost all the restaurants here.

This flatbread is a super common choice for us when dining at any North Indian or Mughlai restaurants or eateries.

However, the Naan recipe is not a common one in Indian households as a staple. It is Roti, Paratha (unleavened flatbreads made with whole wheat flour or atta) that is made on a regular basis for our everyday meals.

A few more popular breads in the Indian subcontinent are Poori (Indian Fry Bread), Kulcha, Bhatura and Parotta.

How This Recipe is Different

To leaven Naan Bread dough, you can use either yeast or a combination of yogurt and baking powder with a bit of baking soda.

My Naan recipe includes baking powder, baking soda and yogurt for the leavening. The acidity in yogurt reacts with the baking agents, helping the dough rise and resulting in a soft, fluffy texture.

You can also be assured that you are not fretting over the use of yeast in preparing this quintessential flatbread.

This flatbread is so delish that it makes you forget about the all-purpose flour (or maida), which forms the base ingredient in the recipe.

I do make whole wheat Naan Bread, but sometimes the family wants a classic, soft-textured one made with all-purpose flour, the way they are made in restaurants.

So, I combine both whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour to make it – like in this recipe of Garlic Naan.

For best taste and texture, a Naan Bread should be consumed hot. Once it cools, then it may become dense, hard, very chewy and loses its taste.

At least the restaurant ones become like that. But not this recipe. This recipe results in flatbreads that remain soft and slightly chewy, even when they become warm or cool.

Occasional Indulgence

Whenever we visit a restaurant, most of the times, we end up ordering this particular flatbread with a curry or lentil-based dish. Knowing very well that it will be probably made with all-purpose flour and not really good for health.

But what to do! These flatbreads taste so well with curries that you end up loosening your guard on consuming nutritious food.

Once in a while, we all like to relax and relish fried food or other supposed to be unhealthy foods. And its ok to do that, as far as you know what to do, to compensate for that!

How to make Naan Recipe

Prepare the Dough

1. In a mixing bowl, take ¼ cup fresh yogurt (curd). For a vegan option, use almond or cashew yogurt.

Ensure to use fresh yogurt and not overly sour or tangy one.

2. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 pinch baking soda.

If you do not have baking soda, then skip it.

3. With a spoon, mix all the ingredients very well till the sugar dissolves.

4. Now add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt or add as required in the bowl. You can also use a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.

5. To evenly distribute the salt in the flour, mix again with a spoon.

6. Make a well in the center and add 2 tablespoons oil.

Note: You can even add butter instead of oil. Use any neutral-flavored oil.

7. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water or as required.

8. First mix and then begin to knead.

9. Knead to a smooth and soft dough.

If the yogurt is thick, then you may need to add more water. In case the dough looks dry, then add some more water and knead.

If it becomes sticky, then sprinkle some flour and knead again. You should get a soft stretchy dough. You can even use a stand mixer to knead the dough.

10. Flatten the dough. You can even spread some oil all over the dough, if you want. Place in the same bowl.

11. Place a moist kitchen towel or napkin completely covering the dough. Cover the bowl with a lid and let the dough leaven for 2 hours.

12. In the picture below, the dough has leavened after 2 hours.

Assemble & Roll

13. Make medium-sized balls from the dough.

14. Flatten slightly and sprinkle some flour on the dough as well as on the rolling board.

15. Sprinkle some nigella seeds (kalonji), sesame seeds (black or white) or melon seeds (magaz) on the rolled dough. I have added nigella seeds as they give a good flavor.

If you do not have these seeds, then skip them.

16. Roll to a 6 or 7 inches elongated circle.

17. Roll the top side to get a tapering edge. You can even gently pull the dough with your hands to get this pointed edge. The Naan will have a tear-shaped form.

Roast on Stovetop

18. Heat a heavy griddle, tawa or skillet and keep on medium-high to high heat. Place the flatbread on the hot tawa, skillet or griddle.

19. Keep the heat to medium-high or high and begin to cook the bread.

20. Cook one side partly. You will see a few air pockets on the flatbread.

21. When you start seeing the air-pockets, then flip using tongs or spatula.

22. Now, cook the second side on medium-high to high heat.

23. Again, you will see air-pockets appearing on the second side. Flip when you see many air-pockets on the bread. Cook the second side more than the first side.

24. You have to flip it using tongs and place it directly on the stovetop heat.

25. Grill the first side on heat till you see some charred spots and blisters.

26. Roast the edges too.

27. Turn over and roast the second side too till you see some charred spots. Avoid fire roasting too much as then the flatbread becomes crispy.

28. Place it on a plate or tray. Spread or brush some softened butter or melted butter on it. You can even use ghee (clarified butter).

For a vegan version, use neutral flavored oil. You can even skip using butter or oil entirely.

Make Naan on Tawa/Skillet

29. Heat a heavy griddle or skillet on a high flame. Place the rolled dough on the hot tawa or skillet or griddle.

30. You will see some air pockets on the flatbread.

31. Flip the flatbread.

32. Cook the second side more than the first side. Too cook faster, cook on high heat.

33. To cook the edges properly, press them with a spatula.

34. Flip again.

35. You can flip again and press the edges for even cooking. Remove and spread some butter or oil.

This way prepare Naan in batches with either of these 2 methods. You can even stack cooked Naans in a casserole box or roti basket and serve later.

36. Serve Naan hot or warm with your favorite curry or lentil dish.

Serving Suggestions

Naan pairs beautifully with a variety of rich, flavorful Indian dishes – both curries and lentils. Here are some of our favorite dishes I mostly serve with naan:

• Dal Makhani
• Paneer Butter Masala
• Palak Paneer
• Chole Masala
• Malai Kofta
• Kadai Paneer

Storage Suggestions

The dough can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 to 5 weeks. Since yogurt is added to the dough, avoid freezing it beyond this time.

To freeze, place the dough in an airtight box and store in the freezer. Thaw completely at room temperature before rolling and toasting.

Prepared naan can be refrigerated for a couple of days. Warm it on a skillet or in the oven before serving.

Naan vs Naan Bread

Both Naan and Naan Bread are the same, and used interchangeably in India as well as other places it is served.

In Asia particularly, we have the tasty flatbread Naan, whereas in the United States, these are called as Naan Bread.

Variations

• Whole Wheat Flour: Instead of all-purpose flour (maida), you can use whole wheat flour or a mix of both. A 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of whole wheat to all-purpose flour works well. For a 100% whole wheat version, refer to my Butter Naan recipe made entirely with whole wheat flour.
• Herbs and Spices: Add chopped herbs like coriander, mint, parsley, or basil to the dough for added flavor and color. Spices like red chili powder, black pepper, and chaat masala can also be added. Garlic-flavored naan is another popular variation.
• With Yeast: You can prepare these flatbreads with yeast using either instant or dry active yeast. This yields a slightly different texture and rise.
• Cheese Naan: Stuff grated cheese in the rolled dough, seal, and toast/roast. Optionally, flavor with garlic for a richer taste.
• Butter Naan: Add butter to the dough instead of oil, and brush melted or softened butter on the flatbread after cooking.

Expert Tips

1. Flour Choices: You can use only all-purpose flour or a mix with whole wheat flour as preferred.
2. Kneading: Knead the dough well until soft, smooth, and pliable. Adjust the amount of water depending on the flour type.
3. Yogurt: Use fresh yogurt that’s not very sour. Alternatively, use 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and add some water to knead.
4. Baking Soda: Can be skipped if preferred.
5. Flavorings: Herbs and spice powders can be added to the dough or mixed with melted butter/oil to spread over the naan after toasting.
6. Vegan Option: Substitute dairy yogurt with plant-based yogurt like almond or cashew. Use oil or vegan butter for kneading and brushing.
7. Toasting Options: Naan can be made in a tandoor, on a tawa, or baked. For baking, place on a greased hot tray in a preheated oven at the highest temperature. The yield is about 8 to 9 medium-sized naan.
8. Scaling: The recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch.

FAQs

Naan recipe from the blog archives was first published on July 2013.