Cheese Naan
Naans are one of the most popular flatbreads in India. A rich Indian meal consisting of robust curries, creamy lentil-based dishes and/or other vegetable dishes as sides is never really complete without 2 things – first is a flatbread, like Roti, or Paratha, etc. and second, salads and condiments like pickles and chutneys. This recipe post is about one of the classic favorites in the naan category, which is the delicious Cheese Naan. This recipe is made with baking powder and baking soda, sans yeast. Can be easily made at home.
About Cheese Naan
Naan is a leavened flatbread, which is traditionally cooked in tandoor (a clay oven) but can also be roasted on a tawa or skillet. Naan is a well known flatbread in Indian, Caribbean and many other Asian cuisines. The Cheese Naan is one of the widely popular naan versions in India.
This recipe of Cheese Naan Bread without any yeast is a simple one that you can refer to, and make for your family, friends and guests at home. The ingredients that go into making this variation are whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, buttermilk and oil or butter.
Since this Cheese Naan recipe also uses a good quantity of whole wheat flour (atta) in it and is not completely made of all-purpose flour (maida), it is a little healthier than the ones available at restaurants and hotels too.
More On My Recipe
This Cheese Naan can be made on a tawa or flat cast iron skillet. You can also make them in a frying pan and don’t really require an oven to bake them. These typical naans have a soft texture with a gooey cheesy taste in the centre.
For the cheese, you can use cheddar cheese or a mix of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. You can also use processed cheese.
At home, at times, I do make naans and the soft textured ones are a favorite of all. For this Cheese Naan, like I mentioned earlier, I have used a mix of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour (maida). However, you can use only whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour to make these naans.
In addition to this fantastic Cheese Naan Bread, I would suggest that you must also try the classic Naan recipe as well as the following naan variations, as each of these too, are super delectable:
Serve Cheese Naan as a plain snack or with a side dish of any North Indian lentils or veggie curry. So, you can serve with Dal Fry, dal tadka, Paneer Curry, mixed veg gravy, veg kadai, matar paneer or Veg Kurma.
How to make Cheese Naan
Make Dough
- In a mixing bowl or pan, take 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
2. Then, add 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Mix very well with a spoon or spatula.
4. Add 3 tablespoons buttermilk or curd (yogurt).
5. Then, add ⅔ to ¾ cup water, in parts.
6. Mix well and then add 3 tablespoons oil or butter.
7. Mix and begin to knead.
8. Knead very well to a soft, smooth and pliable dough. Add more water, if required, while kneading dough.
9. Flatten the dough. Brush some water or oil all over the dough. Cover the bowl and keep the dough for 2 hours to leaven.
Prepare Cheese Naan
10. After 2 hours, this is how the dough looks like.
Grate cheese and keep aside. You will need 1 cup of grated cheese. You can use cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese or processed cheese.
11. Make medium sized balls from the leavened dough.
12. Dust a dough ball with some flour.
13. Roll into a 5 to 6 inches diameter disc.
14. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons grated cheese. You can even add less cheese, if you want. But it will be like a cheese flavored naan then, and not Cheese Naan.
At this point if you prefer, you can sprinkle some dried herbs or fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley, basil etc) and ground spices (black pepper, cayenne, cumin etc).
To make garlic flavored cheese naan mix some minced garlic or a few pinches of garlic powder with the shredded or grated cheese evenly.
15. Fold the edges from all around.
16. Bring the edges in the center and then join them. Press the joined edges back on the dough. Dust some more flour.
17. Roll to a 7 to 8 inches disc or cheese stuffed naan.
18. Brush some water on the side facing you.
19. Sprinkle some nigella seeds (kalonji) or sesame seeds all over and press them with the brush or with your fingers, so that they stick to the naan.
Roasting Cheese Naan Bread
20. Now, place the naan, nigella seed side down, on a hot tawa or skillet.
21. Roast on medium-high to high heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
22. It will begin to puff up. When you see some blisters and the naan puffing up, flip it.
23. When you turn the naan, it will be cooked and roasted well. Cook the second side also for 1 to 2 minutes.
24. Flip again when the second side is cooked. You can flip once or twice more, for even roasting.
24. Take on a plate.
25. Spread some butter on top.
26. Then, cut the naan in 2 to 4 pieces or wedges, if serving immediately. Make all the naans this way.
You can serve them hot or stack them in a roti basket or casserole. Later, you can cut them and serve.
27. Serve Cheese Naan hot or warm as a plain snack or with any North Indian dal or veggie curry. You can serve with Dal Tadka, matar paneer, mixed veg gravy or Kadai Paneer.
Expert Tips
- I have made this naan with both whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. You can also make it with only whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour as well.
- For this recipe, you can use either buttermilk or curd. The quantity remains the same.
- You could vary this recipe by adding fresh or dried herbs of your choice – cilantro, mint, thyme, parsley, basil will taste good. Opt to add ground spices like black pepper, cayenne, cumin or garam masala if you like.
- To make garlic cheese naan, you could even add some minced garlic or a few pinches of garlic powder. Mix either with the grated or shredded cheese evenly first.
- Choice of cheese for this recipe can be any of these – cheddar, mozzarella or processed. You can add more or less quantity of cheese, as per your preferences. Use fresh cheese. Taste test and it should not taste bitter.
- If you are not serving the Cheese Naan immediately, then you can stack them in a roti basket or casserole. While serving, you can cut them into wedges and then serve.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For the naan dough
- 2 cups whole wheat flour – 240 grams
- 1 cup all-purpose flour – 125 grams
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk or curd (yogurt)
- 3 tablespoons oil or butter
- ⅔ to ¾ cup water or add as required
Other ingredients
- 100 grams cheese or 1 cup grated cheese or add as required – cheddar, processed or mozzarella
- nigella seeds (kalonji) as required, can also use sesame seeds
- Butter as required, optional
Instructions
Making dough
- In a mixing bowl or pan, take the whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
- Mix very well with a spoon or spatula.
- Add buttermilk or curd (yogurt)
- Then add ⅔ to ¾ cup water in parts.
- Mix well and then add oil or butter.
- Again mix and begin to knead.
- Knead very well to a soft, smooth and pliable dough. Add more water if needed while kneading dough.
- Flatten the dough. Brush some water or oil all over the dough. Cover the bowl and allow to leaven the dough for 2 hours.
Assembling, rolling and stuffing cheese naan
- After 2 hours grate cheese and keep aside. You will need 1 cup grated cheese. You can use cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese or processed cheese.
- Make medium sized balls from the dough.
- Dust some flour on the dough ball.
- Roll in to a 5 to 6 inches diameter circle.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons grated cheese. You can even add less cheese if you want. But it will be like a cheese flavoured naan and not cheese naan.
- Fold the edges from all around.
- Bring the edges in the center and then join them. Press the joined edges back on the dough.
- Dust some more flour and roll the cheese stuffed naan.
- Roll to 7 to 8 inches circle. brush some water on the side facing you.
- Sprinkle some nigella seeds or sesame seeds all over and press them with the brush or with your fingers, so that they stick to the naan.
Making cheese naan bread
- Now place the cheese naan with the nigella seeds side facing down on a hot tawa or skillet
- Roast naan on a medium-high to high flame. It will begin to puff up.
- When you see some blisters and the naan begins to puff up, flip it. Cook the other side.
- Flip again when this second side is cooked. You can flip a couple of times more for even roasting.
- Take them in a plate and spread some butter on top.
- Then cut the cheese naan bread in two or four pieces if serving immediately. Make all the naans this way. You can serve them hot or stack them in a roti basket or casserole and then serve later.
- Serve Cheese Snack as a snack or pair them with your Indian meals.
Notes
- Use fresh cheese and make sure it is not rancid or tastes bitter.
- You could make cheese naans with only whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.
- Adding water as needed form a supple and soft dough.
- For the cheese, make the naans with processed cheese, mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese. You could even use any of your favorite cheese which melts on cooking.
- Make the recipe your own, by adding your preferred herbs (fresh or dried) and ground spices.
Nutrition
This Cheese Naan post from the blog archives, first published in November 2017 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
In never had cheese naan but I think it it going to be good.
Do try and I hope you like these.
Can I ferment a ball of atta and use it in place of yeast or baking powder/soda?
yes, you can do this. but for a quicker fermentation, i would suggest adding some curd and a pinch of baking soda. in india, before the commercial baking yeast came in the market, yeasted breads were made with fermenting a batter of flour and water. this was called as khameer. the batter was fermented for a couple of days. this batter starter is then used in the dough. this process uses natural yeast from the air.
i have shared a bhatura recipe which uses the method of making khameer and will help you in making naan. you can check the recipe here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/bhatura-recipe-bhature-bhatura/
Thank you Dassana and yes Khameer’s the name! You have put so many recipes of dishes as our elders used to make. That’s one great job. I keep referring to your site when I forget some step or a recipe.
welcome anu and thank you. khameer was used in ancient times when making leavened bread in india. there is khameeri roti also and is a traditional mughlai recipe. but nowadays khameeri roti is made with commercial yeast – even in restaurants. once a reader from poland had shared with me the making of polish whole wheat bread which makes use of khameer (starter) and then fed every day – similar to making sourdough starters with natural yeast. there is a lot of information available in books on making sourdough and you can read them. thanks again.
can i use only baking power for this receipe ?
yes you can use baking powder. but add 2 teaspoons baking powder overall.
thank you so much
i love cheese naan and so does my son
love ur recepies and tryed many
all the best
Welcome Maria. Glad to know that you have tried many recipes from the blog.
simple and easy
Muchas muchas gracias! Soy mexicana , conozco India, la Amo!!! Y su comida también! Todo lo que he preparado queda Realmente delicioso!!!Muchas gracias otra vez por todas tus increíbles recetas.
Namaste Julie. Thanks a lot for the lovely comment. Most welcome.