Garlic Naan
Soft, chewy homemade garlic naan cooked in a hot skillet, no tandoor needed. Blistered spots, brushed with garlic butter and cilantro.
20% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 20 min
- Resting
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 8
- Calories
- 240
- Protein
- 5 g
- Per serving
- $0.34
Why this recipe works
Fresh garlic naan beats anything from a package, and you don't need a special oven to make it. A soft yogurt dough rises for an hour, then each naan takes about two minutes in a skillet. Serve it with any curry or dal.
- Yogurt in the dough makes naan soft and slightly tangy, and a little baking powder alongside the yeast gives it the big bubbles that char.
- A very hot, dry cast-iron skillet stands in for a tandoor: the dough puffs within a minute and blisters before it can dry out.
- Brushing with garlic butter the moment each naan leaves the pan keeps it soft and lets the garlic perfume the bread without burning.
Ingredients
For the dough
For the garlic butter
You will need
- Large cast-iron skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Proof the yeast
Stir the warm water, yeast and sugar together and leave for 5 minutes, until foamy.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Make the dough
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt and oil and stir, then knead in the bowl for 3 to 4 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add a spoonful of flour only if it's too sticky to handle.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Let it rise
Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the garlic over low heat for 2 minutes, then stir in the cilantro.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Shape
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. On a floured counter, roll each into an oval or teardrop about ¼ inch thick.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Cook in a hot skillet
Heat the dry skillet over medium-high until very hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Lay in one naan and cook until big bubbles puff up and the underside has dark spots, about 1 minute. Flip and cook 45 to 60 seconds more.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Brush and stack
Brush each naan with garlic butter as it comes out of the pan and stack them in a towel-lined basket to keep warm and soft.
AI-generated illustration of this step.
Cook's notes
- Wet your hands and pat a little water on the top side before it goes in the pan: it helps the naan puff and stops it drying out.
- If the naan browns before it bubbles, the pan is too hot; if it stays pale and stiff, it isn't hot enough. Adjust after the first one.
- Freeze cooked naan between sheets of parchment. Reheat from frozen in a hot skillet for about 30 seconds a side.
Nutrition per serving
240 calories
$0.34 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 8% of calories | 5 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 54% of calories | 32 g |
| Fat | 38% of calories | 10 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 230 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Can I make naan without yeast?
Yes. Skip the yeast and rise, use 1½ teaspoons baking powder, and rest the dough for 15 minutes. It's quicker but a little denser and less chewy.
Can I use Greek yogurt for naan?
Yes. Thin it with a couple of tablespoons of water first so the dough isn't too stiff; Greek yogurt makes a slightly chewier naan.
Why is my naan hard?
It cooked too long or the pan wasn't hot enough, so it dried out before it puffed. Cook it fast in a very hot pan and brush with butter straight away.
