Plain Naan Bread

Want to make a restaurant like Plain Naan Bread at home? Then look no further. This No Yeast recipe makes the best one ever. Make them on a stovetop on a tawa or use an oven, they will turn up equally delicious.

Jump to:

• About Naan Bread
• Ingredients
• How To Make Plain Naan
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also like
• Recipe Card

About Naan Bread

Naan is a soft, leavened flatbread popular in India, Pakistan, and Middle Eastern countries. It is made using all-purpose flour as its key ingredient and is leavened using baking powder, baking soda, and yogurt. Some people add yeast as a leavening agent to their recipe.

This bread is popularly served at all Indian restaurants along with kababas, lentils, and curries. You will also find it on the menu for weddings, large gatherings, or special occasions.

Naan is traditionally made in a tandoor (clay oven). But at home, you can make this Indian bread on a griddle (tawa) or in an oven.

My recipe for Indian naan bread is a no-yeast recipe too. It uses a few simple ingredients that are mostly available at home and you can make restaurant-quality naan at home.

The recipe is vegetarian and you can easily double or triple it as per your requirements.

Once you perfect the recipe to make Plain Naan, try other variations like Garlic Naan, Peshwari Naan, Keema Naan, Onion Naan, etc.

Want to try more Indian Breads, here are some that you can serve with your special meals

• Tandoori Roti
• Khamiri Roti
• Punjabi Missi Roti
• Masala Jowar Roti
• Bajre Ki Roti
• Missi Roti
• Phulka
• Jowar Bhakri

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour (Maida) – Naan is traditionally made using all-purpose flour.

However, to make it healthier, you can replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. The texture of the bread will be slightly different in this case.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder – These ingredients help in the leavening of the dough.

Yogurt and Milk – You will need room temperature plain yogurt (dahi, curd) and milk to knead the bread. Yogurt also helps in fermenting the dough and milk makes it soft.

Kalonji (Onion Seeds) – Top the plain naan with a few kalonji seeds. they give a nice taste in each bite.

You can also use white sesame seeds if you do not have kalonji seeds.

Others – You will also need salt and sugar.

How To Make Plain Naan

Make The Dough

Add

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ cup room temperature plain yogurt

in a large bowl or a parat.

Mix well using your fingers.

Add room temperature milk (approx 1 and ¼ cups) little by little and knead to make a soft dough.

Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl.

Cover with a damp kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place for 5-6 hours.

Roll The Naan

Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll each part to make a smooth ball.

Note – Keep the remaining dough covered with the kitchen towel otherwise it will dry out.

Take one ball and dust it with dry flour.

Sprinkle a large pinch of kalaunji seeds on the platform. Keep the dough ball over the kalonji seeds and roll to make a thin circle or oval using a rolling pin.

Cook The Naan

ON AN INVERTED TAWA OVER THE STOVETOP

Heat a tawa (griddle) over high heat.

Apply water on the plain side of the naan and transfer the naan to the hot tawa, water side down. It will stick to the griddle because of the water applied.

Now turn the tawa upside down over the flame.

Cook till brown spots appear on the surface. Keep moving the tawa back and forth so that the naan cooks evenly.

Flip the tawa and cook the naan for 20-30 seconds.

Brush generously with ghee or butter and serve hot.

IN A PAN OVER THE STOVETOP

Heat a heavy skillet or a frying pan over high heat until it becomes extremely hot. You don’t need to use any oil or butter for this step.

Transfer the rolled naan with the topping side up onto the hot skillet. Let it cook for about 1-2 minutes; you should see it begin to inflate and develop a slight char on the undersurface.

Flip the bread over and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Brush generously with ghee or butter and serve hot.

IN AN OVEN

Preheat the oven to the highest temperature setting possible.

Place the rolled naan directly on a baking sheet with the topping side up. Bake for about 2-4 minutes on one side or until it puffs up and starts to turn golden brown. Brush generously with ghee or butter and serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

Once you have mastered making the naan dough, instead of using it to make plain naan, you can make other variations too. Here are some of my favorites.

Garlic – Top the rolled naan with minced garlic to make a garlicky version. Check out the detailed recipe here.

Mint or Coriander – Top the naan with finely chopped mint or cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).

Pesto – Give an Italian twist to your plain naan. Roll the dough to make a 5-inch circle and brush generously with Basil Walnut Pesto. Bring the ends together and roll to make a thin naan.

Aloo – To make aloo naan, prepare a spicy boiled potato filling and fill it in the dough ball in the same way as you do to prepare an Aloo Paratha. Roll and cook.

Paneer – You can prepare some melt-in-mouth paneer naan in the same way as you would make an aloo naan. Just replace aloo masala with a spicy paneer filling.

Cheese – Stuff the dough ball with 2 tablespoon of grated mozzarella cheese. Roll and cook.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve Naan is along with creamy and delicious Dal Makhani or Butter Chicken and thinly sliced onions.

You can try both Restaurant Style Dal Makhani and Jain Dal Makhani, they taste delicious.

You can also serve it along with luscious curries such as Mughlai Paneer Korma, Malai Kofta, Paneer Masala, Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer, Mushroom Masala, Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala, Chicken Keema Masala and other delicious curries that you can make at home.

Storage Suggestions

If you plan to consume the naan bread within 1-2 days, you can keep it at room temperature. Wrap it in aluminium foil or place it in a bread box to prevent it from drying out.

If you’re planning to store it for a few days, the refrigerator is a good option. Wrap the bread in aluminium foil or a zip-top bag and store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for about a week.

For long-term storage, you can freeze the naan. Wrap individual pieces in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag. It can last for up to 2-3 months in the freezer.

Remember to always check the bread for signs of mold or off smells before consuming, regardless of the storage method used.

To reheat, you can use an oven, toaster, or even a pan on the stove. If the bread was frozen, let it thaw to room temperature before reheating to prevent it from getting too hard or dry.

Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C). Wrap the naan bread in foil and place it onto a baking sheet. Heat it for about 5 minutes or until it’s heated through.

Stovetop Method: Heat a pan over medium heat. Place the naan bread directly on the pan and heat each side for about 1-2 minutes or until it’s heated through.

Microwave Method: Wrap the naan bread in a damp paper towel and heat it on high for 30 seconds. Check the bread and repeat as necessary until it’s heated through. Be aware that the bread may lose its crispiness with this method.

Remember not to overheat as it may dry out and become tough.

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