Onion Naan is a delicious variation of classic Indian naan bread where the bread is topped with a delicious onion topping. Make this restaurant-style dish at home in an oven or stovetop (vegetarian).
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About Onion Naan
Onion Naan is a delicious version of classic Indian Naan.
The leavened all-purpose flour dough is rolled and topped with a mixture of onions, cilantro, spices, and onion seeds.
It is then cooked in an oven or directly over the gas flame until brown spots appear all over and the naan is cooked well.
The onion mixture adds a nice spicy bite to the soft and fluffy naan making it very more delicious.
In restaurants and dhabas, onion naan is cooked in a tandoor (clay oven) but using my trick to cook these over direct flame gives very similar results at home.
My recipe is made without yeast, needs a few pantry ingredients, and tastes exactly like the one you get at a restaurant.
Serve onion naan for your festive or special meals with dal, curry, sabzi, raita, and salad of your choice.
You can easily double or triple this recipe for a bigger crowd.
Try out other naan varaitions
Here are more Indian bread recipes that you can make for your festive meals
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour – This Indian bread is traditionally prepared with all-purpose flour (maida).
You can substitute all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or use a combination of both flour to make it a little healthier. The taste and texture will differ a bit.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder help in leavening the dough and make the naan soft and fluffy.
Yogurt and Milk – The dough is kneaded using yogurt and milk. Yogurt also helps in leavening the dough making it rise.
Others – You will also need salt, sugar, cooking oil, and salted butter.
For The Topping – You will need onions, coriander, red chili powder, salt, chaat masala powder, and kalonji (onion seeds). This mixture adds a nice bite to the soft and fluffy Naan.
How To Make Onion 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.
Make The Topping
Mix
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ½ teaspoon kalonji seeds
in a bowl.
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. Roll it to make a thin round or oval naan.
Spread 2 tablespoon of onion topping over the naan and roll again to push the filling into the naan.
Flip the naan and roll it once more gently.
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
No, it is not a healthy recipe. The dough is made using all-purpose flour, ghee, and oil which are not healthy ingredients. So it is recommended to eat onion naan in moderation.
Serving Suggestions
Onion Naan tastes great with almost all the dals, curries, and sabzis.
I prefer to serve it with some restaurant-style dals and curries such as Kadai Chicken, Dal Maharani, Kadai Paneer, Nawabi Paneer Masala, Methi Matar Malai, Paneer Pasanda, or Dal Makhani.
Storage Suggestions
If you’re planning to store the leftover onion naan for a few days, then the refrigerator is a good option. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil or a zip-top bag and store it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for about 3-4 days.
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 is 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 in foil and place it on 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 onion naan 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.
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Recipe Card
Onion Naan Recipe
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ¼ cup room temperature plain yogurt (dahi, curd)
- room temperature milk (approx 1 and ¼ cups, to knead the dough)
- butter or ghee (to slather on naan)
For The Topping
- 1 cup chopped onions (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ½ teaspoon kalonji (onion seeds)
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, cooking oil, and, yogurt, in a large bowl or a parat.
- Mix well using your fingers.
- Add milk 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.
Make The Topping
- Mix onions, cilantro, red chili powder, salt, chaat masala powder, and kalonji seeds in a bowl.
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. Roll it to make a thin round or oval naan.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of onion topping over the naan and roll again to push the filling into the naan.
- Flip the naan and roll it once more gently.
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.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!