Peshwari Naan
Make these restaurant style Peshwari Naan at home using my easy recipe.Serve them with a saucy curry for a yummy treat.
Here are some more Indian bread recipes that you may like: Tandoori Roti, Khamiri Roti, Bakarkhani Roti, and Missi Roti.
I often talk about my mom’s recipe booklets on this blog, which she made from magazine cuttings. I keep referring to them and often find interesting recipes to try. This Peshwari Naan recipe is also a find from one of those.
The recipe sounded very interesting and unique, so I decided to try it. I used my tried and tested naan bread dough recipe and made the filling as per the booklet. These Peshwari naan turned out fabulous, so I made them again to share the recipe with you all. Do try!
About Peshwari Naan
Peshwari Naan is a flatbread which is popularly served in Indian and Pakistani restaurants.
“Peshwari” refers to Peshawar, a city in Pakistan which is known for its rich culinary traditions. This naan is a specialty from that region and hence the name.
This bread is made with a dough which is made using all purpose flour. Yogurt, baking powder and baking powder are added to the dough to make the naan soft and fluffy. Some people also add active yeast to their recipes to make the naan soft and fluffy. I don’t use yeast in my recipe but it still turns out quite good.
The dough is stuffed with a mildly sweet mixture (peshwari paste) made from ingredients like desiccated coconut, sugar, dried nuts (often almonds or cashews), and sometimes raisins or sultanas. This filling gives peshwari naan its distinct sweet and nutty taste.
At the restaurants, Peshwari naan is cooked in a tandoor oven (clay oven) but since most homes do not have a tandoor, I am sharing techniques to make it over the stovetop or in an oven.
Serve the indulgent peshwari naans with spicy curries for a hearty meal on special occasions, festivals or get togethers.
Ingredients
For The Dough – You will need all-purpose flour (maida), baking soda, baking powder, salt, white sugar, neutral-flavored cooking oil, plain yogurt (dahi, curd), and milk to make the dough for the Peshwari naan.
Take out the yogurt and milk from the refrigerator 2-3 hours before kneading the dough as you will need them at room temperature.
You can replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
For The Peshwari Filling – This naan is stuffed with a mildly sweet filling which is made using almonds, pistachios, raisins, desiccated coconut (nariyal ka burada), white sugar, and salted butter. Some people also add raisins and sultanas to their filling.
For The Topping – Peshwari naan is topped with almonds, pistachios, white sesame seeds (til), fennel seeds (saunf), and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) before baking. The toppings give it a lovely look. You can also add some dried rose petals to the topping.
You will also need butter or ghee to smear over the cooked naan.
How To Make Peshwari Naan
Make The Dough
Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl or parat.
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup yogurt
Mix well using your fingers.
Add milk (approx 1 and ¼ cups) little by little and knead a soft dough.
Oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen cloth or cling film and keep it in a warm place for 5-6 hours.
Note – You can also make the dough using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Make The Filling (Peshwari Paste)
Add the following ingredients to a mixer grinder or a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and blend to make a coarse paste.
- 1 cup crushed almonds
- ¼ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup chopped raisins
- 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter (melted)
Make The Topping
Mix the following ingredients in a bowl.
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup slivered pistachios
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Roll The Peshawari Naan
Knead the naan dough once again and divide it into 12 equal parts. Roll each part to make round dough balls.
Now take one dough ball and keep it on the rolling surface. Dust it with a little dry flour and roll it using a rolling pin to make a 4-inch circle.
Keep a tablespoon of nutty filling in the center of the circle and then bring its ends together.
Dust the dough with some more dry flour and roll to make a 6-7 inch oval naan or tear shape naan. The edges of the naan must be thinner than the center.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoon of topping ingredients over the surface of the naan and run the rolling pin.
Flip the naan upside down and roll with the rolling pin once again.
Cook The Peshwari Naan
On An Inverted Tawa Over The Stovetop
Heat a tawa over high heat.
Apply water to the plain side of the peshwari naan and transfer it to the hot tawa, water side down. The water will cause it to stick to the griddle.
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 for 20-30 seconds.
Brush the finished naan generously with melted ghee or melted butter and serve hot.
Note – If the naan gets stuck to the tawa, then use a flat metal spatula to remove it.
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 on to the hot skillet. Let it cook for about 1-2 minutes. You will see that it begin to inflate and develop a slight char on the undersurface.
Flip the bread and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Flip again and brush generously with ghee or butter. Serve hot.
In An Oven
Preheat the oven to it’s highest temperature setting. Mine goes up to 500°F (260°C).
Transfer the rolled naan on a baking sheet with the topping side up. Keep the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 2-4 minutes until the naan puffs up and turns golden brown in color. Remove the naan from the tray using a flat metal spatula. Brush generously with ghee or butter and serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
To make soft and fluffy naan, make sure that the dough is very soft and not tight.
Before transferring the rolled naan on the tawa, make sure that it is very hot otherwise the naan will not stick to it and will fall off when you invert the tawa.
Also do not use a nonstick tawa to make this recipe as the naan might slip off from the smooth tawa when you invert it.
Wipe the rolling pin and the rolling surface with a cloth before rolling each naan to remove any water that is left on the surface when you rolled the previous naan.
Avoid using excess dry flour while rolling, as it might stick to the naan and burn when you cook it.
Storage Suggestions
Whenever I make this sweet naan recipe, I try to do some preparations in advance to make my work easier. I knead the dough and make the filling and topping 2-3 days in advance. I store all these in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
When I am ready to make the peshwari naan, I just take out everything from the refrigerator 2-3 hours in advance and keep it on the counter so that it comes to room temperature. Then all I have to do is just roll the naan and bake them.
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Peshwari Naan Recipe
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd) (at room temperature)
- milk (approx 1 and ¼ cups (to knead the dough), at room temperature)
For The Filling
- 1 cup crushed almonds
- ¼ cup pistachio
- ¼ cup chopped raisins
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut (nariyal ka burada)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter (melted)
For The Topping
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup slivered pistachios
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds (til)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- melted butter (for brushing over the ready naan)
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Add all the ingredients except milk to a large bowl or parat.
- Mix well using your fingers.
- Add milk (approx 1 and ¼ cups) little by little and knead a soft dough.
- Oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and keep it in a warm place for 5-6 hours.
- Note – You can also make the dough using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Make The Filling
- Add all the ingredients to a mixer grinder or a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and blend to make a coarse paste.
Make The Topping
- Mix all the ingredients except butter in a bowl.
Roll The Peshawari Naan
- Knead the dough once again and divide it into 12 equal parts. Roll each part to make round balls.
- Now take one dough ball and keep it on the rolling surface. Dust it with a little dry flour and roll it using a rolling pin to make a 4-inch circle.
- Keep a tablespoon of filling in the center of the circle and then bring its ends together.
- Dust the dough with some more dry flour and roll to make a 6-7 inch oval naan. The edges of the naan must be thinner than the center.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of topping ingredients all over the naan and run the rolling pin all over.
- Flip the naan upside down and roll with the rolling pin once again.
Cook The Peshwari Naan
On An Inverted Tawa Over The Stovetop
- Heat a tawa over high heat.
- Apply water to the plain side of the naan and transfer it 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 for 20-30 seconds.
- Brush generously with ghee or butter and serve hot.
- Note – If the naan gets stuck to the tawa, then use a flat metal spatula to remove it.
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.
Hi can I make these ahead and freeze?
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried freezing these, but my gut says that you can. Do not thaw while reheating. If you have an airfryer, then heat the frozen naan at low temp for 10-12 minutes and then at high for 2-3 minutes until crip.