Quick stovetop naan recipe
Thought I'd share this tasty, easy recipe for naan made on the stovetop. I've tried a few different variations but I keep on coming back to this one for the simple reason that is produces good, soft yet sturdy breads, perfect for wrapping around a kebab or kefta or scooping up dal, in just over 30 minutes with minimal active time.
Friends of mine took some cooking classes when they were travelling in India and this was one of the recipes they came back with.
Naan is best baked in a tandoor but unfortunately, no room for one in my 700sf apartment! I have a very nice, thick, carbon steel tawa and it does a great job with these as well as chapatti, paratha and tortilla. Best $10 I ever spent.
For each cup of flour you get 3 or 4 naan, depending on the size of your tawa or skillet.
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together;
1 cup flour (AP or a mix of white and whole wheat; I've had very good results with half white and half atta)
1tbsp sugar
generous pinch baking soda
Add 3tbsp yogurt and a little water if needed.
Optional- add as much chopped garlic as you like
Knead in the bowl until smooth and cover for 30 minutes.
Preheat the tawa or a heavy skillet on medium high heat
Divide your dough and roll in to balls. For my 12" tawa, I find 3 pieces per cup of flour works.
Roll on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/4" thick
Dust off any excess flour and place on the hot tawa
Optional- brush the top side with ghee (clarified butter) or oil. This recipe works perfectly well without the added fat but butter is tasty and it'll give you a crisper naan
When bubbles begin to form (10 to 20 seconds), flip and use a clean, folded dish towel to constantly rotate the naan so it doesn't burn. It may puff up like a pita.
Optional- brush the 2nd side with ghee or oil
Flip once more after a minute or less once you have browning on one side and repeat the rotating until done.
Best enjoyed shortly after making. Dough balls will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
being one of my favorite foods makes Naan one of my favorite breads!! Made dal soup yesterday and this would have been perfect with it. Thanks for the recipe.
That's how I like to make naan too! I make it in the oven if I have time, but I find a skillet is way faster and makes a really nice, chewy bread.
I usually use yeast for naan rather than baking soda, have you tried that?
Yes, I have and enjoy it too.
This is definitly not the tastiest or most authentic tandoor style naan recipe out there but what it has going for it is speed.
Artisan baking, slow rise, sourdough blah blah blah aside, sometimes it's nice to satisfy your inner spoiled brat with some instant gratification- or as close to instant as you can get with bread!
I like that with this recipe, a salad and using my pressure cooker for some dal I can whip up a complete meal with bread in roughly the same time as it takes to order in.
I suppose, though, with a good amount of yeast to feast on the sugar and some warm water to stimulate it, a yeasted version of this recipe wouldn't take that much longer.
Hi,
I've noticed that some recipes call for the flatbread to be made on the stovetop and some in the oven. I'm going to make some later today and wonder if one method is preferable. I'd like them to be soft and pliable to wrap abound a lamb filling. We are celebrating July 4th with a Greek meal :).
Thanks and Happy 4th!
Especially if you have a gas stove, it will probably get hotter than your oven. Most home ovens tend to top out at about 550 F, stoves can go to 600 and over. The longer your bread stays exposed to heat the more crusty it will get, so the faster you can cook it the softer it should be.
the grill tonight and see how it comes out. Will try it with Yeast Water, 50% semolina atta, garlic chives, garlic and onion powder with some garam masala. Will let you know how it turns out.
My husband and kids are totally addicted to Indian food and Naan Bread but I have only ever cooked Naan in my oven, I'll have to try this recipe on my tawa! Thanks for sharing :)