How To Make Indian Naan Bread

Homemade breads are a delight for food lovers aplenty. And when it comes to those fluffy, spongy, air-soaked Indian Naan Breads, there isn’t much that can beat it, especially for those with a taste for Indian cuisine and spice-filled extravaganzas. And the greatest news is that they are really easy to make, so no question of breaking too much sweat over it!

How to Make Naan

The item naan bread originally comes from the land of Iran or Persia, but over time, many varieties of naans have evolved over vast regions of Asia, until they finally came to west and proved a hit with the western audience, too. The process of how to make a naan bread is pretty much the same though and it is the flavor and condiments you use which account for differences in taste. For example, in Indian naan bread, it is quite common to use Nigella seeds, or herbs like fresh cilantro, etc. whereas Pakistani naan will use fragrant essences, such as khus, rose, or melted ghee or butter for purposes of flavoring.

The Process

Mix sugar and yeast and add warm water and let the mixture sit for a while until the yeast is activated. In another large bowl, add flour, baking soda and baking powder. For flour, you can use only all-purpose flour or wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour in equal measure.

Once the yeast culture is ready, add yogurt and warm milk to the combine and then pour the whole mixture over the flour. Mix and knead the flour with hands until the dough is prepared and then set it aside for 1-3 hours to let it rise. You may like to cover the dough in a plastic wrap.

Afterwards, divide the dough into balls and flatten them. You may use a rolling-pin for this purpose and keep this in mind that the pieces should not be flattened any thinner than ¼ inches. A cast iron skillet is best for making naan bread. Warm it to medium high heat and place the naan in the pan after covering both sides of it with butter. Cover the skillet and bake for a minute or so and then flip it around and cook for another 1-2 minutes. By this time, the naan should be bubbly enough and there will be large air pockets and toasted spots. Repeat the process for the rest of the naans.

That’ s about it. Easy enough, we would say!

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