Garlic Naan Recipe
In the UK, curry is a staple food for many of us. An Indian takeaway is often met with joy and excitement when suggested by another family member. Whether you love onion bhajis, samosas, butter chicken, everyone has their favourite part of an Indian meal. Enter: garlic naan. It has to be up there with one of the best parts of an Indian, with its pillowy texture, garlic flavour, buttery exterior, charred spots. I could go on and on.
Now, since most of us can't justify a takeaway every day, whether that's for our wallets or our waistbands, this recipe is simple to whip up and will rival any garlic naan you've had before. The dough is made with yoghurt and yeast with warm water and flour. It's brushed with a glistening golden garlic butter at the end. Served warm, they are unbeaten.
Whilst many supermarkets do sell naan these days, and some can be good, we think this are a lot better and you also know exactly what is going into them, which makes it great for serving to the family, especially to little ones.
This is an easy recipe to show you how to make it. If you don't like parsley, we would also recommend coriander in the melted garlic butter.
What is garlic naan bread made of?
Garlic naan is a type of Indian bread. It's a leavened flatbread, made with bread flour and yeast, brushed with garlic butter at the end. The shaping of the breads is very easy as it doesn't matter if the shape is irregular as it still cooks evenly.
How healthy is naan?
Like everything, we believe in everything in moderation. The good thing about making the naan from scratch is that you can control exactly what enters it and it isn't highly processed. Naan is definitely a great source of carbs in a balanced diet and something to enjoy in your diet.
Do you eat naan by itself?
Naan by itself is yummy, of course, but we think it's best served with a curry alongside. You can use the naan to mop up the curry sauce which just makes the whole meal even better.
Podcast recommendations with Indian chefs!
As naan is a staple in Indian cuisine, we wanted to share some of our favourite Desert Island Dishes episodes that feature Indian chefs and authors. They are all amazing insights into Indian cuisine and you will be able to learn from the experts too!
Episode 77: Chetna Makan: Baker, Cookbook Author And Star Of GBBO
Episode 96: Romy Gill MBE: Chef, Food Writer And Restaurateur
Episode 132: Ravinder Bhogal: Chef, Food Writer, And Restauranteur
- Prep Time: 75 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Makes 8
Ingredients
For the Naan
4 cups strong bread flour
1 ¼ cup warm water, not boiling
½ cup natural yogurt
⅓ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
7 grams active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
For the garlic sauce
2 tablespoon melted ghee (or salted butter)
Handful of parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Instructions
- In a small jug or bowl, mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl. Stir well to dissolve the yeast and then set aside to activate for 10 minutes.
- To make the dough, mix together the flour, yoghurt, olive oil, salt and yeast mixture in a large bowl and give it a good mix. I start with a wooden spoon and then use my hands to knead it until a dough is formed and it comes together.
- Oil the bowl well and then place the dough ball back inside, brushing the top with a little more oil and cover the whole thing with a kitchen towel. Set it aside somewhere warm and leave it for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- For the butter just mix together the melted butter or ghee with the garlic and parsley.
- Deflate the risen dough using your hands and then divide it into 8 pieces. To shape them simply squash them with the palm of your hand and tease them out using your fingers. They should be about ¼ inch thick.
- Cook them over medium heat in a lightly oiled pan for about 2-3 minutes until lots of bubbles form at which point you flip them over and carry on cooking for another 2 minutes of so. Once cooked brush with the garlic butter and serve immediately.
- You can cook all the naan, keeping it warm under a kitchen towel or in a low oven and then brush with the melted butter just before serving.
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