Garlic & coriander naan

Naan is a quintessential leavened Indian bread and the perfect accompaniment to your favourite curry. Growing up in Europe, we are led to believe that Indian food is curry + naan. However, I have of course realised over the years that this could not be further from the truth! 

I generally prefer rotis or parathas as they are made with wholewheat flour. They also don't require any raising agent and I can have them ready in around 1hr (including resting & cooking time). However, once in a while I really do like to have a naan! I made these garlic & coriander naan a few months ago, but I've only just got round to writing up the recipe. 

Usually, naan is made in a tandoor oven. To try and replicated the flavour you would get from the tandoor, I cooked these in my cast iron pan. I find this gives a delicious flavour. I was super excited about making these and they turned out really well!

Tips for a good naan 

• Use a good quality yeast that is well within its shelf-life. This will ensure that the dough rises beautifully and give the naan a fluffy texture.
  
  
• Don't be afraid to knead the dough firmly for at least 10 minutes. This will help build up the gluten and also ensures that the naan becomes fluffy! 
  
  
• The dough should be slightly sticky when you first start kneading it - this will help the naan become soft. The dough will become smooth after kneading.
  
  

Lets make garlic & coriander naan!

Ingredients 
Makes around 12 large naan
550g plain flour 
250ml lukewarm water plus more water as required
2 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 x 7g sachet active dry yeast 
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp sugar 
nigella seeds (kalonji) as required or optional

For the garlic & coriander butter 
4 tbsp melted butter 
Large handful finely chopped coriander leaves 
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

Method 

Making the dough

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Set aside. 
  
  
• In a jug or a small bowl, mix together the lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes until the yeast becomes bubbly. This is known as activating the yeast. 
  
  
• Next, gently mix in the yoghurt and oil into the yeast mixture. 
  
  
• Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture.
  
  
• Gently start mixing in the flour with your hands or a spatula and distribute the liquid throughout the dough. 
  
  
• Add more lukewarm water as required, and knead for around 10 minutes to soft and smooth dough. I added around 1/2 - 3/4 cup water more.  You want to build up the gluten - this will help the naan become soft and fluffy. The dough will start of being sticky and as you keep kneading it will become smooth. Do not be tempted to add more flour to reduce the stickiness of the dough. It will eventually become smoother the more you knead it. Only if the dough is really sticky and you can't handle it add a little more flour, around 1 - 2 tbsp.
  
  

Resting & dividing the dough

• When you have made a smooth and soft dough, place back in the bowl and cover the bowl with a tea towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place or until doubled in size. 
  
  
• When the dough has doubled in size, punch out the air. This is called knocking back the dough. 
  
  
• Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. 
  
  

Rolling out the naan

• Next, take a cast iron pan and place on a medium heat (you can use a non-stick pan but I find that cast iron gives a better flavour and also retains heat more evenly).
  
  
• Whilst the cast iron skillet is heating up, mix the melted butter, coriander leaves and garlic in a small dish. Set aside. 
  
  
• Dust a work surface and roll out a dough ball to a round oval shape with a thickness of around 1/2 cm - 1cm. The oval will spring back slightly as it is a yeasted dough. Do not roll it out in the same way you would roll out a paratha or roti. Just roll in one direction, trying to ensure an even thickness.
  
  
• Sprinkle around 1/2 tsp of nigella seeds over one side and press lightly into the rolled out naan with the rolling pin (this is optional - if you don't have nigella seeds, you can skip this step)
  
  

Cooking the naan

• Place the rolled out naan onto the hot pan. Let cook on one side for a few minutes until you see bubbles appear on top. I cook these naan in a similar way to how I would cook parathas. I generally avoid placing the naan directly on the hob as I find it creates a bit of a mess with the butter. 
   
• When you see bubbles appearing, flip the naan and cook for a few minutes on the other side until golden brown. 
  
  
• Brush a little of the garlic & coriander butter on the partially cooked side and then flip over again. You want to make sure that the naan is about 80% cooked before cooking the side you brushed with the garlic butter. This will prevent the garlic butter from burning.
  
  
• Cook for around 10-15 seconds and brush some of the garlic butter on the other side as well. Flip over again and cook for 10-15 seconds more.
  
  
• Transfer the garlic naan to a wire rack to cool. Do not stack the naan as they will go soggy. Repeat this rolling & cooking process with the remaining naan.
  
  
• Enjoy this naan with all your favourite curries or use to scoop up dal!
  
  

FAQs

Can I bake these in the oven? 

Yes, you can! Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan. Place the naan on a baking tray and bake for around 5-6 minutes until puffed up. When baked, brush with the garlic butter. 

Can I freeze these naan? 

Yes, definitely! Once cooked & cooled, simply stack them in between baking sheets and place in a freezer bag. They will keep for at least 3-4 months. When you want to have one, simply warm up in the oven, or heat up in a pan. 

Recipe notes

• You can cook these naan over an open flame if you prefer. After cooking the naan on both sides simply transfer to an open flame and cook for a few seconds on each side. Then brush the naan with garlic butter.