This homemade Naan or Tandoori Roti with its fluffy, pillowy texture and signature blisters, is the perfect accompaniment to help sop up any curry!
Fresh naan is an indulgence like no other. The fluffy pillowy texture of naan is definitely irresistible, for any carb lover.
Naan is not an everyday occurrence. Naan is typically reserved for special occasions, like weekend dinners, or celebrations, which makes it even more of an indulgence.
Growing up, I don’t ever recall being leftover naan or tandoori roti at home. When we were younger, my brothers and I would fight over the last piece, all the time, especially when it came topped with garlic butter (sorry mom & dad!).
If you’re lucky enough to be near an Indian or Pakistani bakery that makes hot and fresh naan, it’s definitely a treat you need to cherish. For the rest of us, mom has come to the rescue, with her best tips for homemade naan!
What is Tandoori Roti/Naan
Tandoori Roti or Naan is a fluffy, leavened flatbread. The texture of naan is soft and fluffy (similar to pita bread). Chapati Roti, another popular Indian bread is an unleavened flatbread.
It is typically made with maida (or all-purpose flour), leavened with yeast and/or yogurt, then left to rest before being traditionally cooked in a tandoor (clay oven) at a very high temperature.
Naan is often topped with ghee, garlic butter, nigella seeds or other seasonings, and it is served as a side for curries. The dough can also be stuffed with a variety of toppings to create unique snacks and appetizers!
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for other Indian and Pakistani bread recipes, here are some basic recipes you’ll love:
- Easy Roti Recipe: How to make soft chapati?
- Puri – Puffy Deep-Fried Bread
- Aloo Paratha: Potato Stuffed Flatbread
- Lachha Paratha: How to make flaky plain Paratha?
- Masala Puri: Spicy, Puffy Flatbread
How to make Tandoori Roti/Naan
Our naan recipe is made with a simple dough, made with flour, salt, baking soda, yeast, and yogurt.
#1: Make the dough
First, activate the yeast with lukewarm water, salt and sugar for about five minutes. While you’re waiting on that, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and yogurt.
Combine the two mixtures, and knead it for a few minutes until it is all comes together.
We love using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for this recipe. It makes the kneading a lot easier.
#2: Let it rest
Once the dough is made, you’ll need to let it rest for at least 3 hours, in a warm spot.
Mom’s Pro-Tip
Let the dough rise in the oven, with the light turned on. The dough is done rising, when it has doubled in size!
#3: Knead and Divide the Dough
Now that the dough is ready, knead it a little more, this time with your hand for at least 5 minutes. Divide the dough in 8 to 10 pieces, depending on how big you want your naans to be.
#4: Roll out the dough
Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface and rolling pin to make sure the dough doesn’t stick. Roll out the dough to about 4-6 inches. They don’t need to be circles.
#5: Cook the naan
Naans need to be cooked at high temperatures, to get their signature blistered look. Since we don’t have tandoors or clay ovens at home, there are two ways to recreate the heat.
- Heat a cast iron pan, on high heat, to get it as hot as it can go, or
- Raise a cooling rack on top of a metal ring on your stove.
For the second method, you can use a metal cookie tin with the bottom taken out, or an old springform cake pan that you no longer use.
Once your heat source is ready, transfer the rolled out dough onto the stove, the bottom should be closest to the heat. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it, as the time will vary based on how hot and close your heat source is to your naan.
Once it puffs up, flip it over and finish cooking for another couple of minutes.
#6: Top and Serve
Transfer the cooked naan onto a plate, and top with melted butter (optional, but delicious). Cover with a dish towel to keep warm, while the rest of the naans are cooking.
Naans are best enjoyed when warm and fresh.
What to serve with Tandoori Roti/Naan?
To make this naan extra special, top it with butter, or garlic butter, and serve with your favorite curries.
Naan or Tandoori Roti is a great alternative to plain chapati roti, or rice.
Here are some of our favorite curries to pair with Naan:
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it!
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Tandoori Roti
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup water lukewarm
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp yeast
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ tbsp yogurt
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 cup butter, melted optional, for topping
- 2 tsp chopped garlic optional, for topping
Instructions
- In a bowl add ¾ cup of lukewarm water, with the salt, sugar and yeast, and let rest for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
- In the large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add all-purpose flour, baking soda, yogurt and oil. Mix well. Then add the yeast mixture and knead until the dough comes together.
- In a separate bowl add few drops of oil, coat the bowl with oil, then add the dough to rest. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest in a warm spot like the oven with the light turned on. Let it rest for at least 3 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough is ready, knead it well for 3-5 minutes. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal sized pieces.
- Turn on the stove on high heat with either a cast iron pan or cooling rack elevated with a metal ring (see notes for additional details).
- Roll out the dough: sprinkle a little flour on the rolling pin and your work surface. Roll out one of the pieces so it is flat and about 4-6 inches in diameter.
- Once rolled, transfer to the heat with the bottom closest to the heat.
- Let cook for a couple of minutes, until dough puffs up, then flip over to cook the other side for couple minutes more.
- Transfer to a plate, top with a little butter, and keep warm, by covering it with a dish towel.
- Repeat with remaining pieces: rolling out the dough, then transferring to the stove.
- Serve immediately with your favorite curry!
Notes
- Heat a cast iron pan, on high heat, to get it as hot as it can go, or
- Raise a cooling rack on top of a metal ring on your stove.