During my Indian week at the start of the pandemic, I found a pretty simple recipe for naan that turned out great the first time I made it. But the couple times I’ve made it since, it has tasted more like a pretzel.
I possibly didn’t take as much care with the instructions as I did the first time, but by the third time I thought I was pretty careful? So I went in search of another recipe.
I found this one on an authentic Indian blog that calls for slightly less flour and quite a bit more dairy – not just yogurt, but also milk rather than water. It was a bit less pretzel-y, but still not as great as I remember the first batch of naan being ….
Makes 4 large naan
1-3/4c flour
1/2t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
1/2t sugar
3/8c yogurt (it doesn’t specify regular vs greek yogurt but I always only have greek so …)
1T oil
1T melted butter (For garlic butter: melt 1/4c butter then add a scant tablespoon of chopped garlic and simmer for 3-4 minutes.)
3/8c lukewarm milk
pinch of salt
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add in the wet ingredients. Knead for 4-5 minutes. The dough will be crazy-sticky at first, but should soon come together into a ball.
Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rest for an hour.
Heat a pan (the recipe doesn’t say to what temperature). Pinch off a piece of naan and roll it out pretty thin. Brush lightly with water and put the wet side down in the pan. The water will help it stick. After 30 seconds, flip the naan over and cook the rest of the way.
Brush with remaining melted garlic butter & sprinkle with chopped cilantro, if desired.