One of my favorite food memories was the first time I tried Indian food. It is super popular in Japan, so while we were living on Okinawa, a big portion of our restaurant options were Indian restaurants. Every time you walk past an Indian restaurant, you are immediately greeted with the very strong, distinct scent and at the time, it made me nervous for some reason. I didn’t know if I would like it and I had no idea what I would even order if I went in.
Well, I can’t even put into words how happy I am that we did end up venturing into an Indian restaurant one evening. Now the smell and taste of Indian food floods my minds with warm, soothing thoughts and I consider it to be one of my all time favorite comfort foods.
One of my favorite things about Indian cuisine is naan bread. Naan is a simple leavened bread that is traditionally baked in a tandoor, but thankfully it can also be cooked up right on your stovetop in a hot skillet. It is fluffy, it is chewy, it is the perfect vessel to bring curry, tzatziki or a thick stew into the hangar.
Let’s get started…
Begin by combining 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour with a 1/4 ounce packet of dry instant yeast, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl.
Whisk 2/3 cup of full fat plain Greek yogurt into 1 cup of warm water and add this into the bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough comes together and you no longer see dry ingredients unincorporated. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough feels soft, elastic and a little sticky.
Use a sharp knife or dough cutter to divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a round ball. Place the dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet or large plate. Lightly cover with a light kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for an hour.
Right before the dough is done resting, place a large skillet over medium to medium high heat and let the skillet get nice and warm for a few minutes.
While the skillet is preheating, roll a portion of dough out into a long, thin oval. Carefully place the rolled out dough onto the hot, dry skillet and let it cook undisturbed on the first side until the bottom side of the bread releases from the skillet surface and the top is covered in bubbles.
Flip the dough and cook on the other side until the bread is fluffy, dry and slightly charred on both sides.
It usually takes 2-3 minutes for the first side to cook and 60-90 seconds for the second side to finish up. While the first portion is cooking, roll your second portion out and once the first naan bread is cooked, wrap it loosely in a kitchen towel.
Repeat this process until all of the naan bread has been cooked and they are all stacked on each other in a kitchen towel.
Naan Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 packet of dry instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2/3 cup of full fat plain greek yogurt
- 1 cup of warm water (between 100-110 degrees)
Garlic Butter
- 1/4 cup of butter, melted
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- black sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Combine 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour with 1 packet of dry instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl and whisk until combined
- Add 2/3 cup of full fat plain Greek yogurt and 1 cup of warm water and mix until a shaggy dough comes together and all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is soft, elastic and a little sticky
- Use a shark knife or dough cutter to divide the dough into 8 equal portions
- Spray a sheet of parchment paper with nonstick spray and place onto a baking sheet
- Use damp hands to form each portion of dough into a ball and transfer onto the greased parchment paper
- Once all of the dough has been shaped, cover with a light towel over top and rest the dough for 60 minutes in a warm place
- Once rested, place a large skillet over medium high heat and allow it to preheat
- Roll a portion of the dough out into a long oval that is about 1/4 inch thick
- Transfer the dough onto the preheated skillet and cook until the bottom is slightly charred and bubbles have formed over the top
- Flip the naan and cook for another 60-90 seconds
- Repeat until all of the dough has been cooked
- Transfer cooked naan into a towel to stay warm while you are cooking the rest of the portions
- Once all of the naan has been cooked, brush with a combination of melted butter and finely minced garlic
- Garnish with finely chopped parsley and black sesame seeds and enjoy immediately
