This garlic naan is flavourful, scrumptious and incredibly quick and easy to make without using yeast! Learn how to make restaurant-style garlic naan with no fancy equipment or oven.
Easy Garlic Naan (without Yeast)
I have always had a soft spot for garlic naan. I always go for it whenever I go to an Indian restaurant!
There is something special about garlic naan that no other flatbread can match!... Particularly the delicious flavour and soft yet crispy texture! If you haven’t yet tried garlic naan – you are in for a real treat!
Growing up in an Indian family, I have enjoyed my fair share of Indian flatbreads (including paratha, tandoori butter naan and roti). I believe each flatbread has something uniquely special about it.
Naan is such a versatile flatbread and can come in a variety of flavours including chilli naan and cheese naan. Naan can also come in varying textures. You have either have fluffy, soft naans which are slightly chewy and as well as crispy and soft naan – depending on your preference!
Throughout the years, I have practised making naan at home to resemble that from my favourite Indian restaurants – but without any fancy equipment or oven! I am excited to share this irresistible garlic naan recipe with you! Within 15 minutes you can have restaurant-style garlic naan!
This garlic naan recipe is my go-to recipe for the easiest, best restaurant-style garlic naan! This delicious garlic naan is perfect when you want a flavourful flatbread with your meal (you can even enjoy these on their own!).
Jump to:
What is naan?
- Naan is a popular South Asian leavened flatbread made using plain (or all purpose) flour and a number of additional ingredients (including yoghurt, oil or milk, leavening agent). Naan can be made with or without yeast (versions with yeast require extra time for the dough to rise).
- Naan is traditionally baked in a tandoor (clay oven), however you can also bake in an oven or cook using a tava. This recipe uses a tava to cook the naan flatbreads (the fastest and cheapest option to give you delicious restaurant-style naans).
Notes about Recipe Ingredients
To make this buttery garlic naan all you need is:
- Plain (all purpose) flour: this is used to make the dough and also sprinkled on your worktop to help you roll out the naans (without them sticking on the surface).
- Natural/homemade yoghurt: natural homemade yoghurt is mixed with the flour to make the dough for this recipe.
- Baking powder: this is a leavening agent added to the flour before adding the yoghurt, this helps give the naan some lift, helping it cook to get the perfect texture (without using yeast).
- Salt: this is added to the dough (before adding the yoghurt) to season the naan and enhance its flavour.
- Butter: use salted butter, this is used to spread on top of each naan once it is cooked
- Garlic: fresh garlic is finely minced/grated and mixed with the butter to spread on each naan once cooked.
- Coriander (cilantro): this refreshing herb is also mixed with the garlic and butter to spread on each naan, enhancing the flavour of this garlic naan.
Equipment
- Tava pan: I recommend using a non-stick tava pan (also known as a tawa) with a handle, which is a large round, flat and slightly curved pan used to make a variety of flatbreads. If you do not have a tava, you can use a large flat frying pan (with a handle) instead.
- Spatula and brush/spoon: You will also need a spatula to flip the naan, brush or spoon is used to spread the garlic and coriander butter onto each naan
- Rolling pin: this is used to roll out the dough to make each naan.
SAVE this recipe! 📩
How to make garlic naan
- Make the dough. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Add the whisked yoghurt (image 1) and mix together (image 2) form a sticky dough (image 3).
- Knead the dough. Gently knead the dough with your hands to ensure all ingredients are mixed and incorporated together to form a smooth, slightly soft and sticky dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 sections/balls. One at a time, pinch a chunk of the dough and roll into round balls. Repeat with the remaining dough (image 4). Meanwhile, preheat your tava on low heat.
- Roll out into a round flatbread shape. Prepare your worktop area (by sprinkling some of the flour onto your worktop surface and placing some flour in a bowl). Take one of the balls of dough, flatten slightly, sprinkle some more flour onto the ball (image 5). Using a rolling pin, roll into a flat, round and thin tortilla/flatbread shape.
- Cook on tava. Place uncooked rolled naan onto a preheated tava and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the naan (image 6). Flip to cook the other side (image 7).
- Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame (optional but recommended): Once both sides are cooked and have bubbles/air pockets, carefully place naan directly on top of a stovetop/open flame and grill for a few seconds seconds or until you see the naan charring slightly. Use tongs to carefully flip the naan to grill the other side. Note: this step is optional but recommended for a delicious, roasted flavour of naan that resembled restaurant-style naan made using a tandoor.
- Spread with garlic coriander butter. Place cooked naan on a plate or tray and spread with garlic coriander butter (image 8). Repeat steps above with the remaining dough.
Tips to make the perfect garlic naan
- Use a pre-heated tava: preheat the tava on low-medium heat, this will help cook the naan at the right temperature – if the temperature is too low the naan will stick to the tava and not form bubbles, resulting in an undercooked, dry naan. With the correct temperature, the naan will form air pockets and bubbles which allows the naan to become cooked, crispy and fluffy.
- Use salted butter: I recommend using salted butter for more flavour.
- Finely mince/grate the garlic and mix with the butter: this releases more flavour into the butter and helps to make each naan flavourful.
- Finely chop the coriander/cilantro before adding to the butter mix: this helps to infuse the flavour of the coriander/cilantro.
- Cook on low/medium heat: this helps to evenly cook the naan.
- Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame: although this is an optional step, it is highly recommended for a delicious, roasted flavour of naan that resembled restaurant-style naan made using a tandoor.
- Ensure dough is kneaded to appropriate consistency: we want the dough to be slightly soft and sticky and kneaded appropriately to ensure ingredients are well mixed.
- Sprinkle your worktop lightly with flour and roll dough gently with the rolling pin: This helps to create naan of even thickness and keeps them from sticking to the worktop (if you roll them too hard the force will make them stick to your worktop, this could make you use extra flour, which will make the naan tough and reduce their softness).
- Cook and roll simultaneously: this is a time-saving tip – in the method above, you’ll notice I recommend cooking the naan whilst rolling out the next naan, this helps you save time and make the naans faster.
How to serve naan
- Garlic naan is so versatile and can be served with many dishes.
- For main meals, you can serve naan with many Indian dishes including bhindi masala, paneer dishes and curries.
- You can even serve naan as a wrap with salad, paneer and dips (mint chutney, guacamole and blender salsa.
Storage tips
- These naans can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Fridge: transfer cooled stack of naans onto a paper towel/kitchen towel and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight and store in fridge.
- Freezer: line each naan with parchment/baking paper and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight. You can also check out these tips on how to freeze naan for more detailed instructions.
- To reheat: gently wet the naan under a running tap. Allow naan to slowly heat on a preheated tava on low heat. Using your spatula to keep flipping the naan to evenly cook both sides. Alternatively, place the naan on a microwave safe plate and heat for 30-40 seconds per naan, or until hot and steaming. (Optional: you can then transfer onto a preheated tava to crisp up the naan).
Related
Looking for other Indian recipes? Try these:
Easy Garlic Naan (without Yeast)
Ingredients
- 150 g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (plus extra for dusting)
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 110 g Natural yoghurt or homemade yoghurt
Garlic butter
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Coriander chopped
- ¼ cup Salted butter melted
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) in a bowl. Add the whisked yoghurt and mix to form a sticky dough.
- Knead the dough until ingredients combined to form a smooth, slightly soft and sticky dough, divide into four sections/balls.
- Preheat tava/frying pan on low heat.
- Using a rolling pin, roll one dough ball into a thin tortilla/flatbread on a floured surface.
- Cool on preheated tava for 2-3 minutes, or until you see bubbles forming on the surface of the naan. Flip to cook the other side.
- Optional step (recommended for restaurant-style/tandoori flavoured naan) - Once both sides are cooked and have bubbles/air pockets, carefully grill/char the naan on an open flame (stovetop) for a few seconds. Use tongs to carefully flip the naan to grill the other side.
- Transfer naan onto a plate and spread with garlic butter mixture. Repeat steps with remaining dough.
Garlic butter mixture
- Mix melted butter, garlic and coriander/cilantro into a bowl, set aside to garnish on top of naans.
Notes
- Use a pre-heated tava: preheat the tava on low-medium heat, this will help cook the naan at the right temperature – if the temperature is too low the naan will stick to the tava and not form bubbles, resulting in an undercooked, dry naan. With the correct temperature, the naan will form air pockets and bubbles which allows the naan to become cooked, crispy and fluffy
- Use salted butter: I recommend using salted butter for more flavour
- Finely mince/grate the garlic and mix with the butter: this releases more flavour into the butter and helps to make each naan flavourful
- Finely chop the coriander/cilantro before adding to the butter mix: this helps to infuse the flavour of the coriander/cilantro
- Cook on low/medium heat: this helps to evenly cook the naan
- Grill naan slightly on stovetop flame: although this is an optional step, it is highly recommended for a delicious, roasted flavour of naan that resembled restaurant-style naan made using a tandoor.
- Ensure dough is kneaded to appropriate consistency: we want the dough to be slightly soft and sticky and kneaded appropriately to ensure ingredients are well mixed.
- Sprinkle your worktop lightly with flour and roll dough gently with the rolling pin: This helps to create naan of even thickness and keeps them from sticking to the worktop (if you roll them too hard the force will make them stick to your worktop, this could make you use extra flour, which will make the naan tough and reduce their softness).
- Cook and roll simultaneously: this is a time-saving tip – in the method above, you’ll notice I recommend cooking the naan whilst rolling out the next naan, this helps you save time and make the naans faster.
- Storage: These naans can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. To pack and store in the fridge, transfer cooled stack of naans onto a paper towel/kitchen towel and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight. To pack and store in the freezer, line each naan with parchment/baking paper and wrap with foil and seal to keep airtight.
DK
I love garlic naan and this recipe is amazing! It came out soft, chewy and rich with garlic taste!
Sonia
Thank you! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!