How to make naan

Naan bread recipe

Soft, fluffy naan bread is the perfect accompaniment to all kinds of meals, and with this two-ingredient recipe, it’s so easy to make your own. A drop-shaped, leavened bread traditionally baked in a clay oven, naan is especially popular in northern Indian and Pakistan, where it originated as a popular bread in royal households before it spread far and wide. It’s long been part of the cuisine of countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan, and today, we love it here in Australia too. Its soft, foldable, tearable texture makes it perfect for mopping up curries, or wrapping around fillings. A classic Indian naan bread is leavened with yeast and needs rising time, but with this recipe, you can have lovely warm flatbread in just over half an hour. And you don’t need a traditional tandoor oven – these breads are easily cooked on a barbecue or in a grill pan.

This homemade naan is so easy to make

There are just two ingredients in these easy flatbreads, so if you’ve got yoghurt in the fridge and flour in the cupboard, you can whip these up whenever the desire for warm, fresh soft flatbreads strikes. The recipe uses Greek-style yoghurt, but you can also make these with other natural yoghurts. You might just need a little extra flour if your yoghurt is a runnier style, as that will add more moisture. There’s no special equipment required: your hands, a bowl, a rolling pin and a chargrill pan or frying pan are all you need. Watch the video above and you’ll see how very easy it is.
Start by placing the self-raising flour and yoghurt in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the flour and yoghurt until you have a soft dough. Alternatively, you can do an initial mix with a wooden spoon, then finish bringing it together with your hands.  
Use a little more flour to dust a benchtop or board and turn out the dough. Knead gently until smooth, then divide the dough into six equal portions. They don’t have to be exactly even, just roughly the same size. Using a rolling pin, roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 5mm-thick oval. If the dough sticks to the pin, dust the top of the dough with a little flour. The exact shape doesn’t matter – traditional naan are also a range of sizes and shapes.

Heat a greased barbecue grill or chargrill pan on high and cook the flatbreads in batches until lightly charred and cooked through. That will probably take about 2 minutes each side. You can also cook these in a non-stick frying pan – you won’t get the distinctive grill marks, but you’ll still get delicious flatbreads. Put the cooked naan on a plate and cover to keep warm while you cook the remaining breads.

The best dishes to serve with naan

Curry and naan are a classic pair – try serving your easy homemade naan bread with a beef vindaloo, peanut butter curry or family favourite butter chicken (this quick recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes). For a vegetarian option, pair naan with saag aloo (a flavour-packed potato dish) or a hearty cauliflower and pumpkin curry.
But curry is just the start! Fresh naan are also perfect with these spicy lime beef skewers with picked onions or this tandoori chicken, or as a base for blueberry and prosciutto pizza. Use them as bread for a hearty wrap – try them with the filling for these tasty chicken souvlaki wraps.
And how about naan for breakfast? Try them with curried scrambled eggs or Indian-style baked eggs.

Now get cooking

With just two ingredients, these lovely, soft breads can be on the table in around half an hour. And if the delicious rewards of making your own naan has you keen to try other flatbreads, these wholemeal spelt flatbreads are made with a similar method, with chives and dill added to the flour-and-yoghurt dough. Delicious served with pickled onion, barbecued asparagus and a ricotta-fetta mixture.
If you have a little more time, try Curtis Stone's grilled flatbreads with garlic-rosemary oil. These yeasted flatbreads are great with your favourite dip.
Or turn your naan into a meal, by using them as a base for pumpkin, caramelised onion and fetta flatbreads, a great five-ingredient dinner.