Naan recipe no yeast

This quick naan recipe will help you make delectably soft naan without yeast at home in under an hour. During winter season, I love using fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) in the dough, however using methi is optional, you may skip and make plain or garlic naan.

No tandoor or oven needed, instead, we will simply cook the yeast-free naan on stovetop on a skillet or griddle. This easy and hassle-free recipe promises pillowy naan perfection and you will relish the delightful taste and texture of homemade naan. Egg-free and easily made vegan!

What is Naan

Naan is a leavened flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent and is traditionally cooked in tandoor (clay oven).The dough is is placed into a direct contact with the hot walls of the clay oven. The high heat of tandoor lends naan its characteristic taste and texture.

After cooking, on the inside its soft & fluffy while the outside is slightly crispy and chewy. There is an airiness to the cooked flatbread from the pockets formed due to leavening agents. The charred spots from high heat cooking contribute to the taste as well as the appearance of the flatbread.

Indian restaurants have made naan immensely popular globally, however, you will be surprised to know that in indian homes, rotis or parathas are the everyday bread. Indian flatbreads such as roti, tandoori roti and paratha are made with whole wheat flour (atta) and secondly, both these flatbreads are unleavened- hence quicker to make on everyday basis.

Traditional Naan versus Instant Naan

1. Traditionally, naan is cooked in tandoors and the exposure to high heat for a short period of time creates a unique texture with crispy, charred and slighly puffy spots all over the exterior of the naan, while the inside still remains soft and chewy. However, achieving the same authentic taste at home is nearly possible without the need for a tandoor. When we make no yeast naan at home, on the stove top, we will achieve the crispness to an extent, but please keep in mind that it will be slightly less pronounced than the naan cooked in tandoor.
2. Instead of yeast (used in traditional naan recipe), a combination of yogurt and leavening agent like baking soda are used to make instant naan. Tastewise, both are almost similar.
3. As the name suggests, instant naan is quicker to make. While the dough needs a few hours to proof in the yeast version, the instant naan dough comes together in under an hour.

Ingredients

• All purpose Flour (Maida)- I use un bleached flour. The kneaded flour forms the structure of the naan. Kneading the dough develops the the necessary gluten for elasticity and perfect texture of the flatbread.
• Yogurt (Plain): Provides moisture to the naan dough and contributes to the leavening process. When yogurt reacts with baking soda, carbon dioxide is created that helps the naan rise.
• Baking Soda - Since we are not using yeast, our leavening agent is baking soda that will combine with yogurt and create that beautiful texture .
• Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) - I use both fresh and dried fenugreek leaves. The taste of methi leaves is pleasantly bitter-sweet and they are extremely fragrant. When it is in season, highly aromatic varieties of methi leaves (such as kasuri methi) are dried and preserved and they are used to flavor a lot of north indian curries. If desired, you may skip the methi entirely.
• Garlic - We love the aroma and flavor of garlic naan and I add finely chopped garlic on the top of rolled naan. Skip if you wish to make plain naan.
• Other Ingredinents - Ghee or Butter, Oil (for making the dough)Salt, Sugar. Use olive oil or any plant based cooking oil of choice for vegan version.

How to make No Yeast Naan

Make The Naan Dough

1. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer(fitted with dough blade), add the dry ingredients - flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the sugar.
2. Then add wet ingredients -  greek yogurt & oil. Sprinkle kasuri methi & finely chopped methi leaves. Lightly mix with your fingers. The flour will start absorbing the moisture of yogurt. You will see small granules of flour forming.

3. Slowly start adding water a little at a time and begin mixing it in the dough with your fingers. Once all the dry flour has come together, start kneading using your hands and knuckles and in 2-3 minutes you will make a soft yet firm dough. I used about 5 tablespoons of water.

Note - You may need less or more depending on absorption quality of your flour and also on the water content of yogurt that you use (greek yogurt is much thicker as compared to regular yogurt). Alternatively, if the dough feels wet, add more flour using a teaspoon.  

4. The dough will be soft, pliable and slightly sticky at this stage. Moisten your hands as well as the soft dough with some oil and form into a ball. Cover the kneaded dough with a damp cloth or paper towel and let rest for 20-25 minutes. If the temperature is cold, rest the dough for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. During warm weather 20-25 minutes will be enough.

Shape and Roll Naan

5. Once rested, on a floured surface, place the dough ball and knead 4-5 times. Then, divide the dough ball into 6-8 portions. Tip - For uniform size naan, you could weigh the dough portions using a food scale. You can make the naan big or small as you like. Portion accordingly.
6. Roll each portion into a smooth ball. Keep the other dough balls covered while you start shaping them one by one. 
7. Lightly dust your rolling surface with dry flour. Place ball of dough on the rolling surface. 
8. Using a rolling pin,gently roll out each portion into ¼ inch thickness. Roll in one direction only to form an oval shape. At first you will feel that the dough is shrinking back as you roll, however if you keep rolling in one direction, it will ultimately give in. Don't press too hard while rolling else the naan won't puff up. If you feel that the dough is getting a bit sticky, use little dry flour to ease things up. 
9. Brush a little water on top of the rolled dough and press down chopped garlic so that they stick.

Cook Instant Naan 

10. Heat up heavy griddle or tawa on medium-high heat stove. 
11. Place the naan, garlic side side on the hot tawa(griddle). Wait for about 5-7 seconds and then cover the naan with a lid. In about 30-40 seconds the naan will start puffing up due to formation of air pockets.
12. Uncover, and using a spatula, flip to cook on the other side. Cook for 8-9 seconds ntil charred. Use a spatula to lift the naan from the griddle and brush with melted butter(or vegan butter) or ghee. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

1. Plain Naan- The basic dough of the naan remains the same. If you want to make plain naan, do not use methi or garlic. For garlic naan, skip the methi. 
2. Methi leaves will release a little bit of water while resting due to salt in the dough. Make a firm dough to begin with. If the dough is too soft to begin with, then it will be a sticky mess after resting.
3. Rest The Dough - Resting the dough is one of the most important part of the process to let the yogurt and baking soda do their magic towards attaining that soft chewy texture of the naan. It also rests the gluten to contribute to elasticity of the dough.
4. Rolling the Naan :- Traditional naan are tear drop shaped. Don't worry too much about the shape - a simple oval shape or a round shape will work great. If you ask me, it should taste good, that all matters. Try to make a unifrom sized and shaped naan if possible. Such high gluten doughs are a bit difficult to handle, however as you make more and more you will get a hang of it. Also, in the beginning, try to make small size naan for easy handling.
5. Naan Toppings :- You can keep them plain but really the combination of methi and chopped garlic is mind-blowing! A lot of toppings are possible and you can choose what you like. You can use sesame seeds or black poppy seeds or nigella seeds, red chilli flakes etc for fun flavors. Chopped onions, green chilies or cilantro are good tasting toppings.
6. Make Ahead -You can make this dough a few hours(3-4) ahead and store it refrigerated. Whenever you want to serve, roll the naan and serve. Don't make the dough a day ahead or more than 6 hours ahead, it starts tasting of baking soda and may change color.

Vegan Version

Here are the ingredient changes that you need to make to make vegan naan.

1. Use any plant based yogurt (cashew yogurt is my choice) for a vegan version.
2. Brush the naan with vegan butter once its cooked.

Storage

You can easily store or freeze these naan for later use. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• As you cook naan one by one, store the ones that are already cooked covered or wrapped in a kitchen cloth. This prevents the flat breads from drying out. If you plan to serve them within a few hours, store at room temperature.
• Refrigerator - To cosume within 4-5 days, store cooked naan in an airtight container or wrapped in food safe paper, refrigerated.
• Freezing - Naan can easily be frozen for later use. Stack individual naan, inserted with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper in between. Then place the entire stack inside a ziploc bag and freeze. Label the bag with date of freezing for tracking. I usually use the frozen ones within 2 months.
• Lastly, don't brush the naan with ghee or butter if you plan to freeze them. Brush with butter after reheating.

Reheating

• Toaster Oven or Oven - Preheat oven to 375F. Place the frozen naan directly on the middle rack and heat up for 3-4 minutes or until warmed through.
• Microwave- You could use microwave to heat up frozen naan. Be careful about timing else the naan dries up. I usually wrap the frozen naan in a damp paper towel and warm up in intervals of 15-20 seconds until its soft.

Serving Suggestion

• Serve with indian curries like goat curry, lamb curry, chicken masala, paneer korma or lentil dishes like dal bukhara, dal maharani or dal makhani.
• Use naan as pizza base or for making wraps, or rolls.