Tawa Butter Naan Recipe – Ever wondered if you could make soft fluffy naan at home? What do you do to pacify you “naan” cravings? Go to a super store and fetch packaged naans? Or make a trip to your favourite Indian curry house? What has been the blocker for you to make delicious naan at home? Did you think its hassle, complicated process? Or the thought of not being able to make good quality naan at home deterred you? Or simply the fact that you feel you need an oven to make naan? If the above statements echo your sentiments, this butter naan recipe is a fix to all of these.
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What is Naan?
Naan is an Indian bread. It is normally leavened using yeast or other flour raising ingredient. This is extremely popular in Indian Subcontinent and was originated some 2500 years ago. According to some historians this bread was made when yeast arrived in India from Egypt. In last decade or, naan has travelled globally and now its popular in western countries too.
Naan is so popular in UK and US that super stores now sell readymade naan, just heat and eat. However, these naan don’t taste best, but only acts as saviour for someone who do not want to cook or don’t know how to make naan. In UK, Indian dinner is attributed to curry and naan along with Pulao / Pilau rice.
I remember my childhood days. My mum barely ever made naan at home and all I ate was roti, paratha and puri. Ok on some special occasions, even got Kachories. Now when I ask my mum why she never made naan at home that time, she would say she did not had tandoor at home. To her benefit, most people think naan can be made only on tandoor. Here is me sharing how to make good naan on gas stove, and no need of any tandoor.
Ingredients for making naan
Key ingredients for naan are, flour, yeast, yogurt and butter. Naan is a variant of bread and bread can not be made with out flour. I have used 75% of all purpose flour and 25% or whole wheat flour. I have used yeast for fermenting the dough so that it raises the flour. A good naan can not be without butter and hence butter is used. You may choose to eat naan without butter.
Method for making best naan at home
Make the dough for the naan
- First of all, take 2/3 cup of warm water and add yeast and sugar to it. Mix it with spoon and keep it aside for 10 minutes so that yeast rises.
- Now shift together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and baking powder. Add salt and yogurt to it and knead this to a soft dough with the help of that risen yeast water.
Making Butter naan dough 
Butter Naan Dough 
Butter Naan Dough
- Now take Oil in your hand and again knead the dough so that its smooth. Transfer this dough into a oil greased bowl and cover the bowl with cling film. keep the bowl aside for 45-60 minutes. After 45 minutes it would be almost double in size.
- Now take out the dough and knead again for 45 seconds so that extra air releases. Divide this dough into 10 equal parts.
- Keep tawa on medium-high heat and sprinkle some flour onto the worktop / rolling board and also dust the dough balls with some flour. Roll the ball into a circle of 4-5 inch diameter with medium thickness. (Its not necessary that the circle will come in true circle shape owing to stretchy nature of dough. Naan are known to be not in circle.)
- Sprinkle some kalonji and again roll it so that the seeds get sticked to the surface, now flip the Naan and pat it with little drops of water all over this side. We do this step so that Naan bubbles properly and gets an evenly brown base.
Make the Naan
- Place the Naan with seeded side up on the heated tava. When you see Naan getting bubbled on top side, turn your tava to face the flame and move it in slow circular motion so that you get brown spots evenly on the Naan.
- Now with the help of tongs / Steel spatula scrap the naan off from tawa. If you like little more brown Naan then cook it on direct fire for a minute regularly flipping the sides.
- Place the hot naan in a casserole and spread some butter on top. Serve hot.
Pro Tips for making best naan
- Exercise care while adding water. Remember dough should neither be too sticky nor too tight.
- Though you can make these Naan in advance as well and keep it for 3-4 hours, fresh naan tastes divine. In case reheating the naan , just reheat for few seconds before serving only, pat butter and then serve hot.
- If you don’t have yeast at home, you can skip adding it. Just increase the quantity of yogurt and baking powder and let the dough rest for couple of additional hours in a warm place, such as near your gas hob. You should allow time for dough to rest.
- Dissolve yeast in warm water only (40-45 Deg C). It will not rise properly if mixed with either hot or cold water. Too hot water will kill the yeast. Cold water won’t help activate the yeast.
- Roll the dough with care. Dough will be stretchy and rolling can be challenge. Roll with patience and care.
- Use a tawa (cast iron skillet) for making naan, see pictures above. I feel that the naan made on cast iron skillet tastes better.
How to make Vegan Naan
In my recipe I have used yogurt to make naan, as well as I have used butter. You can make vegan naan by using vegan yogurt and vegan butter. I have personally not tasted how this tastes. I will update it here, as soon as I have made vegan naan.
Other type of Naan
Once you get the trick of making this basic butter naan, you can then easily make other naan types like, garlic naan, chilli naan, paneer naan, keema naan, coriander naan, etc.
Serving suggestion
Naan tastes best when made fresh and served with dollop of butter on it. Pair it with a good curry, such as paneer butter masala, methi chicken, mixed veg, etc.
If you love Indian breads, you may like to explore Punjabi bhatoora, Missi roti and Bedmi poori too.
Recipe Card
Homemade Butter Naan
Ingredients
- 1.5 Cup All Purpose Flour/ Maida
- 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 2/3 Cup Warm water As required
- 2 Tbsp Yogurt
- 1/3 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/3 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tbsp Oil
- 1 Tsp Nigella Seeds / Kalonji
- 50 Grams Ghee / Clarified Butter As required for brushing on Naan
Instructions
- First of all, take 2/3 cup of warm water and add yeast and sugar to it. Mix it with spoon and keep it aside for 10 minutes so that yeast rises.
- Now shift together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and baking powder. Add salt and yogurt to it and knead this to a soft dough with the help of that risen yeast water.
- Now take Oil in your hand and again knead the dough so that its smooth. Transfer this dough into a oil greased bowl and cover the bowl with cling film. keep the bowl aside for 45-60 minutes. After 45 minutes it would be almost double in size.
- Now take out the dough and knead again for 45 seconds so that extra air releases. Divide this dough into 10 equal parts.
- Keep tawa on medium-high heat and sprinkle some flour onto the worktop / rolling board and also dust the dough balls with some flour. Roll the ball into a circle of 4-5 inch diameter with medium thickness. (Its not necessary that the circle will come in true circle shape owing to stretchy nature of dough. Naan are known to be not in circle.)
- Sprinkle some kalonji and again roll it so that the seeds get sticked to the surface, now flip the Naan and pat it with little drops of water all over this side. We do this step so that Naan bubbles properly and gets an evenly brown base.
- Place the Naan with seeded side up on the heated tawa. When you see Naan getting bubbled on top side, turn your tawa to face the flame and move it in slow circular motion so that you get brown spots evenly on the Naan.
- Now with the help of tongs / Steel spatula scrap the naan off from tawa. If you like little more brown Naan then cook it on direct fire for a minute regularly flipping the sides.
- Place the hot naan in a casserole and spread some butter on top. Make rest of the Naan similarly.
Notes
- Add water gradually depending upon how much it’s required. Remember dough should neither be too sticky nor too tight.
- You can make these Naan in advance as well and keep it for 3-4 hours. Just Reheat for few seconds before serving as they tastes best when served hot.
- If you don’t have yeast at home, you can skip adding it. Just increase the quantity of yogurt and baking powder and let the dough rest for couple of additional hours in a warm place, such as near your gas hob.
- Yeast should always be dissolved in warm water only. It will not rise properly if mixed with either hot or cold water.