Breads

Serving

Homemade Naan

Name: Homemade Naan
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Breads
Ingredients: 500 g all-purpose flour; 200 ml warm water; 7 g instant yeast; 10 g sugar; 8 g salt; 120 g plain yogurt; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 60 g unsalted butter, melted; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Pillowy, blistered yogurt flatbread cooked in a hot skillet and brushed with garlic butter.

105 minutes

Serves 8

Side

37 min prep

58 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

8 steps

1
Whisk warm water, yeast, and sugar; let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
2
Add flour, salt, yogurt, and oil; knead 8 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
3
Cover and rise 1 hour until doubled.
4
Divide dough into 8 balls, then roll each into a teardrop or oval about 1/4-inch thick.
5
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot.
6
Cook each naan 1-2 minutes per side until puffed and charred in spots.
7
Stir garlic into melted butter and brush over hot naan.
8
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.

Homemade Naan — plated and served — Serving moment. How Homemade Naan looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

67/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 52

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 61

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

330

Calories

8 g

Protein

50 g

Carbs

10 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Naan is a leavened flatbread with roots across Central and South Asia, traditionally baked by slapping the dough against the searing hot wall of a tandoor clay oven, where it puffs and chars in under a minute. Home versions adapt the technique to a hot skillet, since few kitchens have a tandoor.

Listahan note

This version uses a yogurt-enriched dough for tenderness and finishes each naan with garlic butter straight off the skillet, the way it is often served at the table.

Technique cues

Let the dough rest until it visibly puffs; a properly risen dough is what gives naan its soft, pillowy interior instead of a dense chew.
Cook the naan in a screaming hot, dry skillet; the high heat is what creates the characteristic charred bubbles on the surface.
Brush the naan with garlic butter the moment it comes off the skillet, while it is still hot enough to absorb the butter fully.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix and knead the dough, then use its rising time to prepare the garlic butter and heat the skillet.
Make-ahead: The dough can rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight; bring it to room temperature before shaping and cooking.
Leftover move: Use leftover naan the next day as a base for a quick flatbread pizza or to scoop up leftover curry.
Cleanup rhythm: One bowl for the dough and one skillet for cooking; wipe the skillet between naan only if flour starts to burn.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

All-purpose flour

Structure

Purpose: It provides the gluten network that gives naan its chewy yet tender texture.

Handling: Measure by weight if possible for consistent results between batches.

Adaptation: A mix of half all-purpose and half bread flour gives slightly more chew.

Instant yeast

Leavening

Purpose: It gives the dough its rise and the characteristic air pockets that puff up during cooking.

Handling: Dissolve it in the warm water with the sugar first to make sure it is active before mixing into the flour.

Adaptation: Active dry yeast works the same way, just proof it in the warm water for 5 minutes first.

Plain yogurt

Tenderizer and tang

Purpose: Its acidity tenderizes the dough and adds a subtle tang that is characteristic of naan.

Handling: Use it at room temperature so it blends smoothly into the dough.

Adaptation: Sour cream works in a similar amount if yogurt is not available.

Warm water

Hydration

Purpose: It activates the yeast and brings the dough together into a workable texture.

Handling: Keep it warm, not hot; water that is too hot can kill the yeast.

Adaptation: None needed; this is a basic hydration ingredient.

Garlic and melted butter

Finishing flavor

Purpose: Brushed on right after cooking, they give the naan its restaurant-style garlicky, glossy finish.

Handling: Mince the garlic finely and stir it into the melted butter just before brushing so the flavor stays fresh.

Adaptation: Nigella seeds or chopped cilantro can be added on top for a different finish.

Salt

Flavor balance

Purpose: It seasons the dough throughout and controls the yeast's fermentation speed.

Handling: Mix it into the flour rather than directly with the yeast, since salt can slow yeast activity if they touch directly.

Adaptation: None needed; salt amount can be adjusted slightly to taste.

Technique notes

A cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet holds heat far better than a thin nonstick pan and gives a more authentic char.
Roll the naan slightly thicker than you might expect; it puffs and thins out naturally as it cooks.
Cover cooked naan with a clean towel as you finish the batch; this keeps them soft instead of drying out while you cook the rest.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Use a plant-based yogurt and dairy-free butter or oil for brushing; the texture stays close to the original.
Vegan direction: Combine the dairy-free swap above with plant-based yogurt and oil instead of butter for a fully vegan naan.
Whole wheat direction: Substitute up to half the flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier, slightly denser naan.

Serve alongside

Butter chicken
Chana masala
Raita
Mango chutney
Masala chai
Mango lassi
Sparkling water with lime

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store cooled naan in a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Reheat briefly in a dry skillet or wrapped in foil in a warm oven to restore softness.
Freeze between sheets of parchment for up to 2 months; thaw and reheat in a skillet.

Equipment

Heavy skillet or griddle
Rolling pin
Pastry brush for the garlic butter

Make this household-aware

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