It has proven to be a challenge to find naan at the markets I frequent. And when I do, they are often disappointing, unless, that is, they are procured from a reliable Indian grocer or bakery. Though this non-yeasted version may not be naan in the traditional sense, it’s still prefect for scooping up copious amounts of curries, raita and chutneys and will do when you’re in a squeeze and don’t have the bandwidth for traipsing around town to find naan or the time to make the yeasted version at home. And best of all there’s no oven required!
Quick Garlic Naan – no yeast version
Makes 6, roughly hand-sized pieces
10 minutes prep time
15 minutes cook time
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves
1 ¼ cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ cup full-fat yogurt
¼ cup full-fat milk
Instructions
Melt the butter and garlic together, either in a small pan or in the microwave. You don’t want to fry or cook the garlic, but you do want to infuse the butter with garlicky flavor. Let the butter cool as you make the dough.
To make the dough, add the flour, baking powder and sea salt to a medium bowl. Whisk the thoroughly combine the baking powder.
Next, add the yogurt, milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to the flour mixture. Stir the bowl using a wooden spoon or silicon spatula to form the dough.
Then, turn the dough onto your counter and incorporate all the flour into the wet mixture until there are no dry bits left. Form the dough into a ball and divide the ball into 6 pieces.
Next, heat a skillet on your stovetop over medium heat while you shape the pieces of dough. To shape the pieces of dough, roll out each piece with a rolling pin. Alternatively, you can use a wine bottle or even the palm of your hand. You may need a sprinkle of flour, but I often find that I don’t since there is butter in the dough. The pieces should measure roughly 4″ x 7″ or 10 x 18 cm, and no need for perfectly symmetrical or identical pieces— imperfection adds to their charm.
Working in batches, brush the rolled dough with some of the butter and cook them in the skillet for 1-1½ minutes on the buttered side. Then, brush the top sides of the dough before turning them over and cooking them for an additional 30-45 seconds. Remove the cooked naan from the pan onto a plate and brush with additional butter and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
Notes
Serve immediately or store them in an airtight container and reheat them in a toaster.
This is quick bread, meaning it is made with baking powder instead of yeast. For that reason, this version of naan will not have a bendy, pliable texture. Yet, it still has a toothsomeness and will be great for sopping up your favorite curries.