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North India (via Persia and Central Asia) · Indian

Naan (Soft Leavened Flatbread)

The pillowy, blistered flatbread of North Indian restaurants — made at home on a hot skillet or under the broiler, no tandoor required. Soft, chewy, and brushed with butter.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published July 19, 2026

A stack of soft blistered naan brushed with butter and flecked with nigella seeds and coriander, one torn to show the airy interior.

Naan — the word simply means 'bread' in Persian — came to the subcontinent through Persian and Central Asian influence and flourished in the Mughal courts and the tandoors of the northwest. Unlike everyday whole-wheat roti, naan is a leavened, enriched bread, historically a restaurant and special-occasion bread because it needs a tandoor's fierce heat.

Yield
Makes 6 naan
Prep
20 min (plus 1.5 hr proofing)
Cook
20 min
Total
About 2 hr
Difficulty
Easy

Naan is the soft, blistered, butter-brushed flatbread that defines a North Indian restaurant table — and the good news is you don’t need a tandoor to make it. A leavened, enriched bread (the word is simply Persian for “bread”), naan came to the subcontinent through Persian and Mughal kitchens and became the special-occasion partner to rich gravies.

Soft dough, proper proof

Unlike everyday whole-wheat roti, naan is enriched with yogurt, milk and a little fat, and leavened so it bakes up pillowy. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, and given a proper proof until doubled — that’s what gives the airy, chewy crumb.

The skillet-and-flame trick

The clever bit is mimicking the tandoor. Brush one side of the rolled naan with water and slap it water-side down onto a screaming-hot cast-iron pan; the water makes it cling. Once the bottom blisters, flip the whole pan over the flame (or slide it under a broiler) so the top chars directly. You get genuine tandoor-style puff and spots on a home stove.

Butter, always

Brush it generously with melted butter or ghee the moment it comes off the heat — that’s what keeps it soft and gives the glossy finish. Add garlic and coriander for garlic naan, and serve hot with butter chicken, dal makhani or palak paneer. More in the guide to North Indian cooking.

Ingredients

Makes
6
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 1 tsp instant yeast Or use 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp baking soda for a yeast-free version.
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt Yogurt is what gives naan its signature soft, slightly tangy chew.
  • 2 tbsp oil or melted ghee
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • warm water as needed to bind

To finish

  • melted butter or ghee, nigella seeds (kalonji), chopped coriander, minced garlic (optional)

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Activate the yeast in warm milk with sugar, then mix with flour, yogurt, oil and salt. Knead into a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough, adding warm water as needed. Cover and proof 1–1.5 hours until doubled.

    Why: A soft, well-proofed dough is what makes naan light and pillowy rather than dense. Yogurt and milk enrich it and feed the rise.

  2. Divide into 6 balls. Roll each into a teardrop or oval, not too thin, and press nigella seeds and coriander into the surface.

    Why: Rolling to a medium thickness leaves room for the bread to puff; the teardrop shape is traditional and the seeds give the classic look and aroma.

  3. Heat a cast-iron skillet until very hot. Brush one side of the naan with water, then slap it water-side down onto the pan so it sticks.

    Why: The water makes the dough cling to the hot surface — mimicking how naan sticks to a tandoor wall — so it can puff and blister without falling off.

  4. When bubbles form (about 1 minute), flip the pan upside down over the flame (or move it under a broiler) so the top side chars directly. Then remove and brush generously with butter.

    Why: Direct flame on the top gives the blistered, charred spots of tandoor naan. The butter brush at the end is the restaurant finish that keeps it soft and glossy.

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Variations

  • Garlic naan

    Press minced garlic and coriander into the dough before cooking and brush with garlic butter after.

  • Butter naan

    Skip the seeds and brush twice with melted butter for the plush, plain restaurant naan.

  • Yeast-free

    Use baking powder and soda instead of yeast for a quicker naan; rest the dough 30 minutes and cook the same way.

Serving & Storage

Serve hot, straight off the pan, brushed with butter, to scoop up rich gravies. It's the natural partner to butter chicken, dal makhani and paneer dishes.

Pairs with: Butter chicken, Dal makhani, Palak paneer, Tandoori chicken.

Storage: Best fresh and warm. Keeps a day wrapped in a cloth; reheat on a hot pan or in foil in the oven. Freezes well — reheat directly from frozen.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 naan)

Calories
260
Protein
7 g
Carbs
42 g
Fat
7 g
Fiber
2 g
Sugar
3 g
Sodium
320 mg

Notable micronutrients: Calcium, Iron

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make naan without a tandoor?

Yes — that's the whole point of this method. A screaming-hot cast-iron skillet flipped over the flame (or moved under a broiler) gives you the puff and char of tandoor naan on a home stove.

Why brush the naan with water before cooking?

The water makes the dough stick to the hot skillet, just as naan sticks to a tandoor's clay wall. That lets it puff and blister on the bottom while the top cooks, without sliding around.

Can I make naan without yeast?

Yes. Use baking powder and a little baking soda with the yogurt for lift. It's faster and still soft, though yeasted naan has a slightly more complex flavour and chew.

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