Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

• Makes 6 very large naans or 12 medium
• 500 g (4 cups) sifted all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 1 tsp active dry yeast (5 g) or a piece of fresh yeast (12 g / 0.4 oz)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 170 ml (scant ¾ cup) barely lukewarm water
• 125 g (½ cup) plain yogurt (regular or Bulgarian-style) (1 small tub) or cashew cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 60 ml (¼ cup / 4 Tbsp) neutral oil

For the garlic and cilantro topping

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

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These naans go beautifully with chicken tikka masala.

Making the cashew cream

• If you don’t want to make the cashew cream, you can replace it with one 125 g (½ cup) plain or soy yogurt.

1. Bring 100 ml (scant ½ cup) water to a boil. When the water boils, turn off the heat and add the cashews. Let stand for about 20 minutes. Put the cashews in a blender with 5 Tbsp water. Blend in pulses; at first the mixture will be very grainy, and little by little it will turn into a smooth cream. Scrape down the sides several times so the blender can catch everything.

Making the dough

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for a few moments, until the mixture foams.

2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, put the flour, oil and cashew cream, mix a little, then add the water-yeast-sugar mixture. In the photo before mixing, you can clearly see the smooth, very yogurt-like texture of the cashew cream.

3. Knead the dough well by hand or with the dough hook, until it becomes supple and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl; this takes a good few minutes. Don’t hesitate to adjust with a little water or flour to get the right consistency, as it can vary depending on the flour you use.

4. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise (1 hour, or until the dough doubles or even triples in volume) in the turned-off oven (I preheat it to 37°C (100°F) for a few minutes before turning it off and putting the dough in to rise, so that it’s just barely warm).

5. While the dough rests, peel and chop the garlic. Wash, dry and chop the cilantro. Put them in a small bowl with some neutral oil (easier for brushing)

Shaping the naans

6. Once the dough has risen, divide it into 12 balls (about 70 g / 2.5 oz each). Place the small balls on a lightly floured work surface. Start with the first ball and flatten it with your hands (or a rolling pin) into a fairly thin disk. Brush with the oil-garlic-cilantro mixture using a pastry brush or the back of a teaspoon.

Cooking the naans

Traditionally, naans are cooked in a tandoor, a very, very hot clay oven. But if you want a result close to what’s served in restaurants, having tried both cooking methods, the one that comes closest is cooking them in a skillet.

7. In a very hot small skillet (heat to 9 on induction and lower to 7 when you put the naan in), with no fat, gently lay the naan garlic side up so it doesn’t burn.

Cook for a few minutes, covered (about 3 minutes, it goes quickly), then flip it for 10 seconds on the brushed side. Transfer to a serving platter, brush with a little oil if you like, and continue with the rest of the naans.

9. Enjoy immediately, with cucumber raita, mint chutney or chicken tikka masala, for example.

Tips and variations

• Naans freeze well.
• You can also bake them in the oven; in that case, preheat the oven to 300°C (570°F) (mine only goes up to 275°C / 525°F) for 15 minutes. Gently place them on a baking sheet; they’ll puff up nicely. Lower the oven to 255°C (490°F) and bake for 6 minutes. Brush with butter or neutral oil mixed beforehand with the chopped cilantro and garlic as soon as they come out of the oven (important if you want them slightly moist and glossy on top).
• You can find pure cashew butter in the organic aisle of supermarkets (or at health food stores); in that case use 50 g (1.75 oz) cashew butter thinned with 75 g (⅓ cup) water if you don’t want to blend your own cashews.

You can easily make variations by changing the herbs, or by making cheese naans, for example: