Naan but the best: Make the flatbread without a tandoor

No need for a specialised oven – this naan, plain and filled, is made on the stove.

I always look forward to having naan when I am at a North Indian restaurant. It’s a treat to eat the flatbread, blistered and crisp on the outside but with a fluffy crumb, with bright red tandoori chicken, onions and chunky dhall.

That textural feature of naan and its charred flavour is the result of being baked in a tandoor. Much as I loved naan, and could easily make the dough at home, I wasn’t going to invest in a special clay oven.

So I played around with recipes for naan that were baked in a home oven and hit on one that produced good flatbreads. It kept me satisfied for a while.

And then, a few years ago, I read about naan that didn’t require an oven at all – it could be made in a pan on the stove. I have to admit I cannot remember where I first saw the story, but since then, many versions of stove-topped naan have come up. I may have started out by doing it one way, but through experience, I now use a recipe and method that works for me. And I have even moved on to making stuffed naan.

Naan stuffed with cheese. Video and photos: JANE F. RAGAVAN

First, let’s look at what goes into this flatbread.

Flour

I have made naan both with all-purpose and strong bread flour, and I prefer the stronger flour (with its higher gluten content). It produces a more elastic dough – especially good when making stuffed naan – and that characteristic chewy texture. You could substitute some of the white flour for whole wheat, but I would not use too much.

Raising agent

Unlike a flatbread like chapati, naan is a leavened bread. Although some recipes use baking powder, the raising agent I prefer is yeast (commercial yeast is used in this recipe, but a sourdough leaven can also be used). Again, this is more characteristic of the type of bread I would make for a loaf, only in a different form. I feel that using baking powder will produce something more along the lines of an Irish soda bread – which is good, but not what I’m after.

Other ingredients

Yoghurt is usually a component in naan dough but sometimes egg is added too, which makes a richer dough and gives the naan a pleasing yellow hue. For vegans, there is an alternative... but more on that later. Also included in the mix is a little neutral tasting oil, and if you want it even richer, use melted butter instead, or if you like the taste (and I know not everyone does), ghee. The fat is, however, optional.

The dough is a little sticky but not unmanageable. It’s only kneaded briefly before leaving to proof. Believe me, if kneading is not your thing, this naan is the way to go. When it’s time to shape the naan, there’s no need to use a rolling pin – just press it out into an elongated oval or the traditional tear-drop shape.

Chickpea dip. It goes well with the plain naan. 

Stuffings and flavourings

Stuffed naan eliminates the need for a dip or curry because they can be eaten on their own.

In the video, the stuffings I have used are grated cheese with fresh coriander, caramelised onion, and herbed mashed potato. But the stuffing need not be savoury. Use date purée or lime curd – the naan is quite delicious.

As for the garnish on top, use seeds like nigella (onion seeds; not so easily available in Malaysia), sesame or fennel. After shaping the naan, brush with melted ghee and sprinkle the seeds on, pressing them slightly into the dough so they don’t come off in the cooking.

Cooking

To me, this is the best part of the naan-making process because the breads are cooked in an ordinary frying pan on the hob – no need to heat up the oven (although if that’s your preference, an alternative is given below). The naan is cooked partly through steaming in the covered pan – I got this idea from making normal loaves in the oven, where baking with steam in the first 10 minutes produces a crusty top and makes the naan puff up significantly. The hot pan, meanwhile, gives the outside a nice charring.

Naan made with avocado (right) has a light tinge of green.

Alternatives

> Make the naan without animal products for a vegan version. Replace the egg and yoghurt with the mashed flesh of one medium avocado, and the milk with a non-dairy substitute such as coconut milk or even soya milk. You may need to add a little more liquid to form a soft dough. This naan does not puff up as much as the egg-yoghurt version or taste like avocado, but it will have a pale green tinge.

> Naan can also be made without yeast. Replace the yeast with the same amount of baking powder and a pinch of baking soda. The dough will still need to be rested for about an hour before stuffing, but it will not rise much compared to a yeasted dough.

> Instead of cooking on the stove, bake naan in the oven. Place a heavy baking tray in the oven and preheat oven to 225°C. Carefully transfer the naan onto the hot tray (do in batches if the oven is not large enough) and bake until they are darkened, blistered and puffed, about 5 minutes. There is no need to flip the naan.

> Use the cooked naan as a pizza base.

Fusion food: Naan topped with all the fixings for a pizza. The cooked naan is spread with pesto and topped with a mushroom-tofu stir-fry (leftovers) and mozzarella cheese, before being grilled in a toaster oven.  

SEE THE RECIPE: Stove-top Stuffed Naan