You really can make stove top naans that are as good as the cooking in a tandoor oven!
Fluffy, crispy, however you like them, you can make them as you like with this stove top naan recipe. You will find step by step photographs below of the process so be sure to check them out.
About this stove top naan recipe
In this recipe, you will be preparing naan dough the traditional way, with a yeast dough. Doing this, you get super fluffy and chewy naans that are to die for.
That said, most curry houses use an instant dough. That of course works well too and can be prepared in a fraction of the time. You can read my instant naan recipe here.
Can you use the same dough for other types of naans?
You bet. Make this dough and you can use it to prepare Peshwari naans and keema naans just to name a couple.
Stove top naans in step by step photographs.
Yield: 10
Stove top naans
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Ingredients
- 300ml (1 1/4 cup) milk
- 7g (1 tsp) dried yeast
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3 eggs
- 300ml (1 1/4 cup) Greek yogurt
- 900g plain white flour plus more for kneading and dusting
- Scant 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 3 Tablespoons melted butter or ghee (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a jug in the microwave until it is hand hot. Stir in the yeast and sugar and cover with a cloth. Place in a warm place for 30 to 60 minutes to awaken the yeast. It will become quite frothy.
- While the yeast is foaming up, whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the yoghurt and whisk until smooth. Once the yeast has bubbled up, pour it all into the bowls with the eggs and yoghurt. Whisk again until smooth.
- Now mix the baking powder and salt with the flour and sift half of it over the liquid mixture. You can mix this all by hand in the bowl or pour it all into a stand mixer as I did in the photos which is easier. At this point, the dough will be very wet. Add the remaining flour and knead into a soft dough.
- The dough will be way to sticky to handle. Add just enough flour so that you can work it into a soft dough that is still quite sticky.
- Knead this hard for about 5 minutes and then form into a large dough ball. Place the dough ball in a mixing bowl and cover. Allow to rise for a few hours or overnight.
- Once the dough has risen, punch in down and knead for another few minutes. Then separate the stick dough into 8 to 10 smaller balls. The dough will still be quite sticky which is good. Now take each clump of dough and add just enough flour so that it is workable. It should be sticky but not sticking to your hands.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the dough balls until ready to cook. Let these dough balls rest for at least 30 minutes.
TO FINISH
Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll a ball out into a flat circular disc that is nice and thin. Rub a little oil or ghee over the top and then pick it up, resting the disk, oil side down in your hand. Brush the other side liberally with water and then slap it right down into the pan. I use a small pillow covered with a dish cloth to handle the dough which makes things easier. - The naan disc will begin to cook on the underside and then bubble on the top. If you are cooking over a gas flame, turn the pan over so that the naan is facing the flame and char it to your liking. If cooking on an electric hob, you can flip it to cook the other side but you will lose some of those bubbles.
- Pry the naan out of the pan and brush with a little ghee if you like. Each naan should take you no more than 3 minutes. Stack the naans and cover to keep warm to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 907mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g
Shannon says
Trying this tonight for tomorrow's dinner...you don't say when rising for 24 hours if the dough should be in the refrigerator or can just stay in a warm place (like an unheated oven)
Dan Toombs says
Hi Shannon
I usually just keep mine on the kitchen counter covered tightly with cling film. You could place it in the fridge but take it out a few hours before cooking. Thanks.
Dan
Paula says
OMG, I've just made these......perfect. Even my fussy eater man loved them. Thanks
Cookie says
Can we substitute dry yeast for this recipe?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Cookie
You can use dry yeast but I have found the fresh yeast works a lot better. If you can get fresh yeast give it a try. Many supermarkets that have fresh bread will give away fresh yeast. Those that charge don't charge very much.
Saurav says
you may use baking powder and baking soda instead of yeast
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Saurav. I do often. I have so many naan recipes. I just don't have the time to write them all down. LOL.
Cheers,
Dan
Gilly says
Mmmm, made these today using dried yeast (we live in Crete and I don't know how to ask for fresh yeast in Greek ..lol) and we had them with lenta dahl and chicken curry....they were really easy to make and absolutely delicious. Thanks Dan
Dan Toombs says
Thank you Gilly for trying the recipe. I'm really glad they worked out for you. 🙂
Mike G says
Thanks for the recipe, Dan, turned out yummy. Naan is a bit of a holy grail and it's great to be able to make them without a Tandoor, although you'd have to admit that those guys really know what they are doing! I've subscribed to your blog by email, let us all know when your e-book is ready, I'll buy it for sure.
I'm in Queensland Australia (born UK) and here the Indian Restaurants are mostly owned by UK migrants who themselves came from India/Bangladesh restaurant families, so the food is virtually identical to BIR, Lamb Madras, Chicken Tikka Masala etc and is becoming really popular although not as much so as the UK. Yet.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Mike
Thank you very much for trying the recipe. I have a tandoor which I use in the Summer but I think this recipe is almost as good. Thank you for subscribing to my blog. I really appreciate it.
Andi says
These Naans were absolutely amazing, will never buy from supermarket again. Bakers at the supermarket gave me a nice lump of fresh yeast so froze what was left.
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear Andi. I love this recipe and make it all the time.
Dan
Kerstin says
I cannot wait to try these. So glad you tweeted about naan on the hob - the only thing I still needed to compliment my Indian cooking! Thanks!
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Kerstin.
I look forward to hearing what you think of the recipe. 🙂
Kerstin says
I made these today after making the days almost 2 days ago and am totally over the moon with the result!! They are easy to do and taste amazing. Might add Nigella seeds next time. Have you tried that?
Rebecca MacDonald says
How much dry yeast do you need to use in replacement of fresh? If you where going to make garlic and corriander naan, when would you add the favours? Many thanks
Dan Toombs says
Hi Rebecca
Roughly speaking, you want to use about 1/3 as much dried yeast. Most dried yeast comes in 7g packets, so two packets should work just fine.
With regard to the garlic and coriander, I like to roast my garlic first. Cut one whole bulb of garlic in half horizontally. Place the two halves flat side up on a baking tray and top with a little butter or olive oil.
Place in a low oven - about 150c - and roast for about an hour. Ovens to vary so be careful not to burn the garlic. You just want it to be nice and soft. If you find the garlic is getting too dark and is still not soft, cover with a little foil.
Once soft, peel and cut the cloves into small chunks.
Place in a bowl, add some melted butter and fresh coriander and top each naan with the mixture to taste. Hope that helps.
Thanks. Dan
David Law says
Hi Dan, what happens to the butter? does it go in with the milk,flour etc or is it used to brush the nan before frying?
Dan Toombs says
This David
I better check the recipe. The butter is just to brush the naans with at the end. Thanks.
jules says
Hi! We made this and it was ace but I found the mix really wet, we had to add more flour to make it handleable, where did I go wrong?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Jules - Sorry for the late response. I missed your question.
You did nothing wrong! There is nothing wrong with adding a bit of flour when needed. Perhaps I need to explain this in the post.
You want the dough to be pliable and slightly sticky for best results. Just add additional flour if needed. If the dough becomes too hard, add a few drops of water.
Nima says
Hi, great recipe.
Can I freeze the naans after making and then warm in the oven before eating next time? does it make them more chewy or change the texture? Thanks for the recipe.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Nima
I'm sure you could freeze them but I've never tried. I usually freeze any leftover dough. Then defrost to room temperature and cook as per the recipe. This get good results. Thanks,
Dan
Karen says
What a great find this was. I love cooking and am particularly fond of Chicken Saagwala. I have experimented a bit but never got close. I will try this weekend.....thanks
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Karen - I look forward to hearing from you. 🙂
haneen says
is it nice and fluffy/soft like the kinds in india 🙂
Dan Toombs says
Sure is. Give it a try and let me know what you think. 🙂
Ken says
Hi Dan
We are making these tonight. Can you tell me what is in the filling of a peshwari naan? Also would it be suitable to use such a filling with this dough?
Thanks
Ken
Ken says
Just made these for the first time following your recipe to the letter. Simply stunning and in my opinion they are better than what we get from the takeaway!
Well done sir.
mark says
hi dan
are there any plans to put your book into paperback
Dan Toombs says
Hi Mark
I hope to someday. Will let you know. Thanks
Dan
ian says
ground almonds and sultana.s is the filling
Dan Toombs says
That sounds like a nice one!
Dan
Ian says
Hi Dan, My first attenp turned out great!! second attempt i was short on ingredients but the result was exceptional, I used approx 400g flour, 1 tbl sp baking powder. 1/2 level tsp salt, 1 tbl sp sugar, 4 heaped tbl sp natural greek youghurt, 7g dried yeast. 200ml semi skimmed milk, the dough was alot stickier this time after one hour in preheated oven it rose like a souffle, plenty of flour on the hands and rolling pin and swift handling was required but they turned out like the best i have every tasted in a restaurant, the texture the bubbles and that slight pancake like flavour was all there, delicious just on their own!!
Ian says
I just thought i would elabourate a little more on the peshwari filling, I take the dough ball and seperate into two equal peices, then roll each out. mix about a tablespoon of ground almonds with ghee to form a spread, gently spread the paste on one half of the rolled out dough, sprinkle on a few sultanas then moist the edges of the dough with a little water and place the other half of the dough on top, gently tease the two together then roll out to size, then continue to cook as per Dans excellent recipe!!
The Moiderer says
I'm gonna try and make a gluten free naan to this recipe. Will let you know how it goes!
Dan Toombs says
Great!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Dan
Dave Bunning says
Wow going shopping at the weekend to make these! This site in heaven to me!!
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much Dave!
Wendy smith says
I absolutely love this recipe - and the bonus of storing any spare dough in the fridge which cooks up with equally good results. I have just thrown out all my other recipes. Top marks
p.s I used 2 pkts instant yeast
JH says
I've been trying to find a good naan recipe for years. Did this yesterday and I think I've finally found it. Thanks!
Dan Toombs says
Thank you very much. I'm really glad you liked the recipe.
Dan
Annie says
Excellent recipe. Really is restaurant quality. Use it all the time. Thanks Dan
Dan Toombs says
Thank you. I'm really glad you like the recipe. 🙂
Tony says
As an Indian food lover since 1959, I really have to say thank you for this recipe. We have our own tandoor but this makes better naans than that. However, a problem! We have a German girl staying with us who is gluten-intolerant so we cannot use wheat flour. Do you think that gram flour would work? It is certainly perfect for puris and chapattis.
Tony
Dan Toombs says
Hi Tony. Thank you. Try gram flour. I have. It isn't exactly a naan but still tastes great.
Dan
Russ says
Hi Dan,
Great website! I'm an ex-pat living in Oz and can't tell you how much us POM's miss our Indian takeaway curries, they are just not as good here. All my mates (including the Aussies) think I'm some kind of curry guru thanks to your BIR recipes...they are spot on 😉
Anyway, I have had two attempts at making your Naan recipe, but on both occasions the Naans taste a little sour. I've followed your recipe to the letter and can't work out what I'm doing wrong, which is frustrating me as all other commenters seem to be having amazing results. Everything seems normal apart from a slightly sour taste. Is it the Natural Greek Yogurt that is causing it, The plain Naans I remember were very slightly sweet in flavour...help please 🙂
Cheers
Russ
Dan Toombs says
Hi Russ
Thanks very much. I can solve your naan problem. The reason they are tasting sour is that this recipe is for slightly sour dough naans. If you don't like the sour flavour, only let the dough rise for about two hours. The longer the dough sits, I believe in my recipe I say 24 hours, the more sour they become. You could always add a little more sugar but I don't think you will need to with the shorter rising time. Good luck and let me know how your next batch goes.
Dan
Russ says
Cheers Dan, I had in fact allowed the dough to prove for the full 24 hours...and boy it didn't half rise!
I will try again, and thanks again for a really fast response.
Cheers
Russ
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Russ - I'm looking forward to hearing your results.
Dan
capt says
Do you offer a US English version (weights and measures) You know cups, ounces,
Seems you aren't really consistent I've not had to convert other recipes. Here you use ml's for one item and tablespoons for another?
I'll figure it out eventually but it takes longer. I do want to know if I'm going to buy your ipad app however. this would be a PITA to have to convert every-time I use it.
ps, After 60+ years I have no desire to learn the metric system ..
Thanks!
Dan Toombs says
Hi
On my app I have a conversion chart so you can easily convert the measures.
Thanks
Dan
Steve S says
HI Dan
I made these the other night, I was surprised how well they turned out, I'm thinking next time I'll add a little garlic and coriander to the melted ghee for a bit of extra flavour.
cheers
Steve
Dav says
Holy carp, you are an absolute legend.
I've never had much success with naans, made your recipe today and easily the best I've ever eaten! I can barely move as I might have eaten all the "test" batches before making the proper ones for dinner.
I'll probably be cursing your name when I'm 30 stones of doughiness! Will definitely be checking out the rest of the blog.
Cheers!
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Dav - Really glad you liked the recipe!
Dan
Gavin says
Hi Dan,
Fab recipe, I "tweaked" it by adding 1tbs dry-fried panch phooran to the flour mix and 1 tbs melted ghee when mixing and kneading. Give it a try, fella . . . . . yumski.
Greger Thorvaldsen says
Hi,
I can't find the melted ghee that you mention in the ingredient section, in the instructions section. Am I supposed to add the ghee before kneading the dough?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Greger
Thank you for noticing. The ghee is optional and can be spread over the finished naans for additional flavour.
Thanks,
Dan
Casey says
Used this recipe for a bring-and-share curry evening with friends. They turned out beautifully! Thank you for sharing
Dan Toombs says
That's great to hear Casey. Thank you!
Dan
Gemma says
Made these and they were amazing!
Any idea if the nutritional information for them. Calories, fat content etc?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Gemma
Great to hear but unfortunately I don't have the nutrition information at this time.
Thanks
Dan
Helen says
Hi Dan,
To prove for the full 24 hours, should this be in the fridge?
Thanks
Helen
Dan Toombs says
Hi Helen
I usually leave the dough out of the fridge to rice. It gets a really nice flavour. You can place it in the fridge if you want though.
Dan
Yvonne Campbell says
Just tried this recipe for the first time and love it. Super easy and came out great. Mine came out quite "crisp" eventhough I brushed with butter after cooking. Is this how they are meant to be? Any I've had from Indian restaurants are always lovely and soft. Thanks for your advice. Have you tried cooking these on the BBQ?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Yvonne
Usually using the pan method I do make them quite crisp but you can make them nice and fluffy using this method too. Just roll out the dough so that it is slightly thicker and cook it a bit longer. This should work for you.
Thanks,
Dan
Tracey says
Hi Dan,
Thank you for this stove top recipe. I made your naan bread and they turned out wonderful, fluffy and so tasty. I have ordered your book and look forward to cooking more recipes. Thanks
Dan Toombs says
Hi Tracey
That's great to hear! Thank you very much.
Dan
Magdalen Brown says
I prepared my naan bread this morning for tonight's meal and it really isn't difficult. At first it may seem a bit of an effort and may. take 2 or 3 tries to get it exactly as you want it but the rewards are truly worth it as each time it becomes so much easier to make.The left over "tennis" ball sized pieces I simply flatten them a little then freeze them in cling film and they're ready to use next time. Adore it. Enjoy!!!
Dan Toombs says
Hi Magdalen
That's great to hear. I'm really happy you like the recipe.
Thank you,
Dan
Martin Gray says
It worked! Great idea and a sime recipe 😊
One isdue though, 2 TABLEspoons of baking powder is a lot. I was worried about the amount if bakng powder tainting the flavour. Instead, I used 2 TEAspoons. It worked fine so I think maybe you have a misprint there?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Martin
Great to hear. Thank you. Good to hear you used less too and that it worked. Worth knowing!
Cheers,
Dan
Harriet says
Hello. We are in lockdown in France (part way through an epic journey from Scotland to Tokyo). I always make my own naan at home but here can only get live yeast which I've never used before. So we found your recipe and did it tonight. Huge success! Thank you so much! Am now wondering where I source fresh yeast when we finally get home!
PS is the butter just to brush them afterwards? Didn't notice it until rereading the recipe just now.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Harriet
Some of the bakeries in supermarkets will sell you live yeast. Definitely a small local bakery would well you it.
Yes the guee or butter with garlic is to rub on the top afterwards - delicious!
Enjoy your travels!
Thanks
Dan
David Mills says
can I freeze these? would it be best to freeze the dough then cook or cook first then freeze?
I dont have time to cook everyday so meal prep at the weekend.
thanks!
Dan Toombs says
Hi David
If you freeze the dough then defrost it and cook I find that works well.
Thanks
Dan
Toni Barribal says
Hello. In lockdown. I have everything except Greek yogurt- what else could I use please? Thanks x
Dan Toombs says
Hi Toni
Sorry for the late reply and I hope this is not too late but please see below an alternative recipe for naans that doesn't use yogurt.
Thanks
Dan
https://greatcurryrecipes.net/2020/03/28/naan-recipe-instant-and-delicious-stovetop-naans/
Lee says
Hey Dan I only have string white bread flour - do you know if it will work? Many thanks
Dan Toombs says
Hi Lee
Yes, I think the recipe will be fine with strong white bread flour.
Thanks
Dan
Paul says
Can I freeze the naan?
Dan Toombs says
Yes, the dough freezes really well.
Thanks
Dan