Easy Homemade Garlic Naan Recipe

Nothing beats the warm, buttery goodness of fresh garlic naan straight from your own kitchen! This beloved Indian flatbread is a restaurant favourite that pairs perfectly with any curry, but you don't need to order takeaway to enjoy it. With just a few simple ingredients and our step-by-step recipe, you can create soft, pillowy naan with that signature garlic flavour right at home. 

Ingredients

For the naan dough:

• 2 cups (approx. 250g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp instant dried yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (125ml) warm milk (not hot, just warm to the touch)
• ¼ cup (60g) natural Greek or plain yoghurt, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted ghee
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 1 tbsp)
• 1-2 tbsp nigella seeds (kalonji) or sesame seeds (optional, for topping)

For Garlic Butter Finish:

• 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. ½-1 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Activate yeast: In a large bowl, whisk together warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy. (If no foam, yeast may be old – start again).
2. Combine dough: Add flour, salt, yoghurt, 1 tbsp oil/ghee, and minced garlic (from dough ingredients) to the yeast mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead: Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 7-10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
4. First rise: Lightly grease the bowl. Place dough in, turn to coat. Cover with cling film or a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Divide dough: Gently punch down dough. Divide into 6-8 equal balls.
6. Shape naans: On a lightly floured surface, take one dough ball. Roll or stretch into an oval or teardrop shape, about 20-25cm long and 0.5cm thick. Sprinkle with nigella/sesame seeds if using, and lightly roll them in.
7. Heat pan: Heat a heavy-based frying pan (cast iron works best) or a non-stick pan over high heat until smoking hot. No oil needed in the pan initially.
8. Cook naan:
   1. Place one shaped naan into the hot, dry pan.
   2. Cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface and the underside has dark spots.
   3. Flip the naan. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the other side has dark spots and the naan is cooked through and puffed.
   4. Optional: For more char, you can briefly hold the cooked side directly over a gas flame with tongs for a few seconds.
9. Prepare garlic butter: While naans cook, in a small bowl, combine melted butter/ghee, minced garlic (for topping), and chopped coriander.
10. Butter & stack: Remove cooked naan from pan. Brush immediately and generously with the garlic butter mixture. Stack naans on a plate and cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft while cooking the rest.
11. Serve: Serve hot with your favourite curries!

What to Serve With Garlic Naan

Garlic naan is best served fresh and hot, straight from the pan. It's perfect for scooping up rich, saucy curries.

Here are some of our favourite combinations:

• Butter chicken: the creamy, mildly spiced sauce is made for naan. Try it with our Butter Chicken Spice Mix and follow our Butter Chicken Recipe.
• Chicken tikka masala: bold and smoky, another classic pairing. Use our Chicken Tikka Masala Spice Mix and see our Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe.
• Chicken curry: a weeknight meal that works beautifully with naan. Our Chicken Curry Masala Powder makes it simple.

Not a chicken fan? Garlic naan also goes well with Chana Masala or Palak Paneer for a vegetarian option.

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