“I have been making different types of flatbread for years. I even traveled to Marrakesh to get some inside tips. This is seriously the best I have ever made and eaten.”
“This was not only the best naan I have ever eaten, but probably the best bread I’ve ever made… If I had the time, I would rave about these all night; they were that good.”
“GLORIOUS!!!”
“I feel like I discovered America!”
I trust gushing Allrecipes.com reviews over just about any other form of recommendation. I always imagine these folks as slightly batty stay-at-home parents with nothing better to do than write about food on the internet (I know, what loons). Allrecipes is much beloved by me because of its near-anonymous content; reviewers don’t hold back in declaring subpar dishes as such (well, usually more as “THIS SUX, nevar agian1!!!!!!!!!!” et al.).
This naan comes together like the sugarplummiest of dreams. The soft dough rises to the occasion in just an hour, developing lovely yeasty flavors as it munches on the egg and sugar. Folding in fresh garlic is “optional“; if you mince a large pile of cloves without measuring like me, you’ll end up with textured rivers of garlic goodness running throughout the dreamy elastic dough that already smells so good, oh my god.
It’s like this recipe was specifically drawn up to please the kid who never got over Play-Doh – you get to form the cutest lil’ golf ball guys for the second rise. They bask beneath a towel while you busy yourself with various distractions.
And then – still courting the Inner Child Chef here – you get to burn the heck out of them on the grill, creating effortless bittersweet charmarks that add complexity and crunch to the bubbly, airy naan. I promise you – it is WAY easier than you think it is. It was my first time ever grilling bread, and it totally does not fall through the cracks nor stick to the grill like you might guess. Plus, after you freak out just a little bit from the first flame-up, then realize that licking tongues of heat are exactly what’s making everything taste like bliss, you can relax, exhale, and enjoy playing with fire.
Make this just once, and you will immediately consider it indispensable. It’s a near-foolproof quick bread, and I’ve read that it keeps wonderfully as dough in the fridge (which I’m giving a go – the recipe makes quite a bit). Allrecipes reviewers also mention cooking it in a superheated skillet instead of on the grill – I can’t imagine it without the beautiful grill lines, but doing everything inside would certainly be simpler if that’s your aim.
It pairs absolutely incredibly with any variety of Indian cuisine; we had it this time with aloo gobi and saucy chicken makhani to great acclaim.
“This is the best Indian food I’ve ever had.”
- my daddy.
Grilled Naan
rewritten from Mic’s Allrecipes.com post.
makes: 24 smallish pieces of naan, which is rather a lot – but it keeps beautifully in the fridge! I stored half of mine sealed in a tupperware after rolling them into balls, and they were absolutely just as excellent two days later. I highly recommend grilling them fresh each time you want them, as the flavor degrades over time.
time: 3 hours-ish? Perhaps 30 minutes prepping in total. Dough rises for one hour and then at least 30 minutes. Grilling is zippy, 10 minutes max – depending on how many you dare to flame at once!
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk (room temperature)
1 egg, beaten (room temperature)
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2++ tablespoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sugar, milk, and egg. Let stand 10 minutes, until frothy.
2. Add salt and enough flour to make a soft dough – approximately 3 1/2 cups. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, adding flour as needed until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
3. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough, each about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, at least 30 minutes.
Note: I let mine rise a lot longer because I got busy with other parts of dinner. Didn’t hurt a thing.
4. Preheat grill to high heat.
5. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle – somewhat misshapen is just fine. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned (READ: charred). Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
NOTE: If you don’t have access to a grill or you’re just a big weenie, these work in a very hot cast iron pan on the stovetop as well – but you definitely lose out on the all-important charmarks.
Related reading:
I’ve had naan in Indian restaurants, but making it fresh is truly a joy. Not difficult and…Great Flavor! I played sous-chef for this first batch and noticed that during the grilling part you need to take some care to get the grill temperature just right. Just a little practice is all.
Rich – you are almost an official Naan Master now. . .
Make the WHOLE recipe. You can freeze whatever you don’t want to grill immediately. Just freeze the balls before the 2nd rise. When you want Naan – thaw them out, let them rise and go. They are still amazing!