Garlic Naan Recipe

First mix the instant yeast with sugar and water. Set aside.

In a bowl or stand-mixer bowl, take both the flours, garlic, salt and oil.

Add the yeast mixture. Add ½ cup water in parts and knead to a supple, soft and smooth dough.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel cloth and keep the dough to leaven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until doubled. Note that the time taken to leaven will depend on the room temperature.

Once the dough is leavened, portion it in equal sized balls. Roll the portioned dough between your palms and make a neat ball. Flatten it lightly.

Place the balls on a tray with some space next to them. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile melt butter completely in a small pan or skillet.

Add garlic and turn off the heat. The garlic will be cooked with the heat from the melted butter and you won’t get the raw pungent garlic flavor in the naan bread.

When this melted butter mixture become warm, add the chopped mint or coriander leaves. Set aside.

Sprinkle flour on the dough and place it on a lightly dusted rolling board. Avoid adding too much of the flour when rolling. Use sparingly and as needed.

Sprinkle nigella seeds or sesame seeds on the dough. With a rolling pin make a round or oval shape dough. You could pull the top part of the rolled dough with your fingers to make a tapering dough.

Turn over gently the rolled dough and let the side with the nigella seeds touch the rolling board's surface. Spread water all over on the top side.

Next heat a tawa or a flat skillet. Keep the heat to medium-high or high.

Place the watered side touching the hot skillet or tawa.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until you see the base getting nicely browned and charred.

Using a spatula separate the naan from the skillet.

Lift the naan with tongs and place it on direct flame with the side that is not cooked touching the flame.

Move the naan all over the flame to ensure the sides and the surfaces are well cooked with some chars. If you see that the side which was cooked earlier on the skillet, looks raw, then cook this side too on the flame.

Place on a tray or plate and brush the garlic butter spreading some garlic and mint/cilantro (from the garlic butter) all over on the naan.

You can either use a roti basket to store the naans or use a clean cotton kitchen towel to stack the naans. When placing them, place the buttered side facing each other for two naans, so that the butter does not touch your kitchen towel.

Make the naans one by one this way.

Serve Garlic Naan Bread hot or warm. Garnish with some cilantro or mint if you like.