Supper Club: Naan, three ways

You can buy naan in any supermarket, but making homemade naan is so easy. I’ve given you three versions here: plain, chilli and cumin, and garlic and coriander. If making the chilli and cumin naan be sure to use whole spices, not ground, as they will burn in the hot oven. My father used to make naan on the walls of the pressure cooker, uncovered, to mimic cooking it in a tandoor.

Naan, three ways

Makes 6–8

Ingredients

For plain naan:

• 1 x 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 200ml lukewarm water
• 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 50ml full-fat milk
• 1½ tsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• melted butter, for brushing

 

For the chilli and cumin topping:

• large pinch of red chilli flakes 
• large pinch of cumin seeds
• large pinch of flaky sea salt

 

For the garlic and coriander topping:

• 50g butter or ghee
• 2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 1–2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

 

Method

1. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top of the lukewarm water, give it a quick stir and set aside for 10 minutes, until the yeast has activated and turned frothy.
2. Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix together, then make a well in the centre.
3. In a separate large jug, measure out the milk and vegetable oil. Crack in the egg and whisk to combine, then pour it into the well in the dry ingredients along with the yeast and water mixture. 
4. Knead on a medium speed for 10 minutes to bring together into a soft, elastic dough. The dough will seem to be too dry at first, but keep kneading and it will come together. If not, though, drizzle in a teaspoon more water at a time as required. (You could also do this all by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer.) Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside to rest in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size. 
5. Preheat the oven to 260°C/240°C fan/gas 10, or as hot as it will go. Heat up a pizza stone or baking tray in the oven as it preheats too. You need to use the hottest temperature to get the naan nice and fluffy – the lower the temperature, the crispier the naan will be, which isn’t what you want. It should be soft and pillowy.
6. Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and briefly knead it again, then divide it evenly into six or eight portions. 
7. To make plain naan, roll out each ball of dough until it’s a thin circle or oval (roll the dough diagonally if you want ovals). 
8. To make chilli and cumin naan, combine the chilli flakes, cumin seeds and flaky sea salt in a small bowl. Dip the top of each ball of dough in this mixture before rolling it out into a thin circle or oval (roll the dough diagonally if you want ovals). 
9. To make garlic and coriander naan, roll out each ball of dough until it’s a thin circle or oval (roll the dough diagonally if you want ovals). Put the butter and garlic in a small saucepan set over a medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and the garlic has softened and lost its raw pungency, but be careful not to let the garlic overcook or burn and turn bitter. Keep warm and set aside. Or for a different taste and texture, I like to put the raw chopped garlic directly on top of the naan before baking it, then brushing it with plain butter after it comes out of the oven. 
10. Put the naan on two baking trays and cook in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven and brush the plain or chilli and cumin naan with melted butter. If you’re making the garlic and coriander naan, brush it with the garlic butter, then scatter over the chopped fresh coriander. Serve warm.

 

Spice Box by Sunil Ghai is published by Penguin Sandycove (2023). Photography: © Joanne Murphy