Garlic Naan Recipe Restaurant Style | Cook Click N Devour!!! (2024)

Garlic naan recipe is a delicious variety of ever popular Indian naan bread flavored with garlic. This is a super soft, chewy bread with slightly crispy edges and that characteristic chars over the surface.

These buttery garlic naan bread is the perfect vehicle to mop those rich Indian curries like paneer butter masala, palak paneer, chole or dal makhani.

It is super easy to make restaurant style garlic naan bread recipe at home and this post will show you how with step by photos, tips and tricks.

Indian restaurant style flatbreads are a top favorite at our home. We dine out very rarely but when we do it is surely a treat with baskets of butter naan, kulcha, tandoori roti, rumali roti with yummy curries and gravies. I am sure many of you do the same 🙂

Now what if I tell you that you can make best garlic naan at home from scratch and enjoy piping hot? Amazing isn’t it? That is what this recipe is all about. Homemade chewy and soft naan bread with that unmistakable garlic flavor and taste.

This is an amazing recipe that I have been making for more than a decade and it turns out excellent every time.

About This Naan Bread Recipe

Garlic naan is a delicious naan bread recipe made with garlic flavor. In this recipe we are adding garlic in both naan dough as well some minced garlic is added as topping on the rolled naan dough.

For more garlic flavor you can also brush the cooked naan with garlic butter just before serving. This is an excellent bread to serve with hearty Indian curries. This recipe is simple enough to make at home from scratch yet very gourmet & festive to serve in a party!

You will need very basic ingredients like flour, yeast, garlic for this homemade garlic naan recipe. It tastes exactly like the ones served in best Indian restaurants, you should try it to believe it 🙂

In restaurants and dhabas naan is cooked in a super hot clay oven called tandoor. Cooking in very high heat in clay oven lends the characteristic smoky flavor, crispy edges and chars all over the flatbread.

At home we can achieve the same to the maximum extent by using a good quality cast iron skillet and a stove top grill stand or tongs. While you can bake garlic naan in oven, I prefer to cook it on stove top as it yields better results.

Naan is a leavened flatbread. Yeast is the commonly used leavening agent to make garlic naan. These days I also add a pinch of baking powder as I feel it improves the texture and makes this bread super light.

Apart from minced garlic I also like to add kalonji seeds, chopped coriander leaves or cilantro leaves, sesame seeds etc as topping for naan. You can use whichever you like.

Now let’s go through the ingredients before diving into the recipe.

What Do You Need To Make Naan?

Flour

Traditionally plain flour or all purpose flour known as maida is used for making naan. To make restaurant style garlic naan I recommend using only plain flour. Here for 1 batch I have used a mix if wheat flour and plain flour (first picture) and for another batch I used only plain flour (last picture).

Obviously naan made with wheat flour was a bit more dense and plain flour naans where super light. Choose according to your preference. If you have bread flour it will work too.

Yeast

Use very good quality yeast for chewy and delicious naan. If the yeast is not of good quality the bread will have an yeasty aftertaste. You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry yeast you will have to bloom the yeast in lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar. Instant dry yeast can be directly added to the flours.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is usually not used in naan dough while using yeast. I add just a pinch of it for that super airy dough which best lightest ever garlic naan. You will need just 1/4 teaspoon of it.

Garlic & Garlic Butter

I prefer to add finely minced fresh garlic in the dough as well as topping after rolling the naan over brushing it with garlic butter.

Two reasons for it 🙂 First you will need roasted garlic for garlic butter, which is an additional step in the recipe 🙂 Next we like the texture of minced garlic that gets roasted along with naan rather than smooth garlic butter.

having said that garlic butter with finely chopped cilantro leaves would be very delicious here. Go ahead and use it if you have it handy or do not mind the additional steps.

Other Ingredients

Salt, sugar, water to make dough & some plain or garlic butter for brushing on top. Optional toppings like sesame seeds, kalonji, chopped coriander leaves etc.

Cast iron Skillet

A good quality large cast iron skillet or a heavy steel skillet with handle is highly recommended for making garlic naan recipe.

A heavy pan with handle is easier to flip the naan over direct flame. If you do not have a cast iron skillet use a heavy non stick skillet to cook garlic naan but make sure it withstands high heat.

How To Make Garlic Naan Recipe

For the step by step pictures I have used only plain flour. I have used instant yeast or rapid raise yeast here. If using active dry yeast add it to 1/4 cup lukewarm water and mix well. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar on top, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to let the yeast activate. Add this yeast mixture to the flour and skip sugar in dough.

Making Dough

Combine 2.5 cups all purpose flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a measuring cup or kitchen scale for precise measurements.

See Also

Recipes Archives - Active VegetarianChai Spice Recipe | Masala Tea PowderThe Number 1. Way to Improve Your Gut Health+ Fermented Vegetables RecipeCurry leaves pakoda recipe, easy evening snack recipes - Edible Garden

Mix well and add oil. Mix again well. You can add any cooking oil or even light olive oil.

Now add 3/4 teaspoon finely minced peeled garlic. Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup warm water gradually and knead into soft and supple dough. The dough will be initially sticky, do not add too much more flour. Place the dough in a lightly oi Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap.

You can knead the dough in a food processor, stand mixer fitted with dough hook or even a bread machine selecting dough cycle for making homemade naan.

Let the dough rest at room temperature until it doubles in volume. Takes from 60-90 minutes. The dough should be soft and fluffy

Once the dough has raised, punch it back gently and knead again for a minute. Make sure the dough is soft fluffy and light.

Shaping & Cooking Garlic Naan

Once the dough has raised, punch it back gently and knead the dough lightly again for a minute. Make sure the dough is soft fluffy and light.

Divide the dough into 8 big lemon sized balls. Place a dough ball on a lightly floured surface.

Roll into a oval flat bread of around 1/3 inch thickness using a rolling pin. The dough will be similar to pizza dough, you can simply stretch the dough ball with hand from all sides and make an oval.

How to cook naan bread

While you are rolling the dough, heat a cast iron skillet or pan for 3-4 minutes. Maintain high flame. You will need a skillet with handle.

After rolling the dough apply water with a pastry brush generously on one side. Add minced garlic as required. I have also added some coriander leaves and sunflower seeds. Press gently.

Now place the watered side down on the hot cast iron skillet. Cook for 30-40 seconds on hot skillet over medium high heat.

Now to cook the other side, place a grill stand like this over flame.

Gently remove the naan from the and place on the grill stand, uncooked side facing flame. Cook until it puffs and chars, takes around 30-4o seconds.

Place the cooked naan on a plate and brush with melted garlic butter or plain salted butter

If you don’t have grill stand you can just cook the flatbread on the pan or tava itself. Just cook from both sides until it chars and puffs up a bit.

Serve soft fluffy chewy vegan naan bread warm.

Baking Garlic Naan In Oven

If you wish to bake naan in the oven here are the instructions. Preheat your oven at 260 C or 500 F (or at the highest temperature available).

Arrange the rolled naan on baking tray or pizza stone and bake for 5-7 minutes. After 5 minutes you can broil the naan for some smoky chars.

Serving Suggestions

This warm delicious butter garlic naan tastes delicious with all Indian curries.

Make some today and pair your piping hot naan withpalak paneer,paneer butter masala,chole masalaorkadai veg curryor makenaan pizzaPerfect weekend treat!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Flatbread Recipes

Kulcha

Paneer kulcha

Thepla

Paratha

Aloo Paratha

Are you making this recipe?I would love to see a snap of your creation too.Do snap a pic and share on Instagram with hashtag#cookclickndevouand please give a star rating ★in the recipe card above. Follow us onPinterest,Instagram,Facebook for more recipes and ideas.

Recipe