Vegan Naan is a treasured side dish in our household. Indian food has always been one of my favorite cuisines and, needless to say, whenever I order it, I ask for extra naan. I love ordering extras because it means that after the rest of the takeout is finished, I have naan to eat with my chickpea curry, my lentil curry, and even as a flatbread if I want.
Easy Homemade Vegan Naan
Let’s talk about the characteristics of naan before we get any further. The basic gist is this: it’s chewy, pillowy soft, and perfectly seasoned. Dusted with herbs and garlic, this bread is downright irresistible! You can even add a little parmesan if that’s to your liking. Naan really exemplifies how easy, delicious, and rewarding it is to make your own homemade bread. I am particularly fond of this recipe because it only takes a little over an hour to prepare (and is resting for the majority of that time), so it really is possible to make it often!
What is Naan Bread?
Naan is a fluffy, leavened (made with yeast) flatbread that is usually baked in the oven. It’s chewy, soft, a touch sweet, and seasoned with a sampling of herbs and spices. Note that this time, though, we’re going to make the naan in a cast iron skillet – so no need to preheat the oven today! Finally, naan is a great bread to have sitting on your counter because you can eat it as-is and come away totally satisfied, but you can also enjoy it with a curry, or make a sandwich with it!
Notes on Ingredients
What goes into making loaves of naan bread? Nothing too complicated – just some flour, a little sugar, some yeast, and a couple more ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need to have lined up on the counter before starting:
Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour. Keep in mind you’ll need up to 2 tablespoons extra for kneading and flouring the bread.Sugar: A little brown sugar adds some sweetness to this bread, which makes it even more delicious.Baking Powder: To help with giving the naan a little lift.Active Instant Yeast: Yeast is the main agent that will help the bread rise.Seasoning: Gather up garlic powder, sea salt, and ground black pepper.Warm Vegan Milk: You can warm your milk up in the microwave.Greek Vegan Yogurt: Thick coconut cream from a can of coconut milk will also work (see notes below).Coconut Oil: Or olive oil, for brushing.Optional: Add vegan parmesan cheese, extra garlic, parsley, or cilantro, for topping.
How to Make Vegan Naan from Scratch
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, yeast, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together. Create a well in the center of the flour. Add Milk: Slowly add the vegan milk and vegan yogurt to the dry ingredients, and then mix together with a spatula until just incorporated. The dough should look shaggy. Knead the Dough: Flour a clean surface, and then pour/add the dough onto the surface. Flour your hands and fold the dough together. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes with your hands and knuckles. Let the Dough Rise: Lightly grease the ball of dough with some oil and place back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it sit for 30 minutes on the counter in a warm area. The dough should rise and double in size. Create 6 Balls of Dough: Divide the dough into 6 equal balls and roll each into a circle. On your floured surface, press each circle down with your palm, then roll into a slightly oblong shape using a floured rolling pin. It should measure about 6-8 inches. I like to do this one at a time. Cook the Naan: Over medium-high heat, heat a cast-iron skillet (preferably) or a regular large skillet. Brush both sides of the naan with a bit of the oil. Add a teaspoon each per naan of coconut oil into the hot skillet, and then add the naan. Fry up for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form. They will puff up a little bit, but the indicator is the slightly darkened spots. Turn the naan over and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute on the other side, looking again for the slightly darkened spots. Let Cool: Remove the naan from the heat and place on a wire rack to let it cool. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, garlic, cilantro or parsley and a dash more of salt if needed. Continue with the other naan pieces of bread until finished. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Success
And just like that, you’ve got a basket of vegan naan to complement your favorite curry or soup! Now that you see how easy this process is, the hardest part will be telling yourself that one batch of naan is enough for the week. Read through these tips and tricks on naan to make life in the kitchen even easier:
Use Fresh Yeast: As with all bread recipes, ensure your yeast is fresh and active and your baking powder is fresh, too!Possible Yogurt Substitutions: If you don’t have vegan yogurt, no problem! Stick a can of high-quality, full-fat coconut milk (don’t shake it) in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or leave it in the fridge overnight. Then scoop the thick part of to the equivalent (1/2 cup). It should be as thick as the consistency of yogurt. You can also sub vegan sour cream, buttermilk, or mayonnaise! For the buttermilk you can use the vegan milk + 1 tbsp of vinegar to the ½ cup mark, and let it sit until it gets like buttermilk. Start with 1/4 cup buttermilk, then add in the rest if the dough needs it!If Your Dough is Too Sticky: The dough can get kind of sticky, so you may need to add a little more flour to the mixture before kneading it (up to 2 tbsp). Don’t add too much, though, or the dough will become dry. Keep Loaves Warm in the Oven: I know, I know, I told you that you didn’t need to preheat the oven. But, since you’re cooking the naan loaves one at a time, you can use the oven to keep the warm if you want!
Serving Suggestions
One of the many wonderful qualities of naan is its versatility as a side dish. You can eat naan:
With curries. I love it with my Chickpea Curry, my Red Lentil Curry and my Tikka Masala, specifically.As a flatbread instead of pizza dough. I love it for my BBQ Chickpea Pizza! Or, keep it simple with a little tomato sauce and some vegan cheese – do whatever your stomach tells you!With soups! It tastes incredible with my Coconut Curry Soup and my Coconut Curry Lentil Soup. Dipping crusty breads in soup is great, sure, but naan? You’ll just have to taste it to believe the goodness.As a wrap! You can use naan instead of the wraps in my BBQ Chickpea Wraps. Naan makes a great sandwich bread too.
How to Store Naan
Naan can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days in a tightly-sealed container, or a tightly-sealed plastic bag. Toast a couple loaves in a toaster oven to reheat, or simply use a regular oven.
Can I Freeze Naan?
Freezing Naan is so simple. I recommend flash-freezing it, or wrapping it separately in parchment paper, cling film or foil, then into a freezer-safe bag. Thaw them in a toaster oven or on the counter or in the fridge. Enjoy friends! If you make this Vegan Naan Recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
More Vegan Bread Recipes to Try
Looking to experiment with more easy vegan bread recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:
Vegan CornbreadNo Knead BreadVegan Banana BreadGluten Free Focaccia BreadChocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
