Want to know how to make PERFECT Restaurant-Style Garlic and Coriander Naan at home? Prepare this pillowy and delicious egg-free naan to soak up those rich and exotic Indian curries you have made!
Just a few days ago we had a small get together at ours, mum was in charge of stirring the curries and I took charge in making this flavourful garlic and coriander naan. Mum prepared delicious creamy Matar Paneer , Indian Vegetable Curry Daal Makhni and fluffy Coconut & Almond rice
WHAT IS NAAN OR NAAN BREAD?
If it’s Naan or Naan bread then what about Grandad bread? Ok jokes aside, but seriously let’s admit a generous spread of Ghee or Butter over a piping hot naan bread is the piece de resistance . According to some historians, naan bread was enjoyed by the Royals in India in the olden days but is now a staple of Indian cuisine.
However, it’s not an everyday affair . The west associate naan with every type of curry but Indians hardly whip up naan at home. Most of us enjoy naan in restaurants or at events. In our home, we like to serve naan on some occasions such as birthdays or small get-togethers. Me and my brother are obsessed with Peshwari Naan too.
For the Garlic and Coriander Naan, the addition of garlic puree in the dough, Nigella seeds (aka Kalonji-Onion seeds) and finely chopped coriander and garlic butter are a must.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT RESTAURANT STYLE GARLIC AND CORIANDER NAAN AT HOME?
Okay, take a deep breath and tell yourself that to make naan at home is not as scary as you may think.
The key to extra soft, chewy and fluffy naan is to have the right ingredients, proper measurements and some time on your hands. This recipe of mine is so simple and straight forward, and don’t worry about what shape you give it to your naan or how it looks, it still going be so DELICIOUS! Truly speaking, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
First, check your ingredients, if want to enjoy restaurant-style garlic and coriander naan, for the day don’t look at your diet plan chart but go and buy whole milk, full-fat Greek yogurt and Ghee or Butter. All these ingredients will make your naan soft, fluffy and extra delicious. For the chewy texture and flavour use plain flour or all purpose flour.
After ingredients, check you have the proper tools. Don’t worry I am not asking you to order a big and expensive tandoor (clay oven) but just an inexpensive cast iron skillet. I urge you to get one if you want your naan with airy toasted charred pockets. You don’t have to buy the top of the range, any will do. Just heat the skillet, almost you can smell like it’s burning (screaming hot) and see the difference because it’s a game changer! Dreaming for a melt in your mouth naan with which you can scoop your curry with? Then use some elbow grease and roll your naan bread very thin, almost like a paratha. Nope, we won’t accept those thick, dense and crumbly naans from the supermarket. Thinly rolled naan will cook so quickly and all the way through on a piping hot cast iron skillet.
Next and perhaps most importantly you will need perfectly proven dough and that could be a little difficult to achieve when the weather is cooler. Try to keep the dough at a stable temperature around 24C/75F. The wonderfully proven dough is so easy and soft to work with. Now living in the UK, and I’m sure my fellow Brits here will also understand, waiting for the dough to rise is painstaking. With low temperatures most of the year, our best bet is to crank up the heating and leave the dough fairly close to the radiator. One such way around this is to use an electric pressure cooker such as Instant Pot.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
This naan is not only served to mop up rich and delicious curries such as Authentic Chana Masala , Rajma Masala , Aloo Matar but also scoop up some creamy Turkish tadka hummus or wrap around falafels , Tandoori cauliflower and Chickpeas or Creamy Paneer Tikka .
Why not pair it with this easy and foll-proof Aloo Baingan with some Raita.
Why not spread some of your favourite sandwich spread and add some salad? If there are any leftover (which I doubt), make Naanizza, easy Easy Naan Pizza !
HOW TO STORE THE NAAN BREAD?
I would suggest finished eating fresh naan as soon as possible, but if you want to make ahead and freeze then go for it. Make all the naan following the given method, but skip applying garlic ghee and coriander. Stack the naans between parchment paper, one by one and place neatly in an airtight freezer-proof container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, turn on the grill or broiler, sprinkle some water on the naan and cook under the hot grill on both sides until thoroughly cooked. Apply garlic ghee or butter, sprinkle coriander and serve straightaway.
STEP BY STEP PICTURES OF MAKING RESTAURANT STYLE GARLIC AND CORIANDER NAAN AT HOME?
First, measure out all the ingredients. In a big bowl whisk plain flour, salt, baking powder and nigella seeds, keep it aside. In a jug combine warm milk and water (lukewarm). In a bowl of a stand mixture place sugar, yeast and milk mixture. Leave it for 15 minutes to bloom. After 12-15 minutes it should be frothy ( if it does not discard the mixture, start over with new packet of yeast following the same method.)
Add greek yogurt to the frothy yeast mixture and combine well. Then add whisked flour mixture little at a time and garlic puree, process with the dough hook, set the mixture to medium speed and knead the dough till you get large smooth mass.
PROVE DOUGH IN INSTANT POT
Place the parchment paper in an inner pot and place the dough, cover the pot with the lid.
Put the inner pot in the instant pot, select YOGURT mode and press for 1 hour.
Without Instant Pot follow this method – k nead the dough for a couple of minutes, and leave it to rest in well-oiled bowl covered with clean tea towel in a warm place about at 24C, if living in a colder place preheat the oven for a few minutes, TURN OFF THE OVEN and keep bowl covered in the oven for at least 60-90 minutes)
When the program is complete, knead the dough for a couple of minutes on a floured surface before dividing into the equal portions and make round balls. Keep finely chopped coriander ready, make garlic ghee by combining melted ghee, crushed garlic and sea salt flakes. Now roll your naan in round shape as thin as possible on a floured surface using a rolling pin. This may take a few attempts but you’ll get there! Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Now time to heat your cast iron pan skillet or pan, it should be ripping hot (be careful by accident not to touch any handles) Apply some garlic ghee on the one side of the naan or directly brush some on the skillet and place brushed side naan direct on the heated pan. Immediately cover the pan with the glass lid, so you can see what’s going on inside. After 45 seconds to 1 minute flip the naan over the other side and cook further no more than 30 seconds.
Remove it from the pan, brush or drizzle garlic ghee on top of the piping hot naan, sprinkle a generous amount of finely chopped coriander and serve immediately or store naan, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft.
Garlic Coriander Naan
Equipment
- Big bowl or stand mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Cast iron skillet
- Electric pressure cooker
- Tea towel
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4 cup plain flour
- ¼ TSP. salt
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 TSP. Nigella seeds
- 1 TSP. garlic puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- ¾ cup lukewarm whole milk
- 1 TBSP sugar or honey
- ¾ TSP. active dry yeast
- ¼ cuphomemade ghee
- ½ TSP minced garlic
- Coriander finely chopped for garnish
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In a big bowl whisk plain flour, salt, baking powder and nigella seeds, keep it aside.
- In a jug combine warm milk and water (lukewarm). In a bowl of a stand mixture place sugar, yeast and milk mixture.
- Leave it for 15 minutes to bloom. After 12-15 minutes it should be frothy ( if it does not discard the mixture, start over with new packet of yeast following the same method.)
- Add greek yogurt to the frothy yeast mixture and combine well. Then add whisked flour mixture little at a time and garlic puree, process with the dough hook, set the mixture to medium speed and knead the dough till you get large smooth mass.
- Set aside to prove in a warm space for 90 minutes. Or use an electric pressure cooker. Sprinkle some extra flour into the inner pot, place dough in the pot and close the lid and select the prove function for 60 minutes.
- When the programme is complete, knead the dough for a couple of minutes on a floured surface before dividing into the equal portions and make round balls.
- Keep finely chopped coriander ready, make garlic ghee by combining melted ghee, crushed garlic and sea salt flakes.
- Now roll your naan in round shape as thin as possible on a floured surface using a rolling pin, approximately 1/4 cm thick.
- Now time to heat your cast iron pan skillet or pan, it should be piping hot (be careful by accident not to touch any handles) Apply some garlic ghee on the one side of the naan or directly brush some on the skillet and place brushed side naan direct on the heated pan. Immediately cover the pan with the glass lid, so you can see what’s going on inside. After 45 seconds to 1 minute flip the naan over the other side and cook further no more than 30 seconds.
- Remove it from the pan, brush or drizzle garlic ghee on top of the piping hot naan, sprinkle a generous amount of finely chopped coriander and serve immediately or store Store naan, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Garlic Coriander Naan
Equipment
- Big bowl or stand mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Cast iron skillet
- Electric pressure cooker
- Tea towel
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4 cup plain flour
- ¼ TSP. salt
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 TSP. Nigella seeds
- 1 TSP. garlic puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- ¾ cup lukewarm whole milk
- 1 TBSP sugar or honey
- ¾ TSP. active dry yeast
- ¼ cuphomemade ghee
- ½ TSP minced garlic
- Coriander finely chopped for garnish
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In a big bowl whisk plain flour, salt, baking powder and nigella seeds, keep it aside.
- In a jug combine warm milk and water (lukewarm). In a bowl of a stand mixture place sugar, yeast and milk mixture.
- Leave it for 15 minutes to bloom. After 12-15 minutes it should be frothy ( if it does not discard the mixture, start over with new packet of yeast following the same method.)
- Add greek yogurt to the frothy yeast mixture and combine well. Then add whisked flour mixture little at a time and garlic puree, process with the dough hook, set the mixture to medium speed and knead the dough till you get large smooth mass.
- Set aside to prove in a warm space for 90 minutes. Or use an electric pressure cooker. Sprinkle some extra flour into the inner pot, place dough in the pot and close the lid and select the prove function for 60 minutes.
- When the programme is complete, knead the dough for a couple of minutes on a floured surface before dividing into the equal portions and make round balls.
- Keep finely chopped coriander ready, make garlic ghee by combining melted ghee, crushed garlic and sea salt flakes.
- Now roll your naan in round shape as thin as possible on a floured surface using a rolling pin, approximately 1/4 cm thick.
- Now time to heat your cast iron pan skillet or pan, it should be piping hot (be careful by accident not to touch any handles) Apply some garlic ghee on the one side of the naan or directly brush some on the skillet and place brushed side naan direct on the heated pan. Immediately cover the pan with the glass lid, so you can see what’s going on inside. After 45 seconds to 1 minute flip the naan over the other side and cook further no more than 30 seconds.
- Remove it from the pan, brush or drizzle garlic ghee on top of the piping hot naan, sprinkle a generous amount of finely chopped coriander and serve immediately or store Store naan, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Tomato Raita is an authentic Indian-style yogurt dip with sweet roasted tomato to celebrate tomatoes in true desi style. Serve as a starter with deep fried poppadum or part of mezze with crusty sourdough or focaccia. Tomato raita is simply perfect served as a side dish to any spicy Indian curry.
British tomatoes are back in peak season and this dish is the perfect way to celebrate British tomatoes. Hot and juicy roasted tomatoes, chilled yogurt and a dash of chaat masala strike a perfect balance together to give an enriched palate. This recipe is simple but it’s one of those dishes that once you have tasted you’ll probably end up making again and again.
What is Raita
Raita is a dairy-based side Indian dish and considered as a coolant dish. Raita is prepared with thick plain yogurt (aka dahi or curd) basic spices, grated or diced fruit and veg, and fresh herbs such as mint and coriander added for freshness. Mint raita is well known all around the world and served almost in every Indian restaurant alongside onion bhaji and tandoori paneer tikka. Although the basic mint raita is the first choice for many, there are many other varieties of raita you can find in Indian kitchens, such as: Cucumber raita Boondi raita Mixed fruit raita
Tomato Raita
Roasted tomato raita is a dish with a modern twist and beautiful contrast. In this recipe piping hot roasted or charred tomatoes go along with cooled or chilled yogurt, a pinch of chaat masala adds that tasty zing to it while mint and coriander provides lots of freshness.
It’s a great side dish for any meal.
Ingredients for Tomato Raita Recipe
Although there is no such exact measurement requires of ingredients in raita, but I would say take 2/3 of yogurt and 1/3 of other ingredients to keep well-balanced raita. Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes (we used Sophie Jane and Arlunta varieties) – any tomatoes work well Full-fat Greek or any other variety Yogurt (if watching your calorie intake switch to low fat) Freshly chopped mint and coriander Sugar Sea salt to taste Olive oil Cumin seeds Black Pepper Chaat masala Red chili powder
Onion Tomato Raita Recipe
There is an alternative version that is popular in Indian households called Tomato Onion Raita.
The raita is prepared with raw chopped tomato and onion.
Instead of roasting the tomatoes, simply chop and add directly to the raita. You can also add in chopped onion.
Optionally add in chopped green chili.
Serving Suggestion
Tomato raita would go well with
Paneer and vegetable makhni dum biryani, Carrot and Carrot and coconut pulao rice Palak paneer and matar paratha . Dal paratha
Tomato Raita
Ingredients
- 250 gram cherry tomatoes
- 500 gram greek yogurt full fat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped mint and coriander
- Sea salt and black pepper powder to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 6-7.
- Wash the tomatoes under the running water and pat dry completely.
- On a baking tray place the tomatoes, you can halve a few if you like.
- Sprinkle sea salt, black pepper, cumin seeds and drizzle olive oil.
- Mix to combine.
- Roast it in the preheated oven for a roast for 8-10 minutes or once you see tomato juice starts to come out.
- Then turn the oven on to grill or broiler settings and let it grill for another 3-4 minutes until darkening skin visible on top of the tomatoes.
- Meanwhile, bring out the yogurt from the fridge, add sugar and salt and whisk it well. Add chopped mint and coriander.
- Once the tomatoes are ready, spoon the piping hot roasted tomatoes on the bed of chilled yogurt.
- Sprinkle some chaat masala and red chilli powder.
- Garnish it with the few fresh mint and coriander leaves.
Onion Tomato Raita
- Add fresh chopped tomato, chopped onion, yogurt, mint, chili powder, chaat masala, sugar, cumin seeds and salt in a bowl. Mix well and serve.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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