Nothing beats authentic homemade sweet Peshwari Naans, dripping with ghee, in the centre of a grand Indian feast! Follow this traditional peshwari naan recipe to achieve perfectly chewy and soft restaurant style Peshwari Naans that are dotted with charred airy pockets and bubbles.
I have also included an additional flavour combination, indulgent Peshwari Naan with Saffron and Rose for an exciting twist!
Indian Restaurant Style Peshwari Naan
There is nothing more satisfying than making your own homemade soft fluffy naan bread! If you’re putting in the time to make your perfect Indian curry, then investing a little effort in homemade naan rather than the shop-bought variety is so worth it. You do not even need special equipment.
You end up with indulgent peshwari naans that are pillow soft, with just the right amount of chewiness. This naan also has the characteristic “bubbles” on the surface of the naan. Store-bought naan tends to harden as it cools but these naans retain their texture.
I first discovered Peshwari Naan through our local Indian takeaway. So exotic right? I was pleasantly surprised to discover how brilliantly the sweet coconutty naan went with the curry.
What is Peshwari Naan?
Peshwari Naan, or Peshawari Naan, is a variation of naan bread which is a type of leavened bread that is traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven.
This particular variety is stuffed with a royal sweet coconut, sultana and nut filling. I lovingly called it the Fruit and Nut Naan when I was young.
The naan shape is either round or a teardrop shape.
These coconut filled naans are commonly found in British Indian Restaurants, or BIR, as a delicious sundry option to accompany a curry. You can also find Restaurant-style Garlic and Coriander Naan , which is probably one of the most popular versions of naan.
You can easily pick your naan of choice at Indian restaurants, with a few other options like chilli naans, cheese naans and keema naans are also available.
Peshwari Naans owe their name to the city of Peshawar, in Pakistan, where the naans have originated from.
Ingredients
For full ingredients list and amounts, please see the recipe card below
The naan dough:
- Strong white bread flour – we have made naans using both strong white flour and plain flour (all purpose flour).
- Instant dried yeast – also known as Fast action yeast. This is instant yeast required to prove the dough. Ensure your yeast is in date. I prefer to buy sachets.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar – we used regular granulated sugar but you can also use brown sugar or caster sugar.
- Ghee – you can either use ghee or melted unsalted butter. Ghee has a gorgeous aroma that is unsurpassed with Indian food
- Lukewarm milk – we used skimmed milk but you can use milk with any fat content
- Yogurt – we used natural yogurt. Ensure the yoghurt is not a low-fat variety as these tend to be more sour.
For the fruit and nut filling (Peshwari paste):
- Desiccated coconut
- Sultanas – you can use a mixture of sultanas
- Nuts (nuts are called dry fruits in India). You can use almonds, pistachios, and cashew. You can use almond flour in place instead of whole nuts.
For the finishing touches:
- Fresh chopped coriander
- Almond Slivers
- More ghee!
- Optional – sesame seeds
What to serve with Peshwari Naan
Peshwari Naan goes wonderfully with a wide range of Indian curries. The curries should ideally have a gravy so that the naan can mop it all up! I’ve always felt that a a dry curry does not work as well with a naan! You’re best off going for round and soft Gujarati rotli in this case.
The mild sweetness of these naans and nutty filling make them an interesting combination for curries across the heat spectrum! Some love their sweet peshwari naan to accompany a strong hot curry such as Dhaba Style Dal Makhani or Marwari Dum Aloo because it cools it down.
Panch Phoran Paneer is another great option that uses the panch phoran spice.
I actually prefer sweet naan with milder yet rich curries that have a royal touch. Personally, I find that a sweet bread should enhance the dish it is eaten with rather than be used to tone it down!
I would recommend these naans to be served with a vegetable korma, dal maharani or a Niramish Paneer or Veg Paneer Makkhanwala
Kids might enjoy these naans with a side dish like mild Jersey Royal Potato Butter Masala
Of course, you can totally ignore what I just said and eat it HOWEVER you please!!!
Other types of naans you can try are Restaurant style Garlic and Coriander Naans or Cheese & Chilli Naans
Peshwari Naan with Saffron and Rose
I know you will be making these delicious naans time and time again, so why not consider make little tweaks?
You can vary them in two different ways, either make changes to the dough or changes to the peshwari filling. Or, you can do both!
I wanted to enhance the royal flavours in these naans as I was making them for a special occasion. I added saffron strands to the dough and rose petals in the coconut filling.
The dough takes on a mellow golden colour and when it cooks, you’re left with a sweet perfumed naan. You can see the saffron peeking through the finished naan. The dried rose petals imbued a light floral flavour which went so, so well with the coconut and sultana!
The results are subtle but so beautiful!
How can I get bubbly naan?
In order to achieve airy pockets on your naan that are beautifully charred and toasted, you need key ingredients and certain method points to follow.
Traditionally, naan is baked in a tandoor – a very hot clay oven. It is the heat that causes the naan to cook quickly and thus produces those desired bubbles/pockets of air, charred finish and soft fluffy texture.
To recreate this heat at home, use a tawa, griddle pan, skillet or large frying pan that is super hot. The pan should be so hot that you can just about see it smoking. This is what allows the naan to puff up and retain its pillow like softness. Naan that cooks slowly will be hard and chewy – not the effect we are going for here.
The pan must also be dry, no oil is added as the dough is to be baked rather than shallow-fried.
Yes, you can! The Instant Pot, or of course, any other electric cooker that has a “Yogurt” function can be used to prove bread dough. We first cut out a square bit of baking parchment paper that will sit inside our Instant Pot bowl. The paper should also cover the sides of the IP. Then brush a little oil/ghee/butter onto the paper. This will prevent the dough from sticking. Place the dough onto the baking paper and cover the IP bowl with a normal glass lid. Do not use the Instant Pot lid for this. Set the IP to Yogurt function for 30 minutes. This should be sufficient time to prove the dough as it mimics approx 60-90 mins proving time at regular temperatures.
As you are cooking each naan, place it either in a clean cloth or napkin. That way, the naans will stay warm but not go soggy. To store for later, they are then best placed in an airtight container once they are cooled.
To retain the naans soft texture, the naans are best placed in a heated oven. You can of course save time and reheat them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. I would suggest sprinkling a few drops of water on the naan before any method of reheating.
How to make Homemade Peshwari Naan Step by Step
Homemade Peshwari naan is cooked in three steps. The first step is to knead a smooth dough and prove, next is to make the sweet filling and third to cook the naan.
Kneading and Proving dough
- In a large bowl add flour, salt, yeast, sugar and baking powder. Stir and combine well.
- Add yogurt (make sure the yogurt is at room temperature). Mix well.
- Now pour warm water (a little water at a time) into the flour and make a soft dough, dough consistency should be like bread dough. If you have sticky dough, add a little flour.
- Knead the dough for a couple of minutes
- You can also use a stand mixer for this.
- Leave it to rest in a well oiled bowl covered in a warm place. (we used instant pot to prove the dough)
- Once the you have risen dough, almost double in size, remove it on a lightly floured surface. You can keep the top of the dough covered with a damp tea towel if you wish
Second step – make the filling
- Meanwhile, make the stuffing, add all the nuts, coconut and sultanas in a food processor and grind till you get a coarse paste. Leave the filling aside in a small bowl.
Step three – assemble and cook the naan
- Once again knead the dough for a minute. Divide the dough into equal portions (around a tablespoon) and make a ball of dough.
- On a clean worktop or board sprinkle some dry plain flour, take one dough ball and roll into a small round or oval shapes using a rolling pin. You are aiming for thick circles.
- Place a small portion of the filling (1 tbsp. of filling) in the centre.
- Then seal the dough and make a ball. Dust the board again with the flour and roll stuffed ball into tear-shaped or round naan.
- Repeat with the remaining naans
- Heat the griddle or Tawa on high heat. I have used 28cm cast iron skillet.
- Placed rolled naan onto the heated griddle, in a few seconds, you will see some blisters and bubbles appearing on one side. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Flip the bread and bake for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Remove on to a plate, brush it with melted butter or ghee. Top with almond flakes and serve hot.
Saffron and Rose Peshwari Naan
I sprinkled a few strands of saffron in the dough and added some edible dried rose petals to the stuffing/filling. The taste was similar to Manda Roti .
Other Desiccated Coconut recipes
- Coconut and Cardamom Wholewheat Cookies
- Gujarati stuffed Okra/Bhindi
- Best Coconut Ladoo
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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Peshwari Naan
Equipment
- Bowl/Stand mixer
- Instant pot
- Smooth work board
- Rolling Pin
- Food processor
- Skillet. Griddle, Tawa or frying pan
Ingredients
- 200 g Plain flour all purpose flour/maida
- 60 g Strong flour bread flour If you don’t have it use plain flour.
- 1 sachet Yeast 7g Instant dried active
- ¼ tsp. Baking powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Sugar
- 60 ml Water lukewarm
- 60 ml Yogurt Plain natural at room temperature
Stuffing
- ⅓ cup Nuts almond,cashew and pistachio
- 3 tbsp. Sultana – yellow raisins
- ⅓ cup Desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp. Sugar or honey optional
Extra
- 2 tbsp. Ghee or unsalted butter melted
- Plain flour to dust
- 1 tbsp. Almond and Pistachio Slivers
Instructions
- In a big bowl add both flours, baking powder, yeast, sugar and salt.
- Now add yogurt and lukewarm water little by little into flour and make a soft and pliable dough, dough consistency should be like bread dough.
- Nice and very soft.
- Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, and leave it to rest in a well oiled bowl covered in a warm place.
- Or use an Instant pot (check above how to prove dough in the Instant Pot)
- Meanwhile, make the stuffing, add all the nuts, coconut and sultanas in a food processor and grind till you coarse powder. Leave it aside.
- Once the dough has risen, almost double in size once again knead for a minute.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and make round balls.
- On a clean worktop or board sprinkle some dry plain flour, take one dough ball and roll into a small round.
- Place 1 tbsp. nut mixture in the centre, spread then seal the dough and make a ball.
- Dust the board again with the flour and roll stuffed ball into tear-shaped naan.
- Heat the griddle or Tawa ( I used cast iron skillet ) on high heat. Do not add oil, butter or ghee.
- Placed rolled naan onto the heated griddle, in a few seconds, you will see naan fluffs up.
- As soon as you see dark blisters, flip the naan and cook on the other side.
- Remove and brush it up with melted ghee, garnish it with the almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.
- Repeat the same process with the remaining dough. Keep cooked naan covered in a clean kitchen napkin to keep warm.
- Enjoy!
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.
Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in August 2016.
Peshwari Naan
Equipment
- Bowl/Stand mixer
- Instant pot
- Smooth work board
- Rolling Pin
- Food processor
- Skillet. Griddle, Tawa or frying pan
Ingredients
- 200 g Plain flour all purpose flour/maida
- 60 g Strong flour bread flour If you don’t have it use plain flour.
- 1 sachet Yeast 7g Instant dried active
- ¼ tsp. Baking powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Sugar
- 60 ml Water lukewarm
- 60 ml Yogurt Plain natural at room temperature
Stuffing
- ⅓ cup Nuts almond,cashew and pistachio
- 3 tbsp. Sultana – yellow raisins
- ⅓ cup Desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp. Sugar or honey optional
Extra
- 2 tbsp. Ghee or unsalted butter melted
- Plain flour to dust
- 1 tbsp. Almond and Pistachio Slivers
Instructions
- In a big bowl add both flours, baking powder, yeast, sugar and salt.
- Now add yogurt and lukewarm water little by little into flour and make a soft and pliable dough, dough consistency should be like bread dough.
- Nice and very soft.
- Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, and leave it to rest in a well oiled bowl covered in a warm place.
- Or use an Instant pot (check above how to prove dough in the Instant Pot)
- Meanwhile, make the stuffing, add all the nuts, coconut and sultanas in a food processor and grind till you coarse powder. Leave it aside.
- Once the dough has risen, almost double in size once again knead for a minute.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and make round balls.
- On a clean worktop or board sprinkle some dry plain flour, take one dough ball and roll into a small round.
- Place 1 tbsp. nut mixture in the centre, spread then seal the dough and make a ball.
- Dust the board again with the flour and roll stuffed ball into tear-shaped naan.
- Heat the griddle or Tawa ( I used cast iron skillet ) on high heat. Do not add oil, butter or ghee.
- Placed rolled naan onto the heated griddle, in a few seconds, you will see naan fluffs up.
- As soon as you see dark blisters, flip the naan and cook on the other side.
- Remove and brush it up with melted ghee, garnish it with the almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.
- Repeat the same process with the remaining dough. Keep cooked naan covered in a clean kitchen napkin to keep warm.
- Enjoy!
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.
Sutarfeni is an intricate melt-in-the-mouth Indian sweet made from soft vermicelli nests, sugar syrup and mixed nuts. This easy sutarfeni recipe is made from ready-made Kataifi pastry dough and baked in the air-fryer for quick results that taste and feel just like shop bought.
The best homemade Sutarfeni
This is a truly beautiful Indian dessert and a true Rajasthani & Gujarati classic sweet. This unique yet decadent dessert is as delicious as it looks with its fabulous melt-in-the-mouth finish. No wonder it is mostly served during special occasions and Indian festivals!
Sutar means “thread” and feni means “fine”. Fine noodles of pastry are swirled together. These are then deep-fried but the pastry retains its white colour. The swirls are doused in a thick sugar syrup and coated with slivers of nuts.
You can find sutarfeni flavoured with kewra water or rose water or even with saffron or kesar. This results in golden coloured sutarfeni.
Traditionally, the pastry itself is made from scratch and this is certainly how halwai or mithaiwala would make them. Homemade sutarfeni is made with ready-made pastry.
It is difficult to find certain traditional Indian sweets in the UK and it is a very long process to make Sutarfeni from scratch at home!
Sutarfeni has some resemblance to Kataifi nests or Baklawa as both sweets are made from the same pastry, are soaked in sugar syrup and topped with nuts. The difference is in the flavouring and colour. Sutarfeni remains white in colour and Baklava takes on a rich golden-brown colour. Sutarfeni tends to be flavoured with cardamom only whereas Baklava may also have honey or orange blossom flavours.
Vegan Sutarfeni
It is so simple to make sutarfeni vegan. Simple swap the ghee for coconut oil. Ghee only makes up a small proportion of the ingredients and melted coconut oil or even melted vegan butter will work as a perfect alternative.
Ingredients notes
- Kataifi Pastry – Frozen or Fresh. Fresh Kataifi pastry is available in chilled section in middle eastern or Greek grocery stores.
- Sugar – I recommend that you use regular white sugar here to keep Sutarfeni white in colour.
- Ghee or unsalted butter (for a vegan option see below in the post). This recipe uses very small amount of ghee.
- Slivered nuts such as almonds and pistachio.
- Cardamom powder – cardamom powder in this recipe help to flavour the sugar syrup.
Substitution and variations
Flavours -you may add kewra or rose water/rose syrup in the sugar syrup instead of cardamom flavour. If using rose syrup, then Sutarfeni will be in light pink colour.
Toppings – kids might enjoy drizzling some chocolate or caramel sauce. Or sprinkle some funfetti sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli.
How to eat Sutarfeni
Sutarfeni is enjoyed at festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Teej or even at Karwa chauth. Also Sutarfeni is great for gifting as it has long shelf life.
In Mauritius, Sutarfeni given along with other sweets as a thank you token to the guests.
It can be enjoyed with hot milk or for an alternative treat, try drizzling with chocolate sauce!
How to make Sutarfeni using Kataifi Pastry
This is a very easy to follow Indian sweet recipe and is great for beginner bakers despite its complicated appearance.
What is Kataifi Pastry?
Kataifi Pastry is used primarily in Middle Eastern recipes. It is a thread-like dough made from shredded filo. Ready-made versions of this dough can be found in the frozen section of many supermarkets.
Kataifi is also called Kadaifi.
How to work with Kataifi dough
To achieve perfect results cooking with kataifi dough, there are some pointers to keep in mind.
It is important to allow the kataifi dough to thaw fully. I kept the frozen pastry in the fridge overnight before using the next morning. Defrosting in the fridge rather than at room temperature prevents the pastry from becoming watery.
Unwrap the kataifi dough from its packaging only when you are ready to use. Kataifi dough dries out quickly so we also had to work quite fast. As we were making the nests, we were covering them with a towel so they do not dry out.
Step by step Method
Make the kataifi nests/swirls
Ensure the kataifi pastry has fully defrosted. Separate the strands into long strips
Using your fingers, wrap the kataifi dough gently around your fingers until you reach your desired size.
Keep the nests covered whilst you work. We had a spray bottle handy to spray a little water over the pastry to prevent it from drying.
Brush the nests with a little melted ghee or coconut oil if vegan.
Air-fried Sutarfeni
Preheat the air-fryer to 145 C. Place parchment paper in the air fryer basket prior to adding the nests.
Air fry the kataifi for 3 minutes but turn the sutarfeni after 2 minutes so that it cooks evenly at the base and prevents the top of the pastry from going golden. Remember, we want the pastry to remain white in colour as this is key to sutarfeni.
Leave on a cooling rack to cool and meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup.
Prepare the sugar syrup
For sutarfeni, we need a thick sugar syrup that has been cooled. We used a ratio of 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water and want to achieve a 1 thread consistency. For flavouring, we added a pinch of cardamom powder.
We added a small squeeze of lemon juice to prevent the syrup from crystalizing.
If you have left-over syrup, you could also use it to top Eggless Gulab Jamun Mix Cake
Assemble the sweet
Yes you can make sutarfeni ahead and they will stay good for 2 weeks at room temperature. Add the sugar syrup prior to serving.
Baked sutarfeni is a great option if you do not own an airfryer. See the recipe card for the method
Sutarfeni can be made by deep-frying the pastry. The trick is to remove the pastry before it browns. See the recipe card for more details
Other Sugar Syrup and Air Fryer Recipes
- Kala Jamun
- Mohanthal
- Kesar Khaja
- Lemon, Rose and Pistachio Semolina Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Eggless Revani
- Air fryer Punjabi Samosa Puffs
- Tandoori Paneer Tarte au Soleil
- Rose and Pistachio Puff Pastry Cream Cones
- Baklava Barfi – Mixed Nut Barfi
Find this recipe and 28 other Easy Indian Dessert Recipes that are perfect for Dinner Parties.
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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Sutarfeni
Equipment
- Wooden board
- Air fryer/Oven/Frying pan
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
Sutarfeni
- 2 cup Phyllo pastry Shredded/Kataifi pastry
- 2 tbsp Ghee or unsalted melted butter
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- ¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
Garnish
- 2 tbsp Nuts slivered
- 1 tbsp Rose edible petals
Instructions
- In a pan mix water and sugar.
- Cook the sugar syrup mixture on medium heat until you get 1 thread (tar) chashni. It can take up to 5-6 minutes.
- Add cardamom powder and lemon juice and leave it aside.
- Remove the kataifi pastry from the box, keep it covered with a damp cloth or spray some water and cover it with a clean dry kitchen napkin.
- Take small amount of at a time and make round nests or twirls about 4-5 cm diameter. Keep it covered all the time.
- Preheat the air fryer at 149C for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile brush the nests with melted ghee/unsalted butter (coconut oil if vegan) using a pastry brush.
- Place baking paper in a air fryer basket and arrange sutarfeni nests on it.
- Air fry for 2 minutes on 149C, turn them and air fryer 1 minute on the other side.
- Remove them carefully and placed it on a cooling wire rack.
- Keep a tray underneath the cooling rack to catch the extra sugar syrup.
- Spoon some sugar syrup on cooked sutarfeni ( I spooned about 2-3 tablespoon for each circle)
- Sprinkle slivered nuts, rose petals immediately so they stick. I garnished with some edible silver foil too.
Baked Sutarfeni
- Preheat the oven to 110C, gas mark 1 or 225F
- Place sutarfeni nests on a baking tray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, after 7-8 minutes keep an eye on them.
- Don’t let the colour change, however they should be cooked all over.
- Remove them from the oven, put it on a cooling wire rack.
- Pour sugar syrup, garnish it with the nuts.
Deep fried Suarfeni
- Heat oil or ghee in a frying pan.
- Place one nest in a metal strainer or sieve.
- Deep fry only for 15 seconds, do not make them brown.
- Remove and repeat the process for all them.
- Arrange them on a cooling wire rack, pour the sugar syrup and garnish them with nuts.
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.
