This Vegan Garlic Naan is delicious and easy to make. A perfect vessel to eat curries or to eat on its own. The Garlic butter brushed on top is just the cherry on top.
Naan is such a soft bread that can be used as a flatbread or folded to use as a wrap. It is versatile in flavors and uses. It is most prevalent in South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan. It can be crispy or soft depending on how you cook it and slightly puffed in the middle. After trying this recipe, you will see why it is so popular.
And it is so easy to make. Just 7 Ingredients and none of them are hard to find. It is similar to tortillas in that it is quick to make and it is cooked in a pan. Try it out below!
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Ingredients
- All-purpose flour.
- Sugar. For any yeasted product like this one, you need a little sugar to feed the yeast. Don’t worry, it won’t make it taste like a dessert.
- Instant yeast. Instant yeast is easier to use than Active Dry Yeast. The main difference between the two is that you can add Instant yeast straight to the dry ingredients, but in Active Dry you mix the yeast with warm water and let rest until foamy, then you add it to the dry ingredients.
- Yogurt. Any unsweetened, unflavored yogurt will work fine. If making vegan, then make sure to use vegan yogurt.
- Vegan Butter. Ghee is used in traditional Naan. Ghee is basically a clarified butter Butter with the milk solids taken out) and is very similar to margarine. You can also find Vegan ghee, or use melted vegan butter, or use coconut oil.
- Garlic. You can flavor the naan anyway you want or go with no flavor if you prefer. I decided to go with minced garlic and parsley on top.
How to shape Vegan Garlic Naan
After you make the dough, let it rest in a warm place for 45 minutes. It should double in size. The best way to proof a dough is to let it rest in the oven with just the oven light on.
The dough will be very sticky, so be sure to flour the work surface before you put the dough on it. Then divide it into 4-6 pieces, depending on how big you want your naans. Cover with a clean lint-free towel to rest as the oven preheats to the highest temperature. If you have a baking stone or baking steel, let it preheat now. This will give it its classic charred spots, but if you don’t have that you still will have a delicious naan.
After resting for a few minutes, you can roll and shape your dough. To make the classic triangle shape, roll into an oval, then using your fingers, pinch the bottom two sides horizontally in opposite directions to make two points on the bottom. Be careful not to tear the dough.
Brush top with melted butter or coconut oil and bake for 3-5 minutes until golden spots appear on the surface, The larger ones will take longer to cook. Just keep an eye on it.
You can bake 2-3 at a time. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Afterward, you can brush with garlic butter or oil and eat on its own or as you want.
Want More?
Try Out Similar recipes below:
Easy Vegan Garlic Naan
Equipment
- baking pan or pizza stone
Materials
- 420 g (3 cups) of all-purpose flour
- 16 g (1 tbsp) sugar
- 7 g or 1 envelope of instant yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 225 g (225) plain unsweetened vegan yogurt
- 120 g (120 g) warm water 110°F
- melted vegan butter or coconut oil for brushing on top of naan bread
Garlic cilantro topping
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- minced parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- In a second smaller bowl, add the yogurt, coconut oil, and warm water.
- Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with your hands until a sticky dough forms. It should be sticky, but not runny. If runny, add a few pinches of flour until it becomes more like dough.
- Using wet hands or a bench scraper, form into a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until double in size.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the proved dough out onto it. Divide into 4-6 pieces. Use as much flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cover with a lint-free towel as oven preheats
- Preheat oven to as high it will go. Mine goes to 550°F, but you can also do it at 500°F. If you have a baking steel or pizza stone, put it in now.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into an oval shape. To make the classic triangle shape, pinch the bottom sides an gently pull.
- Brush top with melted coconut oil or vegan butter and place on baking steel or pizza stone. If you don't have one, put on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake 2-3 at a time
- Bake for 3-5 minutes until golden spots appear on the surface. Larger ones will take longer to cook, so just keep an eye on it.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
Garlic cilantro topping
- Heat the vegan butter in a pan. Once bubbles appear, turn heat to low and add the minced garlic and cook gently until fragrant, but not brown.
- Take off heat, add cilantro or parsley, and salt. Mix and brush on the top of the naan bread straight out of the oven.
I hope you try this recipe. If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below.
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