Garlic Butter Naan
Garlic Butter Naan hot off the stove (or I should say hot off the cast iron skillet)! Fluffy, soft, slightly chewy, a crispy outer layer, warm, coated (or drenched to your liking!) with cilantro and parsley browned butter. This is THE BEST Naan I have ever had (and I have had a lot of Naan). Dipped in Nihari, Butter Chicken, my Chicken Bihari or anything else, or nothing at all, this Garlic Butter Naan speaks for itself. AMAZING! And it is not difficult to make. If you have a cast iron skillet, and the patience and passion to follow these steps, you will master this Naan recipe in no time and will forever say goodbye to store-bought, as there is absolutely no comparison between the two.
Servings: 9
Ingredients
For Naan
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk *warmed
- 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt *can substitute with whole milk yogurt
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour *as needed for kneading and rolling
- 4 tbsp butter *salted butter and melted to brush each naan (both sides) before placing in skillet
For Browned Garlic Butter with Herbs
- 1.5 sticks butter *12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic *chopped (in processor)
- 1 cup cilantro *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
- 3/4 cup parsley *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
Instructions
For Making Naan Dough
- In a KitchenAid stand mixer, add the 3/4 tsp active yeast, 1/4 cup warm water and 1 tbsp honey. Let yeast activate for 7-10 minutes until mixture starts to bubble.
- Place dough attachment on the mixer. Now add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, warm milk and greek yogurt. Mix until all ingredients and flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Now remove the sticky dough unto a flat surface dusted with flour. Knead dough with hands and form into a ball. Place dough in large, deep bowl, cover bowl with saran wrap and let dough rise in warm place for at least one hour. *Tip-you can slightly warm/preheat your oven, turn oven off and then place the covered dough bowl into warm oven. Make sure oven is just warm, NOT hot and NOT on.
- When dough has risen, remove dough onto flat, lightly floured surface and gently knead again for 1-2 minutes. Then cut/divide kneaded dough into 9 sections. Roll each section into an approximately 7" x 7" circle with rolling pin. Brush both sides of each naan with some melted/unsalted butter.
For Browned Garlic Butter with Herbs
- In a saucepan, melt unsalted butter (1.5 sticks=12 tablespoons) on medium heat. Once butter has melted, turn heat to medium low and cook butter for additional 5-7 minutes. Now add the chopped cilantro and parsley, turn heat to low, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Browned Cilantro and Parsley Butter is now done. Set aside.
For Cooking Naan on Cast Iron Skillet
- Heat cast iron skillet on high heat. Once skillet is hot, add 2 tsp grape seed oil and with a paper towel, carefully rub oil into skillet, removing excess (Please don't burn yourself). Allow skillet to heat for an additional 1-2 minutes. With heat on high, carefully place buttered naan on hot skillet. Turn heat to somewhere in between medium high and high, depending on your stove, and cover Naan with any lid that fits the cast iron skillet. Let cook for 1 minute covered on medium high-high heat. Then uncover skillet, carefully turn Naan with spatula, turn heat down just a bit (medium high) and now cook other side for 1 minute. Carefully transfer cooked Naan to a plate lined with a clean cooking towel. Repeat for all remaining Naans.
- Allow each Naan to cool for about 3-4 minutes. Then, using a pastry brush, brush each Naan (both sides) with browned Garlic, Cilantro and Parsley Butter (as little or as much as you want!)
- Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and parsley. Hot off the skillet, absolutely, mouthwatering and deliciously perfect Garlic Butter Naan are now ready to serve. Pair superbly with my Butter Chicken, Beef NIhari, Chicken Bihari or any number of other dishes. You will for sure enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.
Notes
I must say that if you have one helper in the kitchen (or two!), the process becomes very streamlined, organized, easy and efficient! You can almost form an assembly line. Someone to mix dough, knead, roll, butter and then another person to carefully place and cook Naan (also in charge of skillet temperature and cooking Naan to perfection). And of course, the final step-lightly coat Naan (or drench to your desire!), with the browned garlic, cilantro and parsley butter using a pastry brush. And then you can all devour it together. Teamwork!