Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

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Learn to make garlic naan bread that contains whole wheat flour and no butter. Even though it is super soft and delicious to eat. It is a must-try recipe.

Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (1)

Recipe Background / Inspiration

Making whole wheat garlic naan bread is not difficult. If you’ve ever made pita bread or pizza dough at home, you will find this recipe quite familiar. I had never made any kind of naan at home until last year. I only enjoyed them in restaurants in India.

I belong to the western part of India, where naan bread is not eaten commonly. Naan is the staple bread diet of the northern part of the country. I never saw my mother cooking it either. So, I had no clue about how to prepare them at home, and I also believed in the fact that certain dishes are best eaten in restaurants. It was when I started to explore and learn to cook different types of dishes at home, that garlic naans were the one on my priority list.

I got some basic ideas for making naan bread from Tushar’s aunty, who is a great cook. But, I made some changes to the ingredients to give it a healthy twist.

Generally, naan is made from all-purpose flour with lots of butter. All-purpose flour and butter make it soft and delicious. In this commonly used recipe, I partially (about 70%) replaced all-purpose flour with 100% whole wheat flour. I didn’t use butter at all. Even with these replacements, garlic naan bread turned out super soft and delicious.

However, I am still not satisfied with my partial replacement of whole wheat flour. I will try to make them using whole wheat flour without using any refined flour. If I am successful, I will share the recipe with you all. Till then, try this recipe and enjoy a low fat, partial whole wheat version of garlic naan bread.

Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (2)

How is this whole wheat naan bread recipe healthy?

This naan bread is healthy because it contains:

  • 100 % whole wheat flour
  • olive oil instead of butter, so it is low in saturated fat
  • non-fat plain greek yogurt instead of whole-milk yogurt
Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (3)

More Whole Wheat Bread Recipes To Try

  • Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread
  • Homemade Whole Wheat Pita Bread
  • Zucchini Flatbread
  • Garlic Herb Pumpkin Flatbread
  • All Whole Wheat Recipes

📖 Recipe

Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (4)

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5 from 7 votes

Garlic naan bread recipe

Homemade garlic naan bread for guilty free eating. Made with whole wheat flour and no butter at all.

Course: Bread,Main Course

Cuisine: Indian Inspired

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings :8

Calories :190kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
  • ¼ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt (at room temperature, optional if vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • salt to taste
  • 1 ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ¼ cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoon chopped coriander

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, sugar, salt and yeast

  • Add yogurt and ½ tablespoon minced garlic. Add warm water and mix until well combined using a wooden spatula

  • Knead the dough in the bowl itself for about 5-6 min. until it becomes soft. Use the remaining ¼ cup water during kneading to wet the hand and avoid sticking the dough to the hand. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm area and let the dough rise for about 1 hr

  • To make the toppings, mix 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and chopped coriander in a small bowl; mix well

  • Once the dough has risen to double its size, transfer it to a flat surface. Add some dry flour to avoid sticking the dough on to the surface. Spread the dough using hands and give it a rectangular shape (almost). Cut the dough into roughly 8 equal parts (see image above) and then give each of them a round shape. Roll the naan to roughly ¼ in. in thickness

  • Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Put the rolled naan onto the preheated pan. Cook naan on one side for about 2 min on medium heat and then flip it over. Let it cook on this side for another 2 min. Meanwhile spread some water using a brush on the cooked surface to provide some moisture. Then, spread some toppings using a spoon. Once the other side is cooked, flip it over and just cook for 10 sec to remove the raw garlic flavor from the toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal

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Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (5)

About Watch What U Eat

We are Swati and Tushar, our passion for food and cooking has now led us to share some healthy, tasty recipes and the benefits of eating certain ingredients with the goal of inspiring you to eat well and live well.

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Comments

  1. Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (6)Judy L. Capp says

    Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (7)
    Hello Swati and Tushar: Thank you for your email and your recipes. These recipes look fantastic and very easy. I am looking forward to making them soon.

    Reply

  2. Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (8)brooklyn grill says

    Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (9)
    What a tasty dish!!!. Thanks for sharing. I think your dish is very delicious. I will make this recipe for my family and my friend. I hope you have more recipe like this.

    Reply

  3. Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (10)Kitty says

    Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (11)
    These naan were fantastic!! So yummy and easy. I halved the recipe as I was only cooking for 2 and it worked well. I didn’t have rapid rise yeast, so I used dry active and just added more allowing it to bubble with the warm water and sugar for 5 minutes before mixing. Worked like a charm! Thanks for this great recipe!!

    Reply

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Garlic Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is garlic naan bread made of? ›

Garlic Naan bread is Indian leavened flatbread made with all-purpose flour and spiced with garlic. At restaurants, plain naan bread is usually brushed with garlic butter and served. However, in my recipe, garlic is infused into the bread dough instead and I also top the naan bread with garlic butter.

Is naan bread healthier than white bread? ›

While it may contain more carbs and sugars, it earns its reputation as a healthy alternative with its relatively generous amounts of protein and fiber. Despite its high carb content, naan can be considered a more nutrient-dense alternative to white bread and pita.

Why does naan need yogurt? ›

Salt could be optional if you are having naan with a curry. (Cause curry usually has salt and the bread might not need it). Variations like milk or yogurt is used instead of water to make dough soft and fluffy. This would change the texture and flavor of the bread.

What is the difference between naan and pita bread? ›

Naan bread is soft, fluffy, and chewy, whereas pita bread is denser with a slightly crispy texture on the outside. Naan bread also has a buttery flavor due to the ghee and buttermilk in the dough, which adds an extra dimension of flavor compared to pita bread's more neutral taste.

Is naan healthy or unhealthy? ›

Naan bread can be part of a healthy diet, especially if you choose whole grain varieties. Naan bread contains vitamins and minerals like niacin, fiber, and iron, as well as fiber. It also is a good source of carbohydrates, which provide energy.

What is the difference between Afghan naan and Indian naan? ›

Afghan naan is different in shape, texture, and taste from Indian varieties. While the main ingredient – wheat flour – is the same, Afghan bakers hand-shape the dough, rather than rolling it out, and their use of a tandoor results in large, pillowy rounds.

Can I eat naan during weight loss? ›

Naan breads --made of refined flour--are to be avoided as they can promote weight gain. While filling up your plate, try to focus more on the veggies, preferably green vegetables instead of starchy veggies. Vegetables that are cooked in a cooker, instead of being deep-fried, are always a better option for weight loss.

Is it OK to eat naan everyday? ›

Despite its high calorie content, naan bread can be a good source of carbohydrates, which are essential for providing energy to the body. However, it is important to consume naan bread in moderation, as excessive consumption can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

Why do you sprinkle water on naan bread? ›

you put it on naans to keep them soft.

What does naan mean in English? ›

: a round flat leavened bread especially of the Indian subcontinent.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt for naan? ›

The full-fat dairy in this naan recipe gives it a soft texture and rich taste. You can use a 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt, your bread may just not be as pillowy soft.

Can you eat naan with hummus? ›

Both naan and hummus are popular, tasty, and nutritious food options that can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. Eating naan with hummus can be a convenient and satisfying meal or snack option.

Is flatbread the same as naan? ›

Naan is an Indian flatbread commonly used for dipping into saucy Indian dishes and for picking up chunks of food. Naan is a leavened flatbread with a soft and chewy texture.

What flour is naan bread made from? ›

Ingredients in Naan Bread

Flour: All-purpose white flour, bread flour , whole wheat flour , einkorn, or spelt flour – or a blend. Instant yeast: Using Instant yeast cuts the prep time in half while eliminating one whole step. (See recipe notes for regular active yeast.)

Does garlic naan contain milk? ›

Unfortunately, most naan you'll get at Indian restaurants is not vegan, as the dough often contains yogurt (or milk) and it's brushed with melted butter. While there are a handful of store-bought vegan naan options, they are pretty lackluster and taste more like store-bought pita bread.

What is special about naan bread? ›

Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread native to India. It resembles pita bread but unlike pita, it has yogurt, milk, sometimes eggs or butter which makes it softer than the pita bread. Our bakers shape it into a ball and slap it on the walls of our tandoor (clay oven).

Why is naan bread so high in calories? ›

Naan has very similar ingredients to many other types of bread. Flour, yeast, salt, egg, sugar, and sometimes yogurt. (Yes, I know that there are many regional variations.) So they have similar calories, about 300 per naan.

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