Keema Naan

5 from 14 votes

Keema Naan is a soft homemade naan bread filled with spiced ground lamb and cooked in a hot skillet, on a tawa, or in the oven. Serve it warm with curries, dips, soups, or salad.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Rising time1 5

Total Time1 50

Course: Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Indian

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: Naan breads

Calories: 390kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

For the Dough

⅔ cup lukewarm water (150 ml)
1 teaspoon fast action dried yeast
2 cups plain white flour / all purpose flour (250 grams)
¼ cup plain yogurt (50 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoon ghee or melted butter (2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon separately)

For the Meat Filling

5 ⅓ oz ground lamb (150 grams)
1 small onion (finely diced)
1 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste
1 chopped green chili (use half if you don't like spicy)
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garam masala
½ tablespoon tomato paste
⅓ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon chopped coriander (+ extra for garnish)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

Pour the lukewarm water into a large bowl.
Whisk in the yeast and half of the flour. Mix well, cover the bowl, and leave it in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Stir in the yogurt, then add the remaining flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix with your hands until you have a soft and sticky dough.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of ghee or melted butter over the dough and rub it over the surface.Roughly squeeze the dough a few times, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean damp kitchen towel. Leave it to rise for another 15 minutes.

Prepare the Filling

While the dough is resting, place the ground lamb, onion, garlic ginger paste, green chili, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, garam masala, tomato paste, salt, and chopped cilantro in a bowl.
Mix well until combined. Cover and keep in the refrigerator while you finish the dough.

Finish the Dough

Pour the remaining 1 teaspoon of ghee or melted butter over the dough and rub it lightly over the surface.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead for 30 seconds.
Return it to the bowl, cover, and leave it for another 15 minutes in a warm place. By this time, the dough should feel smoother.
Lightly knead the dough on the oiled surface for 1 minute.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, roll them into balls, lightly dust with flour, and leave them covered for 5 minutes before shaping.

Shape the Naan

Take one dough ball and roll it out to the size of a small plate. Keep the remaining dough balls covered while you work.
Place about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the meat filling in the center.
Pull the edges up around the filling, seal well, and shape it back into a ball.
Lightly flour the filled dough ball and gently roll or press it into a teardrop or oval shape, about ⅛ inch / 3 mm thick.

Skillet or Tawa Method

Heat a large heavy-based non-stick pan, cast-iron skillet, or tawa over medium-high heat.
When the pan is very hot, place the naan in the skillet. Cook until golden underneath, then flip with tongs and cook the other side.
Transfer to a plate and brush with ghee or melted butter. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if you like.
Keep the cooked naan wrapped in a clean kitchen towel while you roll and cook the remaining naan breads. Serve warm.

Oven Method

Preheat the oven to 475°F / 245°C.
Place a large baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven while it heats.
Shape the naan as explained above. Carefully place the naan on the hot baking sheet or pizza stone.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the naan starts to puff and the top has golden patches.
Flip and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through and lightly golden on both sides.
Brush with ghee or melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Video

Notes

Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky for softer naan bread.
The amount of flour can vary slightly depending on the flour, yogurt, and temperature in your kitchen.
Make sure the skillet, tawa, baking sheet, or pizza stone is very hot before adding the naan.
Roll the filled dough gently so the keema does not tear through the dough.
Don’t overfill the naan, as this makes it harder to seal and cook evenly.
The raw lamb filling cooks inside the naan while it cooks. Keep the filling layer thin and roll the naan to about ⅛ inch / 3 mm.
Use ground lamb with some fat for a juicier filling.
You can use ground beef, ground chicken, or mutton instead of lamb.
If you want to make the dough earlier in the day, reduce the yeast to ¼ teaspoon and keep the covered dough in the refrigerator until needed.
Keema naan freezes well for up to 3 months.
Reheat leftovers in a skillet, tawa, or oven until warm.

Nutrition