Peshwari Naan

5 from 1 vote

My easy Peshwari Naan is soft, fluffy, slightly chewy, and perfect for serving with spicy curries, grilled meats, rice dishes, or a homemade Indian-style dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

resting time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Indian

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 498kcal

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 melted ghee or butter (2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon separately)

For the Filling

¼ cup melted butter
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon double cream or heavy cream
2 tablespoon sultanas (or raisins)
2 tablespoon flaked almonds
2 tablespoon desiccated coconut
coriander/cilantro for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing the Naan Dough

Pour the lukewarm water, yeast, and half of the flour into a large bowl. Mix everything together, cover the bowl, and leave it to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. This gives the yeast time to start working and helps create a softer dough.
Add the yogurt to the bowl, then add the remaining flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix with your hands until a soft and sticky dough forms. The dough should not be dry or stiff, so don’t add too much extra flour. A slightly sticky dough gives you softer naan once cooked.
Add 2 teaspoons of melted ghee or butter and rub it over the dough. Gently squeeze the dough a few times, then cover the bowl with cling film or a clean damp kitchen cloth. Leave it to rise for another 15 minutes.
Add the remaining teaspoon of ghee or melted butter to the dough and spread it over the surface. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it for about 30 seconds.
Return it to the bowl, cover it again, and leave it to rise for another 15 minutes. The dough should look smoother and feel easier to handle.

Preparing the Peshwari Naan Filling

Mix the melted butter, honey, cream, sultanas, flaked almonds, and desiccated coconut in a bowl. The mixture should hold together lightly, but doesn’t need to be completely smooth. This simple filling gives the naan its sweet, nutty flavour.
If the sultanas are very dry, you can soak them in a little warm water for a few minutes, then drain them well before mixing. This makes the filling softer and stops it from feeling too dry inside the naan.
Set the filling aside while you divide and shape the dough.

Shaping the Naan

After the dough has rested, lightly oil your work surface and gently knead the dough for a minute. Divide it into four equal pieces, around 4 oz or 112 grams each. Roll each piece into a ball and lightly dust with flour.
Cover the dough balls and let them rest for 5 minutes before shaping. This short rest makes the dough easier to roll and helps stop it from shrinking back.
Divide the filling into four equal portions. Roll out one dough ball to the size of a small plate. Keep the remaining dough balls covered while you work.
Place one portion of the filling in the centre of the rolled-out dough. Pull the edges up and over the filling, then seal them well to make a ball again.
Dust the ball lightly with flour, then roll or press it into a teardrop or oval shape, about ⅛ inch or 3 mm thick. Try not to roll it too thin, as the filling can break through.

Cooking the Peshwari Naan

Heat a large heavy-based non-stick pan, skillet, or tawa over medium-high heat. The pan needs to be very hot before you add the naan. This helps the bread puff slightly and gives it golden brown spots.
Place one naan in the hot pan and cook until the bottom is golden brown. Flip it with tongs and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. The naan should have a few darker spots and feel soft, not doughy.
Transfer the cooked naan to a plate and brush the top with ghee or butter. Garnish with extra flaked almonds and chopped coriander or cilantro if you like.
Cover with a clean cloth while you cook the remaining naan.

Video

Notes

All-purpose flour (plain white flour) is the ideal choice for making naan bread. Using alternative flours, like whole wheat flour, can result in naan breads that are less soft and more dense.
Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky. A dry dough will make the naan less fluffy.
Don’t roll the naan too thin after filling it, or the filling may break through. Seal the dough well around the filling before rolling.
Keep the dough balls covered while shaping each naan so they don’t dry out.
Make sure the pan is very hot before cooking the naan.
Adjust the heat if needed. If the naan browns too fast, lower the heat slightly. If it stays pale, increase the heat.
Brush the naan with ghee or butter as soon as it comes out of the pan. Serve warm for the best texture.
If you want to make the dough earlier in the day, reduce the yeast to ¼ teaspoon and keep the covered dough in the fridge until needed.

Nutrition