Authentic Homemade Naan Recipe
Learn how to make soft, fluffy homemade naan using simple ingredients. This recipe has been developed through years of cooking and teaching and is perfect for curries, wraps or pizzas.
- Prep
- 20 min
- First Rise
- ~2 hours
- Second Rise
- 30–45 min
- Cook
- 2–3 min per naan
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Diet
- Vegetarian
From My Kitchen
There's something special about pulling warm naan straight from the pan.
People often think naan is difficult to make at home, but once you understand the dough and give it enough time to rise, it's surprisingly straightforward.
This recipe is the one we use at Mumbai Mix. It's simple, reliable and perfect whether you're serving it with curry, turning it into a quick pizza or filling it for lunch. Every recipe we publish is designed to teach, not simply tell you what to do.
Step-by-step
Eight simple steps
Mix the dry ingredients
Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast.
Form the dough
Add the yoghurt, vegetable oil and five tablespoons of the lukewarm milk. Mix together until a dough starts to form, adding the remaining milk only if needed. The dough should feel soft but not sticky.
Knead until smooth
Knead the dough for around 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic and springs back gently when pressed with your finger.
First rise
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm until doubled in size — this usually takes around two hours.
Second rise
Knock the air out of the dough gently, then leave it to rise again for around 30–45 minutes. This second rise creates a lighter, softer naan.
Divide and shape
Lightly grease your hands and divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each piece into a smooth ball, covering the dough balls while you finish shaping them so they don't dry out.
Roll into ovals
Lightly flour your work surface and roll each dough ball into an oval approximately 8–9 inches long. Don't worry if every naan isn't identical — handmade naan should look handmade.
Cook and serve
Heat a heavy frying pan until very hot. Place one naan into the dry pan; once bubbles begin appearing, flip and continue cooking until both sides develop golden brown spots. Brush lightly with butter or ghee if desired, and serve immediately.
Authentic Homemade Naan Recipe
Soft, fluffy homemade naan using simple ingredients.
- Serves
- 6
- Preparation
- 20 min
- First Rise
- ~2 hours
- Second Rise
- 30–45 min
- Cooking
- 2–3 min per naan
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient as you go
For the dough
Equipment
What you'll need
- Large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- Tea towel
- Heavy frying pan or cast iron pan
- Pastry brush
💛 Mumbai Mix Tips
- Don't add all the milk at once. Different flours absorb different amounts of liquid — always add the final few tablespoons gradually.
- The dough should feel soft, not wet. A sticky dough is much harder to roll.
- The second rise is worth the wait. Many people skip it, but it gives a much lighter naan.
- A properly heated pan makes all the difference. If the pan isn't hot enough, the naan will dry out before it colours.
Common Mistakes
Why didn't my naan rise?
Usually the yeast was old or the dough wasn't kept somewhere warm enough.
Why is my naan dry?
The dough was probably too dry to begin with or it was cooked too slowly.
Why doesn't my naan bubble?
Your pan probably wasn't hot enough.
Continue Learning
This recipe is the foundation for:
- Naan Pizza (Coming Soon)
- Naan Wraps (Coming Soon)
- Garlic Naan (Coming Soon)
- Cheese Naan (Coming Soon)
- Mini Naan Pizzas (Coming Soon)
From the Mumbai Mix Kitchen
One thing we always remind our students is that naan doesn't need to look perfect.
Some will be round. Some will be oval. Some will bubble more than others. That's exactly how homemade naan should be.
Don't aim for identical. Aim for soft, fluffy and full of flavour.
Happy cooking,
— Deshna