This easy homemade vegan naan bread is quick to make and perfectly moist and fluffy! Serve this fried Indian flatbread with curry or as a quick pizza base.
The perfect pairing with a steaming bowl of curry? Soft and chewy naan bread. This fried Indian bread is so delicious it’s easy to get distracted from this traditional side dish. For an easy plant-based meal, Alex and I like to recommend an Indian or South Asian vegetable curry. But most traditional naan recipes contain butter and/or Greek yogurt. Type: this Vegan naan recipe! It’s easy to make, perfectly moist, and just as good as our traditional butter and garlic naan. That’s how it’s done!
To do what The vegan grandma?
This vegan naan bread recipe is a little different than most: and in our opinion, even tastier! Here’s why:
- This is a quick naan recipe. Homemade bread takes a long time to rise Proof. The fermentation time for most naan recipes is 1-2 hours. The proof time for this recipe? Only 30 minutes! This recipe uses baking powder instead of yeast. Read on to learn more about the method!
- The taste and texture are amazing. This vegan naan is soft and chewy, perfectly salty and totally delicious. Below are some of the tricks we used to make this vegan naan stand out.
The quickest way: use baking powder, not yeast!
Most naan recipes use Yeast as leaven: this is how the bread rises! But some modern versions of naan usage baking powder In place. What’s the benefit? Baking soda shortens the time it takes for bread to rise. The leavening consists of letting the bread dough rest after adding the leavening so that it rises. The fermentation time with yeast is 1-2 hours, while the fermentation time with baking soda is only 30 minutes!
Our research has shown that modern Indian chefs are experimenting with baking soda naan: for example the naan recipe in Indian chef Vivek Singh’s book curry. The texture is a bit more biscuit than breadcrumbs, but most people wouldn’t notice a difference. For us, making naan in under an hour is totally worth it!
The secrets of vegan naan
To create this vegan naan recipe, we based it on our Garlic Naan, which also uses baking powder and no yeast. We had to deal with several non-vegan ingredients to adapt this to a vegan bread. Here’s how we did it:
- Water instead of milk: Most non-dairy milk products are very watery in texture, so using water will work.
- Coconut cream instead of Greek yogurt: Look for a packet of coconut cream (not milk) at the grocery store. See the notes below!
- coconut oil instead of butter. The richer flavor of coconut oil (compared to olive oil) lends itself best to brushing.
- A pinch more salt and some sugar: The recipe below has hints of salt and sugar, because you know what? Dairy products have a mild salt and sweetness that add flavor. If you don’t add a little to compensate, your vegan bread will taste rather bland. (trust us!)
What is coconut cream?
Important NOTE: Coconut cream is not coconut milk! It’s richer and creamier, almost the texture of coconut oil. When shopping, look for boxes labeled “Coconut Cream.” What if you can’t find coconut cream but can find coconut milk? Well, there is actually a way to separate the coconut cream. Here’s what to do:
- Buy a can of coconut milk and put it in the fridge overnight.
- Open the box and use only the coconut cream that has hardened on top.
- Note: You will find that with some brands of coconut milk, the coconut cream comes off the top as soon as you open it; others seem to fit better. If you’re using a brand that you know contains hydrogenated coconut cream that doesn’t need refrigeration, you can skip this step.
Use a cast iron skillet if you have one!
Another tip for making vegan naans: use a cast iron skillet if you have one! Why? A cast iron skillet can be heated until hot. And for the naan you need a hot griddle! This creates the classic black spots on the dough. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, don’t worry! You can use any large pan or griddle: the blackened spots will just be a little lighter and more subtle.
Point: Make sure you heat the pan you’re using until it is very hot before adding the first piece of dough. If you add the batter before it’s hot, it won’t cook properly.
Information on storing and warming up!
What is the best way to store this vegan naan? And how to warm it up quickly? Here are a few tips:
- Storage at room temperature: Place completely cooled naan in an airtight plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cooled naan will be a bit chewy, so you’ll want to reheat it (see below).
- Storage in the freezer: Wrap in aluminum foil, place in a bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat in the oven: Reheat chilled or frozen naan by wrapping in foil and baking in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.
- Warm up in the toaster: For a quick fix, reheat the chilled naan in the toaster (you may have to cut it in half to fit).
Recipes for eating with vegan naans
Here are some of our favorite plant-based and vegan recipes that go well with naan!
This vegan naan recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
The description
This easy homemade vegan naan bread is quick to make and perfectly moist and fluffy! Serve this fried Indian flatbread with curry or as a quick pizza base.
- 2 1/2 cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons Sugar
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup the water
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream*
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil (or extra olive oil)
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
- In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and kosher salt. Melt the coconut cream in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Add the olive oil, water and coconut cream to the flour mixture and stir until the dough comes together. If it’s dry, add a little more water; If it’s very sticky, add a pinch of flour. Knead until all of the flour is incorporated and a ball of dough forms, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, flatten it into a disc. Then cut into 6 equal pieces. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough into a thin teardrop shape, about ⅛ inch thick.
- In the meantime grate the garlic. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook until garlic flavor is just turning yellow (but not brown), 1 to 2 minutes, then immediately remove from heat.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet**, griddle or large skillet over very high heat until piping hot (make sure it’s as hot as possible or the first piece will not cook properly). Add one of the batter pieces and cook until the top is bubbling and the bottom is golden brown and very dark brown in spots (about 1 minute), then flip and cook apart an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Brush the naan on both sides with some garlic oil. Wrap it with a clean towel. Repeat with the remaining 5 naans and then add them to the towel (this will cushion them and keep them warm and soft).
- Serve immediately with chopped cilantro. To store, completely cooled naan, place in an airtight plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap in foil, place in a plastic bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat chilled or frozen naan by wrapping in foil and baking in a 350F oven for 15 minutes. For a quick fix, you can reheat the naan in the toaster (you may have to cut it in half to fit).
Remarks
*Coconut cream is not coconut milk! It’s richer and creamier, almost the texture of coconut oil. Look for cans that say “Coconut Cream.” If you can’t find coconut cream, you can also buy a can of coconut milk and refrigerate overnight; Then open it up and use only the coconut cream that has set on top. (Some brands of coconut milk are already separated, so refrigeration may or may not be necessary.)
**A cast iron skillet is the best option as it gives the characteristic black spots. A pan will also work, but won’t blacken as much.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Indian
Keywords: Vegan Naan, Vegan Naan Recipe, Vegan Naan Bread
