Naan Bread (The Best Recipe!) - Naan - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

Is naan healthy or unhealthy? ›

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.

Plain Naan Bread

The Big Plain Naan is a flatbread made from wheat flour and is thick on the outside with a fluffy inner texture and when it comes to different types of naan breads, plain naan is one of the most popular.

The bread flour gives the naan “chew”; the yogurt imparts a slight tang; and the use of a cast iron pan gives the bread its distinctive char and smokiness. (Cast iron pans get very hot, plus they retain heat much better than stainless steel or nonstick skillets, making them the ideal stand-in for the tandoor.)

Naan doesn't get bubbles – Pan not hot enough, dough not moist enough or improper leavening. Naan turns hard – Toasting for too long, not enough moisture in the dough, toasting on low heat or not kneading the dough enough.

However, the fat content of naan (from butter in the recipe) comes largely from saturated fats, which should account for less than 10% of your total daily caloric intake according to the USDA. Both naan and bread can find their place in a healthy diet in moderation.

Naan is usually made from Maida ( whitest form of flour) which is not quite good for health. On the daily basis, if consumed, it can give rise to many stomach disorders like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It can kill your appetite giving rise to many undesirable health issues.

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.

Traditionally with Indian food, naan (or other various Indian breads) is served as an accompaniment to curry, chutney, saag paneers, etc. to scoop the contents of your meal up. In Italy, bread is served with your meal, and used to scoop the remaining pasta sauce from the bowl ('fare la scarpetta').

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.

In Indonesia, naan is popular in Indian Indonesian and Arab Indonesian communities as well as in Malay, Acehnese and Minangkabau communities–with other variants of roti like roti canai. This dish is usually locally known as roti naan or roti nan and cooked using Indonesian spices, such as garlic with a local taste.

What to eat with naan bread? ›

One of the most popular Indian delicacies that we know of; curries are creamy with the right amount of spicy, curries pair perfectly with warm, fluffy naan. Naan bread also serves as the perfect companion to soups and stews, absorbing their rich flavors and adding a delightful textural contrast.

Made with a refined white flour like Maida rather than wheat flour, kulcha naan bread is not as fluffy or as soft as traditional Indian naan bread and is known for its flaky texture instead.

The extra protein from the yogurt eliminates the importance of advanced gluten development. The yogurt also adds some fat. The fat keeps the dough nice and soft and prevents the naan from hardening too much during the cooking process.

Cook naan: Place a naan dough in the skillet and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the underside is deep golden / slightly charred – the surface should get bubbly. Flip then cook the other side for 1 minute until the bubbles become deep golden brown.

Perhaps wetting the naan first or introducing some steam during the reheating process in the oven could have made a difference. Placing a tray of water beneath the naan while it's baking might infuse the necessary moisture to retain its softness, all while achieving that desired crisp exterior.

naan is calorically dense due to the refined flour. 100 grams of naan contains 310 calories, compared to 100 grams of steamed brown rice, which contains 125 calories. naan contains no fiber compared to the rice, which leads to an imbalance of gut bacteria, constipation, and a potentially increased risk of bowel cancer.

NAAN is mainly dough which is high in carbs, so yes, theoretically you can store fat in your gut if you're consuming high quantities of NAAN frequently.

From health perspective, flat breads made of whole wheat flour (roti/paratha/chapati/phulka) are better than the ones made with all-purpose flour (naan & kulcha). If you're new to this kind of food, I insist you to try all varieties of Indian breads.