This is, quite possibly, one of the best things you’ll ever eat.
Stuffed Naan that can be in your mouth in 15 minutes (maybe 16-17… try not to be unnecessarily impatient and burn the bejeepers out of your mouth like I do). It’s crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, stuffed with loads of gooey, melty cheese and doused in garlic butter. It’s insane, really.
I think naan might be my favourite bread, but I’ve never met an Indian bread I didn’t like (read this article about the 7 Types of Indian Bread if you really want to geek out on it).
I’m pretty happy to just chow down on this naan bread straight out of the pan as it is, but if you want to find a main dish to pair with your naan check out these ideas:
The possibilities are endless. They make a great little vegetarian appetizer or side dish and are amazing served with just about any curry you can imagine.
Stuffed Naan with Cheese & Garlic Butter, the details.
This naan recipe is stupid easy. A quick dough made with self-rising flour (instructions to make your own included – takes about 20 seconds longer) that requires no yeast and takes 1-2 minutes to knead.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. These are sizeable naans, and if I can eat one (two) to myself, so can you, but you can make them smaller if you like. Roll the dough into a circle-oval type shape and don’t stress about it. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Far from it.
Divide up your cheese between the dough circles and fold them up. You can see what it looks like in the picture above. If there are small holes or it’s not perfectly sealed, don’t worry at all, it’s fine.
Roll them out again and cook them, one at a time, in a super hot cast iron pan.
Once they’re all cooked you’re going to turn off the heat – I remove the pan from the heat completely because cast iron gets so hot and retains that heat so well – and add in the butter. Then the garlic. Let it cook for a minute and then either brush both sides of the naans with the garlic butter or dip each piece right in the pan, turning over once to coat both sides.
I like them with a little sprinkle of flaky salt and parsley, but it’s not necessary.
Tips, tricks, substitutions
- Shaping – don’t get caught up in worrying about the shape of the dough when you roll it, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Naan usually isn’t.
- Cheese – I use grated mozzarella in these, but you can use pretty much any cheese. Fresh mozzarella works and paneer would be great.
- No yeast – this no yeast naan option is quick and easy and requires no rising time. You can use any naan dough recipe though, so if you have a favourite and some extra time on your hands, go for it.
- Other filling ideas – you’re not limited to just cheese here. Add in whatever you think is a good idea… cooked & mashed potato, cooked cauliflower, spiced ground lamb or beef, caramelized onion, peas… I could go on forever.
FAQs?
Naan is usually served alongside curries in an Indian meal, but there are so many other ways to use it. You can use naan as a base for a pizza or flatbread, as a super interesting taco shell, as a sandwich, folded and grilled like a panini or chopped up and used to top a salad.
Recipe-ish…
Let me know what you think!
Stuffed Naan in 15 Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- OR
- 2 cups all-purpose or bread flour PLUS
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup thick greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
- Oil for cooking I use avocado or coconut
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the flour, yogurt and milk.
- Mix with a spatula until it starts to come together as a dough.
- Move to a lightly floured surface and need for 1-2 minutes. Shape into a ball and set aside for a couple of minutes while you grate the cheese and mince the garlic.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each piece into a round-oval shape, lightly dusting with flour if needed.
- Divide the grated cheese equally between each piece of dough.
- Fold up the edges of the dough and seal in the centre so it forms sort of a ball again.
- Roll the ball out to about 6 inches. Repeat for all the dough pieces.
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- When it’s hot, add in a drizzle of oil (about a Tbsp) and add in the naan breads, one at a time. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown. Set each aside until finished.
- Turn the heat way down (I even remove the pan from the heat entirely because cast iron gets so hot).
- Add in the butter and then the garlic. Once it’s melted and the garlic has cooked for a minute or two, dip each naan in the pan, turning over once to coat both sides with butter.
- Alternatively, you can brush each naan with the garlic butter.
If you like this warm Stuffed Naan Recipe please go try my Recipe for Garlic Butter Chicken Wings. Because there’s no such thing as too much garlic butter in your life.
