Few things are better than dipping a warm piece of this Gluten-Free Garlic Naan bread into a rich curry sauce.
Appetizers, Recipes

Gluten-Free Garlic Naan

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Few things are better than dipping a warm piece of this Gluten-Free Garlic Naan bread into a rich sauce. The texture is unbeatable and the flavor is out of this world.

Let’s Talk About Naan

What is naan bread? Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread common in South Asian cuisines. It actually originated from Iran and Central Asia, but is now most popular and known for its tie to Indian cuisine. Naan is commonly served as a side dish with a meal and torn to be used for scooping and eating food by hand.

Traditionally, naan is made in a tandoor oven in very heat. As many, if not most, of us don’t have a tandoor oven, we will be using a large cast iron skillet for this recipe. The cast iron skillet will yield a similar result. The obvious difference in this recipe and traditional recipes is that this naan is gluten-free.

This recipe uses a combination of three flours and xanthin gum to give us a similar texture to traditional naan. The final result is an unbeatable texture with even better flavor- thanks to the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this recipe!

This soft, flavorful bread is perfect as a side dish to Butter Chicken
This soft, flavorful bread is perfect as a side dish to Butter Chicken

Time to Make This Gluten-Free Naan

Like any bread, making naan can be frustrating but just remember to go slowly, follow the directions and have patience.

First, start by combining the flours. We’ll be using a mixture of gluten-free flours here; which, will yield the best result. Combine one cup of tapioca flour, half a cup of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and half a cup of potato starch. Together, these flours form a strong bind that will yield delicious naan that doesn’t fall apart. Next, mix in one and a half teaspoons of baking powder, one teaspoon of cane sugar, one teaspoon of sea salt, and one teaspoon of xanthin gum, to the flour mixture. The xanthin gum will also help bind the dry and wet ingredients, and acts as a replacement to gluten. Then, set the dry ingredients to the side and use another bowl for the wet ingredients.

Whisk together two room temperature eggs with two tablespoons of warm water, two tablespoons of olive oil, and two tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt. Once combined, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk together until combined. Now, it’s time to get your hands dirty and knead the dough! Slowly work the dough until it’s slightly stretchy, then make eight to ten ovals that are a quarter of an inch thick. Set the dough to the side, and add three tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder to a small bowl. Whisk to combine, then brush each oval with this garlic mixture. Finally, throw on a heated cast-iron skillet. Watch the dough closely and flip after about one to three minutes minute. Once cooked, place in a bowl and drape a tea towel over the naan. Repeat with each piece of dough.

A little lemon and parsley ties this recipe together!

The Step That Ties It All Together

Once all the pieces are cooked, it’s time for the final step. This step will take the garlic naan to the next level and truly tie the whole recipe together. While the naan bread is cooling, finely mince half a cup of parsley. The fresh parsley will add a more savory component to the naan while also bringing out the earthy flavors. Once the parsley is minced, add it to a small bowl with a quarter cup of melted butter, two grated garlic cloves, and a pinch of sea salt. Grating garlic is an easy way to have super fine pieces that are almost pressed into a paste. This will bring out the aromatics without having an overpowering flavor of garlic. Whisk together then pour over the gluten-free naan bread. Toss the bowl to evenly coat all the pieces in this mixture. You can also use a silicone brush to better spread the topping more evenly across the bread.

There are few things more addicting than this naan bread!

The Perfect Side Dish

While I’ll be the first to admit that I can enjoy this garlic naan as is, it’s also a great side dish to Butter Chicken or curry. My Butter Chicken recipe comes together in less than an hour and has deep, rich flavors. Use the garlic naan to soak up the sauce, or use it as a vessel for the chicken. No matter how you enjoy it, this garlic naan recipe goes hand in hand with butter chicken.

Check out my Butter Chicken recipe to complete this Indian inspired dinner.
Check out my Butter Chicken recipe to complete this Indian inspired dinner.

Gluten-Free Garlic Naan

Recipe by Arianna LitrentaCourse: gluten-free garlic naan, garlic naan, naan, naan breadCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium
Servings

10

Pieces of naan
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

This gluten-free garlic naan is easier to make than you’d think!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of tapioca flour

  • 1/2 cup gluten-free baking flour

  • 1/2 cup potato starch

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon of cane sugar

  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt

  • 1 teaspoon of xanthin gum

  • 2 room temperature eggs

  • 2 tablespoons of warm water

  • 2 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt

  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons of garlic powder

  • 1/2 cup of minced parsley

  • 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest

  • 2 garlic cloves, grated

  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  • In a medium-sized bowl, combine the three flours, baking powder, cane sugar, salt, and xanthin gum
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, warm water, Greek yogurt, and two tablespoons of olive oil
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together to combine
  • Drizzle olive oil on your hands and use them to knead the dough until it’s stretchy
  • Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces and stretch until they resemble ovals
  • Spray the cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat
  • While the cast iron skillet is heating up, mix together two tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic powder in a small bowl
  • Brush each piece of naan with this garlic mixture then throw onto the hot cast iron skillet
  • Cook on one side for 1-3 minutes, then flip to the other side
  • Repeat with the rest of the dough, and add all the cooked pieces to a large bowl
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, chopped parsley, lemon zest, grated garlic and salt
  • Drizzle over the cooked pieces of naan, tossing to evenly distribute
  • Finally, enjoy!

Notes

  • The dough will begin to bubble when it’s first thrown on the cast iron skillet- but that’s what we want! It’s also okay if there’s some char on the pieces.

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