"Garlic naan recipe" is one of the most consistently searched food terms in the UK, every single week of the year. Every time someone makes a curry at home — whether it's Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Dal Makhani, or Chana Masala — they search for naan to go with it. This makes Garlic Naan the ultimate "connector" recipe: it doesn't need to stand alone, it needs to link to everything. And the reason most people search for it rather than just buying it is because homemade naan, fresh off the pan, is genuinely in a different league to anything from a packet.
The barrier has always been the myth that you need a tandoor. You don't. A regular non-stick frying pan or cast-iron skillet on your kitchen hob produces naan that's 90% as good as a tandoor — soft, puffy, lightly charred, with those beautiful blistered spots. The other myth is that naan requires yeast and an hour of proving. This recipe uses yogurt and baking powder instead — the yogurt adds tang and tenderness, the baking powder provides the lift, and the dough is ready to roll in 5 minutes flat. At Pick N Save, we stock everything from the yogurt and ghee to the fresh garlic and coriander. We also carry seven different ready-made frozen naan brands — Shana, Leicester, Rayan, Sounas, and more — for nights when you want naan but don't want to make dough. Both options are valid, and we've been supplying our Harrow customers with both since 1999.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 300g of plain flour (or self-raising flour for an even softer naan), 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Make a well in the centre and add 150g of thick natural yogurt (Desi Natural Yogurt 1kg — the tang is essential for naan's flavour), 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil or melted ghee (KTC Butter Ghee 500g), and 2–3 tablespoons of warm milk — just enough to bring the dough together.
Mix with a spoon until the dough starts to form, then use your hands to knead it in the bowl for 2 minutes until you have a soft, smooth, slightly sticky ball. The dough should be softer than chapati dough — closer to the texture of a soft pizza dough. If it's too dry, add another tablespoon of yogurt. If too sticky, dust with a pinch of flour. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 5 minutes — or up to 30 minutes if you have time (longer resting gives a softer naan, but 5 minutes works perfectly well).
While the dough rests, prepare the garlic butter — this is what transforms plain naan into garlic naan. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of melted butter (Anchor Butter Salted 500g) with 3–4 cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated (Fresh Garlic Medium or Garlic Prepack 200gm), and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh coriander (Fresh Coriander Bunch). Add a tiny pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Set aside. The garlic stays raw in the butter — it cooks when it hits the hot naan and gives that sharp, fragrant garlic punch that defines restaurant naan.
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions (about the size of a large golf ball each). On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a teardrop or oval shape — roughly 15–18cm long and about 5mm thick. Naan is traditionally teardrop-shaped, not perfectly round — don't worry about precision. Imperfect shapes look more authentic. If the dough springs back when you roll it, let it rest for another minute before trying again — the gluten needs to relax.
Optional technique for extra puff: Instead of rolling, stretch the dough gently between your palms, letting gravity pull it into a long teardrop shape. This keeps more air pockets intact, which means bigger, more dramatic bubbles when cooking.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan, cast-iron skillet, or flat tawa over high heat. The pan must be properly hot — sprinkle a few drops of water on it; if they evaporate instantly with a sizzle, you're ready. Do NOT add oil or butter to the pan — the naan cooks dry.
Place one naan flat in the hot dry pan. Within 30 seconds, you'll see small bubbles forming on the surface. After 1–1.5 minutes, the underside should be golden-brown with dark blistered spots. Flip the naan and cook for another 60–90 seconds until the second side is also golden and blistered. For extra char and puff, use tongs to hold the naan directly over a gas flame for 5–10 seconds per side — the naan will puff up dramatically and develop a gorgeous charred pattern. If you have an electric hob, press the naan gently with a folded kitchen towel while it's in the pan — this encourages puffing.
The moment the naan comes off the heat — while it's still blazing hot — brush the top generously with the garlic butter mixture. The butter melts instantly into the hot bread, the raw garlic sizzles and cooks on contact, and the coriander releases its fragrance. The kitchen will smell exactly like an Indian restaurant. Stack the finished naan on a plate and cover with a clean tea towel to keep them soft and warm while you cook the remaining pieces. Serve immediately alongside any curry — or eat the first one straight away while it's too hot, burning your fingers, because nobody has ever waited for a fresh naan to cool down.
Garlic Naan goes with every curry in our recipe collection. Here are the best pairings from our kitchen:
Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:
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