Gluten-free Naan Or How To Prepare Indian Flat Bread?

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 21:10

When you think of Indian cuisine, you instantly think of curry, right? Which is not wrong, but certainly incomplete! What about cheese naan, chicken tikka masala, lentils and any meal based on rice or fish? Renowned for being rich in spices, Indian cuisine is arguably one of the most fragrant and subtle in the world. Varied and particular, it invites you to travel! Let yourself be taken on by our chefs who will show you how to prepare a gluten-free naan as well as how to pair it with your next dinner aperitif. Always wanted to know how to make homemade gluten-free naan bread, but this seemed too complicated? So think again, it's actually super easy!

The king of all meals, flat bread is an integral part of the daily life of Indians. Indeed, it is more than a food, it is an indispensable utensil in a country where people eat with their fingers. It is therefore not surprising that there is a wide variety of Indian breads: naan, roast, chappati, parota, puri, dosai, etc. Originally, Indian pita bread was flat and unleavened. It is classified under the general name of "roast". But the Muslim influence has brought a whole multitude of leavened breads over the centuries, such as naan for example.

However, the different names of Indian bread vary in shape and method of cooking, giving them a different texture and taste each time. Chapatis, for example, are cooked on a dry circular pan, while parathas are prepared on a pan with ghee. The pooris, on the other hand, are fried. Often locals sprinkle their buns with chopped onions and herb seeds before moving on to the baking stage.

When it comes to traditional naan bread, it is certainly the most famous bread in the world. Loved by young and old alike, it represents a leavened dough whose sourdough is prepared from fermented milk, which you can very easily replace with a little vegetable yogurt. The dough is stretched by throwing the dough quickly from one hand to the other until obtaining a thin oval pancake with slightly thick edges. Traditionally, the Indians bake this flat bread against the wall of a tandoor oven (traditional Indian oven), brushing it with oil or ghee. Before cooking, it can be sprinkled with poppy seeds or sesame. You can also incorporate chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, cheese spread or vegetable and chicken curry sauce.

Gluten-free and vegan naan bread

In the opinion of our chefs, Indian gluten-free flatbread is among the easiest breads to make at home! What's more, it tastes so good when fresh, you might never want to buy it at the grocery store again. Without any preservatives, there is no reason not to get your hands dirty. And no, you don't need a tandoor! With our recipe, you will see that gluten-free recipes and Indian cuisine allow you to feast easily and in no time.

Ingredients:

• 190 g rice flour
• 100 g of chickpea or quinoa flour
• 100 g of cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. dehydrated yeast
• 1-2 tsp. of honey
• 250 g lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp. teaspoon salt
• 60 g plant-based soy yogurt

Preparation:

Start by pouring the dehydrated yeast, honey and lukewarm water into a bowl. In a salad bowl, put the rice flour, the chickpea flour and the cornstarch. Add the salt, vegetable soy yogurt and the yeast mixture. Pour in the rest of the lukewarm water and knead well until a smooth dough is obtained. Form a ball and lightly flour it. Place it in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rest in a preheated oven at 50 ° C for a few minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and flatten them by hand on a work surface, previously floured, to obtain 6 discs of dough. Finally, heat a crêpe maker, without using fat, and pan-fry each of the naans for a few minutes on each side or until they are golden enough. Enjoy your flat bread rolls while they're still hot! You can serve them with a tzatziki sauce or even with a bowl of Bulgarian tarator!

Mozzarella and Basil Naan

Ingredients:

• 190 g rice flour
• 100 g of chickpea or quinoa flour
• 100 g of cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. dehydrated yeast
• 1-2 tsp. of honey
• 250 g lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp. teaspoon salt
• 60 g of plain yogurt
• 150 g of grated mozzarella
• basil leaves
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Pour the dehydrated yeast, honey and lukewarm water into a bowl. In a salad bowl, put the rice flour, the chickpea flour and the cornstarch. Add the salt, vegetable soy yogurt and the yeast mixture. Pour in the rest of the lukewarm water and knead well until a smooth dough is obtained. Form a ball and lightly flour it. Place it in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rest in a preheated oven at 50 ° C for a few minutes. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and flatten them by hand on a floured work surface. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin and sprinkle each pancake with mozzarella and chopped basil. Add salt and pepper. Fold the edges towards the center and form new balls which you flatten again with the roller. Finally,Heat your crêpe maker and pan-fry each of the naan for 4-5 minutes per side or until just golden brown. Enjoy!

Tip:

To give your naans a little more freshness, do not hesitate to add a small tomato, diced, peeled and without the seeds.

10 easy recipes to make with naan breads

Today, we see a lot of aperitif and meal recipes including Indian flat bread. What is more, the Internet is full of ideas and different production methods, adapted to the means and products available. These delicious buns are perfect for aperitif time and can be enjoyed with several toppings. Here are 10 of our best recipes to make with gluten-free naan bread! Lebanese hummus, guacamole, eggplant caviar … the naan literally bends as you wish!

Turn your naan bread into pizza dough

Greek salad served on naan breads

Flatbreads and Thai soup

Flatbread topped with eggplant caviar

Why not make nachos with naan bread?

Naan breads are great for hot, gluten-free sandwiches

Homemade Gluten Free Pita Bread and Hummus

Naan bread can be used as a dessert too

Strawberry jam pudding with flatbread

Shakshuka with eggs, tomatoes, avocado and pita bread