This vegan naan is soft, fluffy and so flavorful. It’s also so easy to make and the perfect accompaniment to a delicious curry.
I am honestly thrilled about this vegan naan recipe because it is sooo easy.
We love a good vegan curry and when you have a good curry, well, a delicious naan is the perfect companion.
And when it’s this easy to make it yourself, there’s no reason not to.
That being said, it’s not super quick to make these, but it is super easy and really worth it.
Naan is an Indian style flatbread that is usually baked in Tandoor ovens in India. But a homemade version can be done in a hot frying pan or skillet on the stovetop too, and it’s really, really good.
And there’s nothing like the pride you get from making things yourself from scratch.
To make these vegan naan you simply mix up the dough, let it rise for 30 minutes, cut it into 8 pieces and then roll each piece out and fry it up with a tiny bit of oil in a hot pan. It only takes 2-3 minutes for the vegan naan bread to brown nicely on both sides, so the cooking part only takes around 20 minutes.
So all in all, you can have hot and delicious freshly made vegan naan within an hour (or a little over an hour) if you start right now! Serve it alongside a vegan potato curry (pictured at the bottom of the page) or a vegan korma.
And if you love super easy bread recipes then you’ll also love our vegan focaccia.
How To Make Vegan Naan
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add all purpose flour, instant yeast (rapid rise yeast) and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Mix maple syrup with warm water and pour it over the dry ingredients. Stir it in with a spoon. Flour your hands and a work surface and get in there with your hands, kneading the dough about 20 times so that it forms into a nice big ball. The dough will be quite soft.
- Place the ball of dough into an oiled dish and turn it over a couple of times so that the dough is lightly coated in the oil, then cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rise on the countertop for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes bring out the ball of dough and place it onto a parchment lined board. Alternatively use a floured baking mat.
- Cut the dough into 8 roughly even sized pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a roughly oval shape and then fry it in a very hot pan with a teeny tiny bit of oil.
- Allow to cook until nicely browned on each side (if the pan is hot enough, it should only be 2-3 minutes before it’s perfectly done both sides).
Garlic Naan or Butter Naan
I went with the easiest version of this recipe that I could, I didn’t want to add any bells and whistles because it’s not really necessary.
However, you can definitely fancy up these naan breads by adding crushed garlic or cilantro or even turn them into butter naans.
Garlic naan. If you would like to make garlic naan, then once you’ve rolled out your naan bread, dip your finger in water and lightly dab the water onto the surface of the naan bread, add crushed garlic and press it in, it will stick because of the dampness of the dough from the water. Then fry it as usual.
Butter naan. If you want to make a butter naan, then melt some vegan butter and brush it onto the naan bread during cooking or just after it’s finished cooking. A sprinkle of sea salt on top of the vegan butter is also delicious to add.
Storing Tips
These vegan naan are best served fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them at room temperature where they will stay good for up to 2 days.
They’re easy to reheat, you can microwave them or warm them in the oven until heated through.
Serve This Vegan Naan Alongside These Recipes
- Vegan Butter Chicken
- Vegan Tikka Masala
- Vegan Korma
- Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Vegan Potato Curry
- Vegan Chana Masala
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Naan
Ingredients
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour (375g)
- 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Warm Water (270ml) must be warm and not hot
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
- Olive oil for oiling the dish and for frying
Instructions
- Add the flour, yeast and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add the maple syrup to the warm water and mix them together. Pour it over the dry ingredients and stir in with a spoon.
- Flour your hands and a work surface and get in there with your hands, kneading the dough about 20 times so that it forms into a nice big ball. The dough will be quite soft.
- Place the ball of dough into an oiled dish and turn it over a couple of times so that the dough is lightly coated in the oil, then cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rise on the countertop for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes bring out the ball of dough and place it onto a parchment lined board. Alternatively use a floured baking mat. Cut the dough into 8 roughly even sized pieces.
- Heat up a non-stick frying pan with a tiny bit of olive oil – it really must be a very small amount, like a half a teaspoon (*see notes).
- Roll out the first naan into roughly an oval sort of shape and place into the hot frying pan. Allow to cook until nicely browned on each side (if the pan is hot enough, it should only be 2-3 minutes before it's perfectly done both sides).
- Repeat for the rest of the naan.
- Add more oil as needed if your pan starts to look too dry, but use only a small amount at a time.
- If you would like to make garlic naan, then once you've rolled out your naan, dip your finger in water and lightly dab the water onto the surface of the naan, add crushed garlic and press it in, it will stick because of the dampness of the dough from the water. Then fry it as usual.
- If you want to make a butter naan, then melt vegan butter and brush it onto the naan during cooking and just after it's finished cooking. A sprinkle of sea salt on top of the vegan butter is also delicious to add.
Video
Notes
- The reason for only using a tiny bit of olive oil when frying is so that your naan doesn’t end up oily, as it tends to soak up the oil. However if you like them like that then go ahead and use more.
- These vegan naan are best served fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them at room temperature where they will stay good for up to 2 days.
- Prep time includes the time spent rising.
I love this recipe. It’s so delicious and easy. I would love to meal-prep these. Can you freeze the naan?
So happy to hear that Frances! Yes you can freeze them!
Is there any way to replace the maple syrup? Love the recipe by the way 🙂
Hi Anna, sure you could replace it with any sweetener really.
Can this be made with Gluten free all purpose flour?
Hi there, yes it should work with a gf all purpose blend. 🙂