Completing the round up of gluten free naan on my website, these gluten free garlic naan were highly requested and I am happy to finally have a recipe for you to enjoy!
These gluten free garlic naan are based on my original gluten free naan recipe. Then slathered with a generous brush of garlic parsley butter, they taste awesome with a curry. Pillowy yet chewy bread, that is perfect for mopping and scooping.
Once you’ve tried these there’s no looking back, and you’ll realise you never need to miss out on classic gluteny curry night treats again! They are freezer friendly too, so you can make them ahead of time and reheat when needed.
My base naan recipe uses gluten free plain flour, dried active yeast, caster sugar, water, olive oil, plain yoghurt and tapioca starch (sometimes called tapioca flour). If you do not have tapioca you can buy it on Amazon or find it in health food shops, and even Ocado sell it. And trust me, this gluten free flour is well worth getting as it makes a massive difference to the final naan.
However, if you want a simple flour-yoghurt recipe instead then try my gluten free flatbread recipe. The naans in this dedicated recipe are waaaay better (yeast makes all the difference to the lightness and the tapioca gives them some stretch), but the flatbread are a very quick alternative.
How to Freeze These Gluten Free Naan
As I mentioned in the intro, my gluten free garlic naan are freezer-friendly. Simply place in a tupperware container or wrap up in cling film, then freeze. When you want to use them, 1-2 minutes in the microwave will defrost and refresh them perfectly. Careful not to microwave them for too long though, else they can get overly chewy.
Can I Make a Dairy Free Version?
Yes, simply use coconut yoghurt or another plain dairy free yoghurt instead of dairy yoghurt. Then for the final gloss of garlic butter at the end use a dairy free spread.
Serving Suggestions
Naan bread are the perfect partner for Indian-style curries. Try my Indian-style chicken curry or my paneer and green lentil curry – both are delicious with these garlic naan.
Gluten Free Garlic Naan Recipe
Gluten Free Garlic Naan
Ingredients
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 120ml warm water
- 8g dry active yeast
- 240g gluten free plain flour (I use FREEE by Doves Farm)
- 60g tapioca starch/flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100ml plain yoghurt (Greek or natural)
- 40g salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- First of all, prepare the naan dough. Combine the warm water, caster sugar and dried active yeast together in a measuring jug, give everything a good stir and then leave the yeast to activate for 10-15 minutes (no stirring during this time). When a thick layer of foam has formed on top of the liquid (about 1 inch high), the yeast has been activated and you can move onto the next stage.
- Take a large mixing bowl and add the tapioca starch, plain gluten free flour and salt to it. Stir to fully combine the flours.
- Pour the olive oil, yoghurt and the contents of the jug (foam and liquid) into the bowl. Mix everything with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to knead the dough for a minute to get it nice and smooth. It should form into a ball of soft dough, which is slightly sticky but that comes away from your hands.
- Place a clean tea towel or cloth over the top of the bowl and set aside to allow it to rise. This will take about an hour, depending on how warm the room is, so pop it in a nice warm place if you want to get a quick rise. Once the dough has doubled in size it is ready to use.
- When the dough is nearly ready, prepare your garlic butter topping for the naan. Take a small saucepan and add the butter, minced garlic and chopped parsley. Cook over a low heat for a few minutes until the garlic is fragrant, then take off the heat and set aside.
- Back to the dough! Use a knife to divide the dough (still in the bowl) into four sections. It is a soft dough so will not cut perfectly and will be a bit sticky, but this is how it should be.
- Take a silicone baking mat or large piece of greaseproof baking paper and place on your worktop. Flour the mat/baking paper well with extra gluten free flour and keep a little excess flour to the side. Set a frying pan over a medium-high heat (no oil) and allow to heat while you are shaping the first naan.
- Flour your hands, then use a spatula to scoop out a quarter of the dough into your hands. Form into a soft ball, flouring it well, then place onto the floured mat. Using enough flour to ensure it does not stick to the mat, gently pat it into a tear drop or circular shape, still quick thick (about 2cm) so you can handle it without it breaking.
- Transfer the dough to the hot pan and use your hands (take off the heat momentarily if needed) to quickly press the dough thinner into a large naan shape (1cm-0.5cm thick depending how you like your naan).
- Keep the heat medium-high and cook for 2 minutes, during which time you will see the bubbles forming in the dough. Flip and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. It should be nicely browned and cooked through, but give it an extra minute on each side to brown it if needed. Then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the garlic butter all over the top of the hot naan. Doesn't it look yummy!
- Repeat steps 7-10 with the remaining portions of dough, then either serve immediately or allow to cool and freeze for later use.
Notes
Optional addition: a sprinkle of black onion/nigella seeds on the top of these naan looks lovely and really gives a yummy flavour boost too.
Need more naan in your life? Or how about onion bhaji or some curries to go with them. Here are some gluten free recipes you might like:
Enjoy! Laura xxx
