You can't beat a naan bread with a homemade curry to mop up all that delicious sauce, and our Homemade Peshwari Naan is the perfect curry side. This naan bread recipe is filled with coconut, nuts and raisins and goes so well with a creamy curry. Soft and fluffy pillow like bread that cooks in under 5 minutes.
Whilst making your own Peshwari naan bread might seem complicated, it really isn't. It is made with a lot of ingredients that you already have in your kitchen, and there is nothing more satisfying than homemade bread. The sweet filling really helps to balance out a spicy curry, and this side dish will make curry night that little bit more special.
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What is peshwari naan?
Peshwari naan is a yeast-leavened bread, that is filled with desiccated coconut, fruit and almonds. Traditionally it is made with sultanas, but we have used raisins instead. Dried cranberries are also a good option. Crushed pistachios or hazelnuts would work well instead of almonds. It originates from the city of Peshawar in Pakistan.
Why you will love it
- Great accompaniment to a curry
- Uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen
- They freeze well
- Cooked in under 5 minutes
- Can be prepared in advance
Ingredients needed
- Bread flour
- Salt - Adding salt to the dough mixture tightens the gluten strands that form, therefore making the bread stronger.
- Yeast - We used a 7g packet of "Time Saver" yeast. Also known as Instant or Fast Action yeast, this can help your dough proof in half the time.
- Yogurt - We used natural yogurt for this naan recipe.
- Hot water - Make sure the water is warm (45°C/115°F max). If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
- Raisins - Traditionally, a Peshwari naan recipe will contain sultanas, which are sweeter than raisins. It is purely personal preference.
- Desiccated coconut
- Flaked almonds
- Butter - Melted, to brush over the cooked naans. You can also use ghee.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and yeast.
Two: Stir in the yogurt and water. Mix firstly with a fork and then with your hands to form a soft dough.
Three: Put on a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
Four: Place the ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Put in a warm place and leave for at least 90 minutes (if using fast action yeast) or 3 hours if using normal yeast. The dough needs to have doubled in size.
Five: While the dough is proofing, put the raisins, coconut and almonds in a food processor and blend into a paste. It might be quite crumbly, but that will be okay.
Six: When the dough has doubled, carefully remove from the bowl and cut into 6 pieces. Lightly flour a surface and roll each piece of dough into a circle about 15cm/6in diameter.
Seven: Divide the almond mixture into 6 and place a piece into the centre of each circle of dough. Pull the sides of the dough up to encase the mixture and form into a ball again making sure the dough is sealed so no filling is visible.
Eight: Keeping the dough on the floured surface, roll the filled dough ball out into either a circle or (traditionally) a tear-drop shape. Each naan should be about 20cm/8in in diameter.
Nine: Heat a frying pan over a very hot heat. Don't add any oil to the pan - keep it dry. Dry fry each naan for around 2 minutes each side until they puff up and get a nice char.
Ten: Brush with melted butter (or ghee) and sprinkle with raisins, almonds and chopped coriander (cilantro).
Is it easy?
This Peshwari naan recipe is so simple and it makes a great side dish to a delicious curry. These delicious flatbreads are traditionally stuffed with a fruit and nut mixture then baked in an Indian clay oven called a tandoor, but ours are done in a frying pan and take just 2 minutes. The sweet flavour balances out a spicy curry perfectly.
How to cook naan at home
You might think that cooking your own naan at home is difficult, but it really isn't. The best thing is that you don't need any special equipment or fancy ingredients to make it.
Whilst traditionally a Peshwari naan would be cooked on the walls of a clay oven called a tandoor, most people don't have one of those in their own home. Cooking it in a tandoor means it cooks at a very high heat, which is what gives it those bubbles and char. However, you can recreate that with a very hot dry frying pan.
Cooking it at a very very high heat in a pan is what keeps is soft and fluffy, and makes it puff up. If you cook it too slowly, at a lower heat, then you will have a hard and crunchy naan and that's not what you are going for.
What to serve them with
This is the perfect side dish to any curry you have made. This Peshwari naan goes perfectly with a curry, especially to mop up all the sauce at the end so that none of it is wasted. Because this naan originates from Pakistan, it would ideally be served with a Pakistani curry. However, we have eaten it with many different curries (some not at all traditional) and it's always delicious. Here are some of our favourite curries to serve this homemade naan bread with:
- Easy Salmon Curry
- Slow Cooker Lamb Rogan Josh
- Tomato and Garlic Chicken Curry
- 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry
- Lamb Korma
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
- Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Chicken Korma
- Halloumi Curry
- Chicken Rendang
- Easy Lentil Curry
FAQs
Traditionally yes, and for the best flavour that is how it would be cooked as the high heat gives it that lovely texture and the chars and bubbles. However, you can still recreate it by cooking it in the oven or in a pan and it will still taste delicious. Just make sure to cook it at a very high heat.
As with anything, as long as it is part of a healthy and balanced diet, then there is nothing wrong with enjoying a Peshwari naan with your curry.
Wait for the bread to cool completely and then store in a airtight plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. These naan breads can be frozen in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Yes, you can make the dough 24 hours in advance and the filling can be made up to 2 days in advance. If you have any extra dough leftover, you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
Yes, you can reheat a homemade naan bread. Store cooled naan in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze naan bread in an airtight plastic bag for up to 2 months. Defrost the naan in the airtight plastic bag at room temperature and reheat in a dry pan on the hob or wrap in foil and reheat in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for 10 to 12 minutes.
More curry side dishes
If you’ve tried this Peshwari naan recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Peshwari Naan
Ingredients
- 350 g (1 cups) Strong white bread flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Sea salt
- 7 g (1.75 tablespoon) Fast action yeast
- 150 ml (0.66 cups) Natural yogurt
- 160 ml (0.66 cups) Hot water
- 30 g (0.25 cups) Raisins
- 30 g (0.33 cups) Desiccated coconut
- 30 g (0.25 cups) Flaked almonds
- Butter - melted; optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix 350 g Strong white bread flour, 1 teaspoon Sea salt and 7 g Fast action yeast.
- Stir in 150 ml Natural yogurt and 160 ml Hot water. Mix firstly with a fork and then with your hands to form a soft dough.
- Put on a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
- Place the ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Put in a warm place and leave for at least 90 minutes (if using fast action yeast) or 3 hours if using normal yeast.
- While the dough is proofing, put 30 g Raisins, 30 g Desiccated coconut and 30 g Flaked almonds into a food processor and blend into a paste. It might be quite crumbly, but that will be okay.
- When the dough has doubled, carefully remove from the bowl and cut into 6 pieces. Lightly flour a surface and roll each piece of dough into a circle about 15cm/6in diameter.
- Divide the almond mixture into 6 and spread a piece into the centre of each circle of dough. Pull the sides of the dough up to encase the mixture and form into a ball again making sure the dough is sealed so no filling is visible.
- Keeping the dough on the floured surface, roll the filled dough ball out into either a circle or (traditionally) a tear-drop shape. Each naan should be about 20cm/8in in diameter.
- Heat a frying pan over a very hot heat. Don't add any oil to the pan - keep it dry. Dry fry each naan for around 2 minutes each side until they puff up and get a nice char.
- Brush with melted Butter and sprinkle with raisins, almonds and chopped coriander (cilantro).Butter
Notes
- You need to make sure your pan is VERY hot to cook a peshwari naan. They are usually cooked on in a tandoor, which is very hot, so you need to replicate that heat.
- Cooking it at a high heat means that it cooks quickly. If it is cooked too slowly, it can go crunchy and hard, which isn't the texture we are going for.
- It needs to be cooked in a dry pan without oil, this is so it bakes rather than fries.
- We made ours by hand, however you can use a stand mixer to make this recipe much easier.
- We always recommend using scales to make this recipe, rather than cups. This is because depending on the cups, and how you fill them, the amount of flavour can differ quite a lot. Weighing the flour ensures you have the exact right amount you need.
- If you are using cups to measure this, then be aware that not all cups are created even. Add the flour a little at a time and if the mixture looks the right consistency, then don't add any more. If it is still too wet, then add a little more flour at a time.
Danielle Wolter
I Just love homemade naan! I'm definitely going to try this recipe as it sounds so delicious and easy to make.
Helen
I LOVE peshwari naan but have never tried making it myself... until now! So yummy. Any leftovers are great for breakfast next day, too :-)
Rosemary
We are huge naan fans and I can't wait to try this recipe. We usually enjoy them savory, so this version with almonds, coconut and raisins is new. Your pictures are amazing and I'm totally intrigued. Can't wait to put a sweet spin on our traditional naans. Thanks for the introduction to Peshwari naan.
Jacqueline Meldrum
These are my son's favourite but I've not tried making them yet. Thanks for the recipe
Anaiah
This naan recipe was so delicious and much easier to make than I thought. Your recipe steps and photos were all very helpful. Thanks for sharing!
Katherine
I love Peshwari naan! These look just perfect. Yum!
Danielle Wolter
I have been meaning to make my own naan for a while now. I am definitely excited to try your version, sounds delish!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I've never made a peshwari naan before but this looks easy to make and perfect with my next curry.
Seema Sriram
The recipe is explained in such a beautiful step by step manner that any new person to making naans can get this perfect the first time. Love the tips and expert advice that runs through the post to get the perfect ones.