Naan Recipe without yogurt

Name: Homemade Naan (no yogurt)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1.5 tsp dry yeast; ¼ cup warm (not hot) water; ½ tsp sugar; 2 + ⅛ cups white, all purpose flour; 1 tsp salt; ½ cup almond milk (or other milk of choice) (*soy milk, whole milk...); 1 tbsp olive oil (+more for brushing); 4 garlic cloves; 7 tbsp olive oil; pinch of salt

Jump to Recipe How-To-Photos Watch the Video

Homemade naan is super easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious! This fluffy naan is dairy-free, made without yogurt and you'll only need 7 simple ingredients!

This vegan naan bread is a must to try with our creamy Red Lentil Dahl, Sweet Potato Red Lenti Curry or Moroccan Stewed White Beans.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
What is Naan?
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
How to Make Naan without Yogurt
Top Tips
Serving Suggestions
Storing
FAQs
Recipes to try with naan
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

There's no yogurt, no dairy and no butter included.
It can be served as a side dish with your favorite curries, stews, soups or salads.
It can also be enjoyed as a snack with some hummus, guacamole and veggies.
It's super simple to make.

What is Naan?

Naan is a type of leavened flatbread, eaten primarily in India and Western and Central Asia. It's a popular side dish and often served along with curries, soups or meat dishes.

It can be served plain or stuffed with cheese, garlic or potatoes.

Ingredients & Substitution Notes

all ingredients needed to make naan without yogurt.

Dry yeast: This recipe uses dry yeast as a leavening agent. It helps the bread to rise and makes is fluffy. I prefer using dry yeast over fresh yeast because it's easier to store and has a longer shelf life.
(Brown) sugar: I used brown sugar but feel free to use regular white sugar.
White all-purpose flour: I used regular white flour because I prefer it over the taste of whole wheat flour in this recipe. Feel free to experiment though.
(Almond) milk: To keep this recipe dairy-free, I used almond milk. You could use any milk of choice here such as soy milk, oat milk or regular dairy milk.
Olive oil: Helps with a soft and chewy texture. Any other neutral flavored vegetable oil would work too.
Garlic (optional): for some garlic-oil

How to Make Naan without Yogurt

This easy naan recipe is super quick and easy to make and only requires 7 ingredients. There's no special equipment needed aside from a large mixing bowl and a rolling pin.

dried yeast and sugar in a glass with water.

STEP 1: Activate the yeast. For the yeast to do its trick it needs to be activated. Dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar in warm water (not hot) using a whisk.

dried yeast and sugar fully dissolved in a glass with water.

Then set aside for about 10 minutes. During the activation process, the active dry yeast will start to foam and form little bubbles.

STEP 2: Make the dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour and salt) in a large mixing bowl.

dissolved yeast, milk and olive oil added to the flour in the bowl.

Then add the wet ingredients (activated yeast, almond milk and olive oil).

STEP 3: Let dough rest. Stir with a spatula or whisk and then knead the dough until it comes together.

doug in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel.

Cover the naan dough with a tea towel and let it rise for about 30 minutes to 1h at room temperature.

Let the dough rise in an airtight container that's big enough to hold the dough after it's doubled in size. That way it won't dry out as much.

naan dough divided into 6 equally sized dough balls on a plate.

STEP 4: Roll out the dough balls. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.

naan bread rolled out, next to it a rolling pin.

Roll out each dough ball on a well-floured, flat surface using a rolling pin.

naan bread being cooked in a pan on the stove.

STEP 5: Cook. Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the naan in the hot pan and cook on one side for about 2 minutes until you can see bubbles forming.

the other side of the naan bread being cooked in a pan on the stove.

Flip and continue to cook on the other side until you can see brown spots.

Top Tips

Thickness: For the naan to be fluffy and bubbly, it's important to not roll it out too thin. Roll each ball to ¼-inch thickness for optimal results.
Hot pan: Make sure that your pan is hot enough. Oftentimes, medium heat is not enough heat to make the bread bubble. Opt for medium-high temperature.

Serving Suggestions

There are many different ways to enjoy fresh, homemade naan. Find some suggestions below.

Plain: Enjoy this naan plain as a snack, with some homemade hummus or guacamole.
Side Dish: Enjoy it as a side dish along with some Red Lentil Dahl, Sweet Potato Red Lenti Curry, Chickpea Masala or Tofu Curry.
Garlic Oil: Turn this into a delicious garlic naan by brushing on some homemade garlic-oil.

Storing

Store any left-over naan in an airtight container at room temperature. However, it definitely tastes best when consumed right away!

stack of naan bread on a wooden board, next to it some dahl and fresh cilantro.

FAQs

What is the difference between a naan and a pita bread?

Pita is thicker and more used for stuffing in recipes such as kebab or falafel. Naan is more bubbly and usually eaten as a side dish.

Can you make naan without yogurt?

Absolutely, you can easily make naan without yogurt. The oil in combination with the yeast will help turn this into soft and fluffy bread.

What can I substitute for yogurt in naan?

Sometimes, plain yogurt is replaced with sour cream but there's no need to replace the yogurt at all.

Recipes to try with naan

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📖 Recipe

Homemade Naan (no yogurt)

Author: Katie Roux

This homemade naan requires only 7 ingredients and is made without yogurt or dairy. It tastes amazing alongside some curries, stews or plain.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, click on the 5-stars below!

4.55 from 105 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Rising Time: 30

Total Time: 55

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Dry Yeast

1.5 teaspoon dry yeast
¼ cup warm (not hot) water
½ teaspoon sugar

Naan

2 + ⅛ cups white, all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup almond milk (or other milk of choice) *soy milk, whole milk...
1 tablespoon olive oil +more for brushing

Garlic Oil (Optional)

4 garlic cloves
7 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Activating Yeast

In a small bowl or glass, mix together water, yeast and sugar with a whisk until fully dissolved. Let sit for about 10 min until yeast starts to foam.

Naan

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
Add activated yeast, milk and olive oil.
Stir with a spatula or whisk and then knead the dough using your hands until the dough comes together.
If you feel that you need more liquid, add 1 more tbsp of almond milk (no more).
Cover the bowl with a lid or kitchen towel and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour (room temperature) and let dough rise.
Divide the dough into 6 equally-sized small balls.
Roll out each ball to ¼-inch thickness on a well-floured surface.
Heat a frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Place the naan in the hot skillet and cook on one side for about 2 minutes until you can see bubbles forming (see step-by-step photos).
Flip and continue to cook on the other side until browned.
Brush on some garlic oil (optional) before serving.

Garlic Oil (Optional)

Mince garlic and add it, together with the olive oil and a pinch of salt to a small bowl, Stir until well combined.

Video

Notes

Let the dough rise in an airtight container that's big enough to hold the dough after it's doubled in size. That way it won't dry out as much.
Thickness: For the naan to be fluffy, it's important to not roll it out too thin. Roll each ball to ¼-inch thickness for optimal results.
Hot pan: Make sure that your pan is hot enough. Oftentimes, medium heat is not enough heat to make the bread bubble. Opt for medium-high temperature.
Store any left-over naan in an airtight container at room temperature. However, it definitely tastes best when consumed right away!

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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Comments

4.55 from 105 votes (94 ratings without comment)