This article is about the South and West Asian bread. For the Central Asian bread, seeTandyr nan.For the kibbutz, seeNa'an.For other uses, seeNaan (disambiguation).
Primarily composed of white or wheat flour combined with a leavening agent, typically yeast, naan dough develops air pockets that contribute to its fluffy and soft texture. Additional ingredients for crafting naan include warm water, salt, ghee (clarified butter), and yogurt, with optional additions like milk, egg, or honey. Sometimes, baking powder or baking soda is used instead of yeast to reduce the preparation time for the bread.
In the traditional baking process inside a tandoor, naan dough is rolled into balls, flattened, and then pressed against the tandoor's inner walls, which can reach temperatures up to 480 °C (900 °F). This method allows the bread to be baked within minutes, achieving a spotty browning due to the intense heat. Alternatively, naan can be prepared on a stovetop using a flat pan known as a tawa. The pan may be flipped upside down over the flame to achieve the characteristic browning of the bread's surface.
Once baked naan is typically coated with ghee or butter and served warm. This soft and pliable bread frequently accompanies meals, replacing utensils for scooping up dahls, sauces, stews, and curries, or is enjoyed with dryer dishes like tandoori chicken.[5]
The term "naan" comes fromPersiannân(Persian:نان), a generic word for any kind of bread. This word was borrowed into a range of languages in theIndian subcontinentandCentral Asia,where it came to refer to a specific type of bread. The term then spread around the globe along with the style of bread itself.[citation needed]
The earliest known English use of the term occurs in an 1803 travelogue written byWilliam Tooke.[6]While Tooke and other early sources spell it "nan", the spellingnaanhas become predominant since the late 1970s.[7][8]
Naan spread to theIndian subcontinentduring the IslamicDelhi Sultanateperiod. The earliest mention of naan in the region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poetAmir Khusrauliving in India during the 1300s AD.Amir Khusraumentions two kinds of naan eaten by Muslim nobles;Naan-e-TunukandNaan-e-Tanuri.Naan-e-Tunukwas a light or thin bread, whileNaan-e-Tanuriwas a heavy bread and was baked in the tandoor.[9]During India’s Mughal era in the 1520s, Naan was a delicacy that only nobles and royal families enjoyed because the art of making Naan was a revered skill, known by few and the lengthy process of making leavened bread. TheAin-i-Akbari,a written record of the third Mughal emperor’s reign, also mentions naan and it was eaten with kebabs or kheema (spiced minced meat) in it. By the 1700s naan had reached the masses in Mughal cultural centers in South Asia.[10]
Naan bya(Burmese:နံပြား) inMyanmaris traditionally served at teahouses with tea or coffee as a breakfast item.[12]It is round, soft, and blistered, often buttered, or with creamypè byouk(boiledchickpeas) cooked with onions spread on top, or dipped withBurmese curry.[12]
TheJingzhoustyle ofguokui,a flatbread prepared inside a cylindrical charcoal oven much like a tandoor, has been described as "Chinese naan".[13]It is also an integral part ofUyghur cuisineand is known in Chinese as bánh nướng lò (náng).[14][15]
After being promoted by Kandagawa Sekizai Shoukou in 1968, which is now the sole domestic manufacturer of tandoors, naan is now widely available in Indian-style curry restaurants in Japan, where naan is typically free-flow. Some restaurants bake ingredients such as cheese, garlic, onions, and potatoes into the naan, or cover it with toppings like a pizza.[16][17][18]
In 1799, the word naan was introduced into the English language by historian and clergyman William Tooke. Today, naan can be found worldwide in restaurants serving South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, and it is available in many supermarkets. Fusion cuisine has introduced new dishes that incorporate naan, including naan pizza and naan tacos and even huevos rancheros (an egg dish) served over naan. Naan pizza is a type ofpizzawhere naan is used as the crust instead of the traditional pizza dough. Chefs such asNigella Lawson,[19]and supermarkets such asWegmans[20]offer recipes for people to make their own naan pizza at home, though it is certainly not traditional.
^Russia, or a Complete Historical Account of all the Nations which compose that Empire,London, p. 168: "The most common dishes areonoschi,or vermicelli;plav,or boiled rice;nan,pancakes, and the meats which the law permits. "(referring to the eating habits of the central Turks). Other attestations in English can be found in theOxford English Dictionary,s.v.naan.
^"History of Naan".Times of India. 11 June 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 22 January 2023.Retrieved22 January2023.
^Dash, MadhulIka (2015)."Breaking Bread"(PDF).No. May–June. Forbes life india. Forbes.Archived(PDF)from the original on 22 January 2023.Retrieved22 January2023.
A slideshow of Hyderabadi Kulcha / Naan / Sheermaal preparation images.Published onFlickr,retrieved 2023-02-06
Nan inAfghanistan
Nan inKabul,Afghanistan
Nan inMazar-e Sharif,Afghanistan
Nan inIran
Nân-e barbariin Iran
Nân-e sangakin Iran
Nân-e tâftunin Iran
Butter garlic naan
Paneer(cheese) naan
Burmese nan bya
Media related toNaanat Wikimedia Commons
Cookbook:Naanat Wikibooks
