Vegan

Vegan Gluten Free Naan

admin October 6, 2021October 6, 2021

Learn how to make the best vegan and gluten-free naan bread to dunk into your favorite vegan Indian curries and sauces. You can make this with or without yeast. Soy-free, nut-free recipe.

A reader asked me for a gluten-free version of my easy vegan grilled naan when I posted it last month. So I’ve been trying to come up with a recipe that is as close as possible to the real thing, and today, I have for you the best vegan gluten free naan. It’s a keeper.

This naan is super simple to make, and if you follow instructions you could be eating naan this afternoon for lunch. All you will need is some pantry ingredients you likely already have around if you’re used to gluten-free baking.

Why you’ll love this gluten-free naan

It’s soft and light.
It easy to make once you’ve got the hang of it.
It tastes and looks like an actual naan, not like some gf flatbread that’s shaped like a naan.
It’s soy-free and it can be made with nut-free yogurt, so almost anyone with any dietary restriction can eat it.

Ingredients

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup water (lukewarm. You might no need all of it)
1 tsp sugar
2 ½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp salt
½ cup vegan yogurt (you can use any kind, I used my homemade cultured cashew yogurt)
½ cup nondairy milk (lukewarm)
1 tsp vegetable oil (olive oil is fine)

Instructions

Place the yeast in a bowl with ½ cup warm water and sugar. Wait five minutes for it to become frothy and bloom.
Add the glutenfree flour and tapioca flour along with salt, vegan yogurt and nondairy milk.
Gently drizzle in the water (you might not need the whole cup) and knead the dough by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook. You might not need all of the water or you might need a little more depending on where you are and the weather. You want the dough to be smooth-ish and pliable but not wet nor too dry.
Place the ball of dough in a large bowl and drizzle on the oil. Coat lightly, cover the bowl and place in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours or until it’s visibly risen.
Remove the dough to a clean surface and knead lightly and briefly. Divide it into 12 portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Keep the dough balls covered while you work.
Cover the rolling surface with a long stretch of cling wrap. Flour it lightly, then place the dough ball on it, fold over the cling wrap to cover the top, and then gently roll it into a small naan, about six inches by four inches and a quarter of an inch thick. If you find it difficult to transfer tha naans to the griddle you can make them even smaller.
Heat the griddle over high heat until it’s screaming hot.
Carefully, using a thin, wide spatula, prise the naan off the surface and quickly transfer it to the griddle. Alternatively, you can gently flip the naan on your palm and then flip it on the griddle, but you need to be careful and not burn yourself. I wouldn’t recommend you do this unless you are an experienced cook and used to hot griddles.
Let the gluten free naan bake until the top becomes opaque and bubbly, about 2 minutes. While it’s baking, brush on some water on the top. Gluten-free doughs tend to be thirsty and this step, although optional, helps keep the naan from drying out.Check to see if the bottom has brown spots, then flip and let the other side cook another minute.
As soon as the naan comes off the grill, brush on some vegan butter or a mixture of melted butter or olive oil, garlic and herbs. To do this, place 4 tbsp of olive oil or butter in a small skillet with a tablespoon of minced garlic and two tablespoons of cilantro. Heat on a low flame for 4-5 minutes until the garlic has infused the fat and is turning lightly golden.
Naan is best eaten hot. If you have leftovers, reheat them on a hot griddle.

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