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GLUTEN FREE NAAN (VEGAN FLATBREAD)

GLUTEN FREE NAAN (VEGAN FLATBREAD)

This gluten-free naan bread uses just 6 vegan base ingredients and takes around 20 minutes. Not only is this Indian flatbread incredibly simple to make, but it’s also super quick as it's yeast-free. Plus, this recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, and can be made low-FODMAP too!

gluten-free naan bread on a plate with hand pinching one

You may have noticed from my blog, that I love wholesome, hearty dishes like soups, stews, curries, etc. What do all of those dishes have in common? They beg for some bread to mop up the juicy sauces (yum x1000). This is where this deliciously fluffy gluten-free naan bread comes in!

While naan bread is often served alongside Indian cuisine, this flatbread has origins across Asia and the Middle East.

QUICK, GLUTEN-FREE NAAN BREAD (NO YEAST!)

With just six base ingredients, one bowl, a rolling pin, a frying pan, and not much time at all, you can whip up fluffy and flavorful vegan naan. The result is a soft, flexible, and tender pan-fried Indian flatbread.

Yes, traditionally, this Indian naan is cooked in a tandoor oven. However, you’ll be amazed at how quick and impressive these pan-fried versions are.

Best of all – this is a super quick naan recipe thanks to the fact that it’s yeast-free! You can fry up a whole batch in no time at all.

4 pieces of vegan gluten-free naan on black plate with herbs and garlic

IS NAAN VEGAN?

Traditionally, this Indian bread is not vegan-friendly. It often contains ghee or butter, yogurt, milk, and even eggs.

Luckily, this naan recipe is not only gluten-free, but it’s also 100% vegan.

I have been working on this recipe for many months, trying out different flour combinations, etc. Honestly, it’s not easy to make vegan, gluten-free naan without yeast, and the result can never be identical to “regular naan” because of all these dietary restrictions. However, finally, I am happy with the outcome!

Here are the ingredients that you will need:

ingredients for naan bread

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE NAAN?

STEP ONE: COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.

STEP TWO: ADD WET INGREDIENTS

Pour in the warm water, yogurt, olive oil, and aquafaba. Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to gather and knead the dough. It should be soft and pliable, more on the wet side but not too sticky.

4 step-by-step photos how to make a dough for Indian bread

STEP THREE: MAKE 4 PORTIONS

Divide the dough into four portions (by eye or by weight) and sprinkle the work surface liberally with tapioca flour.

STEP FOUR: ROLL OUT THE DOUGH

Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin (or glass) into an oval/teardrop naan shape. Add a little more tapioca flour if needed to avoid sticking.

STEP FIVE: COOK IT

Once the skillet is hot, add the flatbread and cook it with a lid for a few minutes until bubbles begin to form on the surface (for me, that was around 3 minutes). Then flip the naan and let it cook for a further few minutes before removing it from the pan. Repeat this step with the remaining naan.

Serve them warm drizzled with a little oil or vegan butter, crushed garlic, salt, and fresh herbs (like parsley). Enjoy!

For the full ingredients list, ingredient measurements, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.

4 step-by-step photos how to roll out dough for flatbread

HOW TO SERVE FLATBREAD

This vegan naan is perfectly served alongside hearty, saucy dishes like curries, stews, and soups.

You can also top this gluten-free flatbread with this French Onion Dip, add some grated vegan cheese, then bake or broil it! So yummy!

A piece of gluten-free Indian flatbread submerged in red lentil dahl in black skilletHand dipping a piece of vegan naan bread into red lentil dahl in black bowl

HOW TO MAKE AHEAD & STORE

To Make Ahead:

The prepared gluten-free naan bread dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. That way, you can bake them fresh every day as and when needed. However, since the dough is gluten-free, it will dry out a bit.

The dough is also freezer-friendly for up to 3 months and can be thawed overnight in the fridge before use. You can freeze as smaller, portioned sections for faster freezing/thawing.

To Store:

These gluten-free naans are best eaten immediately while warm for the best crispy, fluffy texture. However, feel free to keep leftovers in an airtight container for between 2-3 days (though they will dry out, so I do not recommend it).

Reheat the naan in the oven for 5-8 minutes at 200C/ 390F until warmed and slightly crisp, or place back in the skillet for a few minutes (be careful not to burn them!).

Using a microwave will lose its crisp exterior, so it’s not recommended.

To Freeze:

The cooked bread is also freezer-friendly for up to 3 months and can be reheated from frozen at 200C/ 390F for 10-15 minutes.

hand holding one of four Indian flatbreads

USEFUL RECIPE NOTES

  • Gluten-free flour: You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour) or even self-raising gluten-free flour (skip the baking powder if using self-raising flour). I made my own GF flour blend with the following ingredients: 60 g precooked corn flour (e.g. Masarepa), 40 g tapioca flour, and 40 g white rice flour). I wouldn’t recommend using almond flour or coconut flour in this recipe.
  • If you aren’t gluten-free, you can use regular all-purpose flour or spelled flour. Depending on the flour, you might need to adjust the liquid. I recommend using less water, you can always add more if needed.
  • Aquafaba: It’s the clear liquid in a can of chickpeas. It adds moisture and acts as an egg replacement. You can replace it with more yogurt if you don’t want to use it.
  • Dairy-free yogurt: I used soy yogurt, but any yogurt should be fine, i.e. coconut yogurt. I replaced the yogurt once with canned coconut milk and the dough turned out softer but a little more brittle when shaped. The naan was still tasty but not as fluffy as with yogurt.

close-up up of vegan Indian flatbread

MORE TIPS & VARIATIONS

  • You could optionally add a teaspoon of nigella seeds/black onion seeds to the batter for the authentic Indian bread naan flavor.
  • Keep the gluten-free flatbread covered with a tea towel to keep them warm and fresh before serving.
  • If you prefer the Indian flatbread to be crispy, I recommend cooking it without a lid. For a softer, and flexible bread, cook it with a lid.
  • To make stuffed naan from this recipe, you can either roll the dough out thinner, spread the filling, and then fold it over and seal the dough. OR divide the dough into two pieces and roll them into the same shape, then top one with the filling (e.g. sauteed spinach, pureed spiced potato, etc.) and then top with the other piece of dough and seal. Then fry as usual (I haven’t yet tried this myself).
  • For a low FODMAP version, you can use garlic-infused olive oil rather than garlic. Make sure to use a low-FODMAP flour blend (i.e., oat flour or cassava flour- which may need a little extra liquid). Use a plain, low-FODMAP yogurt too.
  • Make a sweet Peshwari naan by adding 1-2 tbsp of shredded coconut and some finely diced dried apricot to the dough before baking. You may need an additional tbsp or so of yogurt.

hand holding one vegan gluten-free homemade flatbread with garlic

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (140 g) gluten-free flour (see notes)
  • 1/3 cup (80 g) dairy-free yogurt (see notes)
  • 1/4 scant cup (50 ml) of warm water (see notes)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or any other oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp Aquafaba liquid in canned chickpeas (see notes)
  • Minced garlic, oil, and fresh herbs to garnish

Instructions

  • Watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.
    Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized bowl, and stir to combine.
  • Pour in warm water, yogurt, olive oil, and Aquafaba. Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to knead the dough. It should be a soft and pliable dough, not too dry but not sticky either.
  • Divide the dough into 4 portions and sprinkle your working surface with some tapioca flour.
  • Preheat a skillet on the stove over high heat. Meanwhile, roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin (or a glass), adding more tapioca flour if needed, to avoid sticking.
  • Once the skillet is hot, add the flatbread and cook it with a lid over medium-high heat for a few minutes. I saw bubbles forming after less than 3 minutes. Flip the flatbread and let it cook for a further few minutes. Do this with the remaining dough. Cover the finished flatbreads with a tea towel until serving.
  • Serve warm, drizzle with some oil or vegan butter, and dd minced fresh garlic (and/or garlic powder), salt, and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Notes

Video Of The Recipe

 
  • Gluten-free flour: I made my own GF flour blend with the following ingredients: 60 g precooked corn flour (e.g. Masarepa), 40 g tapioca flour, and 40 g white rice flour. I wouldn't recommend using almond flour or coconut flour in this recipe. You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend e.g. Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour (make sure it contains tapioca flour or arrowroot flour) or even self-raising gluten-free flour (skip the baking powder if using self-raising flour), but you will need to use less water.
  • If you aren't gluten-free, you can use regular all-purpose flour or spelled flour (also make sure to use less water).
  • Dairy-free yogurt: I used soy yogurt, but any yogurt should be fine, for example, coconut yogurt. I replaced the yogurt once with canned coconut milk and the dough turned out softer at first but once shaped into flatbreads it was a little brittle. The naan was still very tasty but not as fluffy as with yogurt.
  • Aquafaba: It's the clear liquid in a can of chickpeas. It adds moisture and also acts as an egg replacement. You can replace it with more yogurt if you don't want to use it.
  • If you prefer the Indian flatbread to be crispy, I recommend cooking it without a lid. For a softer, and flexible bread, cook it with a lid.
  • Check the step-by-step photos in the blog post above. There you'll also find more helpful tips and variations.
  • The recipe makes just a small batch of 4 flatbreads. Double the recipe if desired.
  • You might also like this Gluten-Free Pita Bread Recipe.

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