Hyderabadi Naan came into my life through a small restaurant near my college hostel, one of those no-frills places with plastic chairs and a menu written on a whiteboard. The naan there had a particular quality I could not figure out for years — slightly glossy on top, seeds pressed in just enough that they did not fall off, and soft enough that it folded without cracking.
When I finally tried making it at home, I got the recipe from a friend whose mother used to bake it in a regular oven because they did not have a tandoor. What I kept from her version is the egg wash, which gives the surface that shine I had been chasing. I always make sure to brush it on generously right before the naan goes into the oven, because if you let it sit after brushing, it can make the surface go a bit tacky.
About the Recipe
All the ingredients here come from a regular kitchen — maida, yeast, ghee, an egg, and sesame seeds. The active work takes about 20 minutes, and most of the two-hour window is just waiting for the dough to rise. I tend to make this on a Sunday when I have a curry already going on the stove, because the timing lines up well. The oven does the heavy lifting at 200 degrees Celsius, and you get naans that are soft in the middle with a lightly browned top.
Why you will love this recipe
Making naan at home means you control the size, the thickness, and the timing. There is no rushing to finish it before it goes cold on a restaurant table. Because the dough uses ghee rather than oil, there is a richness to each naan that holds up well against a thick, flavourful gravy. The egg wash is not just for looks — it creates a surface that stays soft even after the naan cools down a little. I have served these with everything from chicken curry to a simple dal, and they work just as well in both situations.
Cooking Tips
The most common beginner mistake is not giving the yeast enough time to activate. If your water is too hot, it kills the yeast; too cold and the yeast will not wake up. Aim for warm water that feels comfortable on your wrist. If there is no foamy rise after 5 to 7 minutes, start over with fresh yeast. Also, do not skip pricking the dough with a fork — without it, the naan puffs up unevenly in the oven and bakes in an uneven manner.
Top Tips
- Check your yeast before you commit to the recipe. If it does not foam up within 5 to 7 minutes of mixing with warm water and sugar, it is likely dead and the dough will not rise properly.
- Grease the baking tray with oil, not butter, as butter can burn at 200 degrees Celsius and leave a slightly bitter smell on the underside of the naan.
- Roll the naans to a consistent 1/4 inch thickness so they bake evenly. Thicker spots will stay doughy while thinner spots overbrown.
- Brush the egg wash on just before the naan goes into the oven. Letting it sit brushed for more than a minute or two makes the surface sticky and harder to handle.
- If you are making a batch, keep the rolled naans covered with a damp cloth while others are baking so the dough surface does not dry out.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
This recipe yields around 4 to 6 medium naans depending on how you size them. Prep time is around 15 to 20 minutes of active work, with 1 hour of resting time and 10 to 12 minutes of baking. Serve them straight from the oven while they are still warm and pliable. Leftover naans can be wrapped in foil and kept at room temperature for up to a day, then warmed in a dry pan on low heat for about a minute on each side before serving.
Similar Recipes
- Plain Naan
- Garlic Naan
- Tandoori Roti
- Peshwari Naan
- Laccha Paratha
Hyderabadi Naan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Maida
- 1/2 tsp Yeast
- 1/3 cup Warm Water
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp White Sesame Seeds
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 Egg (small, beaten)
- Oil as required
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Mix the sugar, yeast and warm water in a bowl.
- Mix well until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Keep it aside for 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to rise up.
- Sieve the flour into a large bowl.
- Add salt, ghee, curd and yeast mixture.
- Mix well and knead to a soft, pliable dough.
- Keep aside for an hour.
- Knead again for a minute or two.
- Preheat an oven to 200C for 10 minutes.
- Make small balls of the dough and roll them out into a naan of 1/4 inch thickness.
- Gently prick all over using a fork.
- Place it on a greased baking tray (Use oil to grease the baking tray).
- Brush the naan with the beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
- Place it inside the oven.
- Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until brown spots start to appear on the top.
- Remove and serve with side dish of choice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
My dough did not rise at all after an hour. What went wrong?
Most likely the yeast was not properly activated. Either the water was too hot and killed it, or the yeast itself was old and no longer active. Always test the yeast mixture first — it should look foamy and slightly bubbly after 5 to 7 minutes. If it stays flat, discard it and start with a fresh packet before mixing into the flour.
Can I make this without an egg?
Yes, you can skip the egg and brush the naan with plain milk instead. The surface will not have the same shine, but it will still brown and stay soft. Some people use a mix of milk and a little ghee as a substitute, which gives a decent result.
The naan came out hard and crisp instead of soft. What happened?
This usually means the naan was either rolled too thin or baked too long. At 200 degrees Celsius, 10 to 12 minutes is enough. Pull them out as soon as brown spots appear on the surface. Overbaking dries out the moisture quickly and leaves you with a cracker rather than a soft naan.
Can I prepare the dough ahead of time?
Yes. After the first knead, you can cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 8 hours. When you are ready to bake, take it out and let it come to room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before rolling. Cold dough is stiff and will spring back when you try to roll it.
Why did the sesame seeds fall off after baking?
The egg wash acts as the glue for the seeds, so if they are falling off it usually means the seeds were sprinkled after the wash dried slightly. Add the sesame seeds immediately after brushing on the egg wash so they stick properly before the naan goes into the oven.
1 comment
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