View source for Naan

{{Short description|Asian flatbread}}
{{About|the South and West Asian bread|the Central Asian bread|Tandyr nan|the kibbutz|Na'an|other uses|Naan (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox food
| alternate_name = Nan, Noon, Paan, Faan
| image = Annapurna_Naan.jpg
| cookbook = Naan
| caption = 
| country = 
| region = [[Asian cuisine|Asia]]
| creator = 
| course = 
| served = 
| main_ingredient = [[Flour]], [[yeast]], [[Edible salt|salt]], [[sugar]], [[ghee]], [[water]]
| variations = 
| calories = 
| other = 
}}
'''Naan''' ({{IPAc-en|n|ɑː|n}}) is a [[Leavening|leavened]], oven-baked or [[tava|tawa]]-fried [[flatbread]], that can also be baked in a [[tandoor]]. It is characterised by a light and fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process.<ref name="Bernard">{{cite book|title=Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads By [[Bernard Clayton Jr.]], Donnie A Cameron|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=1987|isbn=9780671602222 }}</ref> Naan is found in the cuisines of [[Iran]], [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asia]], [[South Asian cuisine|South Asia]], [[Southeast Asian cuisine|Southeast Asia]], and the [[Caribbean cuisine|Caribbean]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9mbf5nQvYsC&dq=naan+indian+cuisine&pg=PA134 ''Qmin''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424002241/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9mbf5nQvYsC&dq=naan+indian+cuisine&pg=PA134 |date=24 April 2023 }} by Anil Ashokan, Greg Elms</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oGq4v4e7rG8C&pg=PA118 ''The Science of Cooking''], Peter Barham, Springer: 2001. {{ISBN|978-3-540-67466-5}}. p. 118.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ew8rS8PCkpoC&dq=naan+india&pg=PT432 ''The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424002245/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ew8rS8PCkpoC&dq=naan+india&pg=PT432 |date=24 April 2023 }} by Beth Hensperger</ref>

Composed of white or wheat flour and 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]] and [[yogurt]], with optional additions like milk, egg, or honey. Baking powder or baking soda can be used instead of yeast to reduce the preparation time for the bread.

In the baking process using a tandoor, naan dough is rolled into balls, flattened and pressed against the inner walls, which can reach temperatures up to 480&nbsp;°C (900&nbsp;°F). This method allows the bread to be baked within minutes, achieving a spotty browning due to intense heat. Naan can be prepared on a stovetop using a [[tava]]. The pan may be flipped upside down over the flame to achieve browning on the bread's surface.

Once baked, naan is coated with [[ghee]] or butter and served warm. This soft and pliable bread accompanies meals, replacing utensils for scooping up sauces, stews, and curries, or with dryer dishes like tandoori chicken.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/naan |title=Naan &#124; Description, History, Ingredients, Preparation, & Varieties &#124; Britannica |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328144056/https://www.britannica.com/topic/naan |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Etymology==
[[File:Naan Bakery, Iran, Qajar era (circa 1850).jpg|thumb|A naan bakery in [[Iran]], Qajar era (circa 1850 CE)]]

The term "naan" comes from [[Persian language|Persian]] ''nân'' ({{lang|fa|نان}}), a generic word for any kind of bread.

The earliest known English use of the term occurs in an 1803 travelogue written by [[William Tooke]].<ref>''Russia, or a Complete Historical Account of all the Nations which compose that Empire'', London, p. 168: "The most common dishes are ''onoschi'', 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 the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], ''s.v.'' naan.</ref> While Tooke and other early sources spelled it "nan", the spelling "naan" has become predominant since the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oed.com/|title=Home : Oxford English" Dictionary|work=oed.com|access-date=6 September 2015|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429011522/https://www.oed.com/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Milton Glaser and Jerome Snyder. [https://books.google.com/books?id=IugCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA73 "Delhi Delights"], ''[[New York Magazine]]'', August 11, 1975, p. 73</ref>

==Varieties==

===Indian subcontinent===
Naan spread to the [[Indian subcontinent]] during the Islamic [[Delhi Sultanate]] period. The earliest mention of naan in the region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poet [[Amir Khusrau]] living in [[India]] during the 1300s AD. Khusrau mentions two kinds of naan eaten by [[Muslims|Muslim]] nobles; Naan-e-Tunuk and Naan-e-Tanuri. Naan-e-Tunuk was a light or thin bread, while Naan-e-Tanuri was a heavy bread and was baked in the tandoor.<ref>{{cite news |title=History of Naan |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-to-make-naan-at-home/photostory/76323647.cms |publisher=Times of India |date=Jun 11, 2020 |access-date=22 January 2023 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122031329/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-to-make-naan-at-home/photostory/76323647.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> During India’s [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] era in the 1520s, naan was a delicacy that only nobles and royal families enjoyed because of the lengthy process of making leavened bread and because the art of making naan was a revered skill known by few. The [[Ain-i-Akbari]], a record of the third Mughal emperor’s reign, refers to naan being eaten with [[kebab]]s or [[Ground meat|kheema]] in it. By the 1700s, naan had reached the masses in Mughal cultural centers in South Asia.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dash |first1=MadhulIka |title=Breaking Bread |url=https://www.masalalibrary.co.in/img/media/z/Jun-2015-Forbes-Life-Nat-Breaking-Bread.pdf |agency=Forbes |issue=May–June |publisher=Forbes life india |date=2015 |access-date=22 January 2023 |archive-date=22 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122031330/https://www.masalalibrary.co.in/img/media/z/Jun-2015-Forbes-Life-Nat-Breaking-Bread.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Indonesia===
In [[Indonesia]], naan is a popular alternative to [[rice]] among the [[Indian Indonesian|Indians]], [[Arab Indonesian|Arabs]], [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]], [[Acehnese people|Acehnese]] and the [[Minangkabau people|Minangkabaus]], similar though not the same as [[roti]] or [[roti canai]] which was introduced from [[Tamils]]. This dish is known as roti naan or roti nan, and is cooked using Indonesian spices such as garlic.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.bakingwithnyssaeda.com/2015/07/indonesian-flatbread.html | title=Baking with Eda: 'Naan' Indonesian Flatbread | access-date=22 May 2020 | archive-date=26 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026153244/http://www.bakingwithnyssaeda.com/2015/07/indonesian-flatbread.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Myanmar===
''Naan bya'' ({{langx|my|နံပြား}}) in [[Myanmar]] is traditionally served at teahouses with tea or coffee as a breakfast item.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Eating in Burma |url=https://www.travelfish.org/beginners_detail/burma_myanmar/109 |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=Travelfish |language=en |archive-date=29 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529230852/https://www.travelfish.org/beginners_detail/burma_myanmar/109 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is round, soft, and blistered, often buttered, or with creamy {{Transliteration|my|pè byouk}} (boiled [[chickpea]]s) cooked with onions spread on top, or dipped with [[Burmese curry]].<ref name=":0" />

{{external media
| float  = left
| width  = 210px
| image1 = [https://web.archive.org/web/20230206152139/https://www.flickr.com/photos/krsaurabh/sets/72157673470464083 A slideshow of Hyderabadi Kulcha / Naan / Sheermaal preparation images]. Published on [[Flickr]], ''retrieved 2023-02-06''}}

===China===
The [[Jingzhou]] style of [[guokui]], a flatbread prepared inside a cylindrical charcoal oven much like a tandoor, has been described as "Chinese naan".<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.8days.sg/eatanddrink/newsandopening/this-1-000-year-old-chinese-naan-was-once-cooked-in-a-hat-and-it-11494466 | title=This 1,000-Year-Old Chinese 'Naan' Was Once Cooked in a Hat, and It's Yummy | access-date=3 July 2021 | archive-date=11 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711020334/https://www.8days.sg/eatanddrink/newsandopening/this-1-000-year-old-chinese-naan-was-once-cooked-in-a-hat-and-it-11494466 | url-status=live }}</ref> It is also an integral part of [[Uyghur cuisine]] and is known in Chinese as 饢 (''náng'').<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10399-uighur-nan-with-cumin-and-onion | title=Uighur Nan with Cumin and Onion Recipe | access-date=4 February 2022 | archive-date=4 February 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204011818/https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10399-uighur-nan-with-cumin-and-onion | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.therakyatpost.com/taste/2021/05/06/have-you-ever-seen-uyghur-bazaar-naan-its-so-fluffy-and-delicious/ | title=Have You Ever Seen Uyghur Bazaar Naan? It's So Fluffy and Delicious &#124; TRP | date=6 May 2021 | access-date=4 February 2022 | archive-date=4 February 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204011819/https://www.therakyatpost.com/taste/2021/05/06/have-you-ever-seen-uyghur-bazaar-naan-its-so-fluffy-and-delicious/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Japan===
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.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.sankei.com/article/20180728-AI6SJ4EYPFPIRJQQDEXNQDOR74/ | title=【近ごろ都に流行るもの】「カレーにナン」本場インド以上に普及・巨大化 | date=27 July 2018 | access-date=17 January 2022 | archive-date=18 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182423/https://www.sankei.com/article/20180728-AI6SJ4EYPFPIRJQQDEXNQDOR74/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/278786 | title=インド人が驚く日本の｢ナン｣独自すぎる進化 &#124; 食べれば世界がわかる！カレー経済圏 | date=6 May 2019 | access-date=17 January 2022 | archive-date=18 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182633/https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/278786 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://zatsuneta.com/archives/005622.html | title=日本のインド料理店のナンが大きい理由 &#124; 雑学ネタ帳 | access-date=17 January 2022 | archive-date=18 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182447/https://zatsuneta.com/archives/005622.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Georgia ===
[[Shotis puri]] is a popular flat bread eaten in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and cooked by sticking dough to the sides of a tandoor-like clay oven called a ''tone''.

===Elsewhere===
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 of [[pizza]] where naan is used as the crust instead of the traditional pizza dough. Chefs such as [[Nigella Lawson]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/naan-pizza-9|title=NAAN PIZZA - Recipes - Nigella Lawson|author=Nigella|work=nigella.com|access-date=6 September 2015|archive-date=9 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909211811/http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/naan-pizza-9|url-status=live}}</ref> and supermarkets such as [[Wegmans]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/RecipesView?Ntk=RecipeSearch&N=78&Nty=1&storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10002&Ntx=mode+MatchAllPartial&forwardto=RecipesView&Ntt=naan+pizza&quickRecipe_Ntt=naan+pizza|title=Recipes - Wegmans|work=wegmans.com|access-date=6 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501200405/http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/RecipesView?Ntk=RecipeSearch&N=78&Nty=1&storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10002&Ntx=mode+MatchAllPartial&forwardto=RecipesView&Ntt=naan+pizza&quickRecipe_Ntt=naan+pizza|archive-date=1 May 2014}}</ref> offer recipes for people to make their own naan pizza at home, though it is certainly not traditional.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Bread of Afghanistan in 2010.jpg|Nan in [[Afghanistan]]
File:Naan in Afghanistan.jpg|Nan in [[Kabul]], Afghanistan
File:نان مزاری.jpg|Nan in [[Mazar-e Sharif]], Afghanistan
File:Indian naan bread.jpg|[[India]]n naan baked in the [[tandoor]]
File:Peshawari Roti, Pakistan.jpg|[[Tandoor]]-baked naan in [[Karachi]]
File:二道桥 馕店2.jpg| A Uyghur naan store in [[Ürümqi]], China 
File:Baking bread by nomad women in Lar National Park.jpg|Nan in [[Iran]]
File:Iranian Bread 1.JPG|[[Nân-e barbari]] in Iran
File:Naan Sangak.jpg|[[Nân-e sangak]] in Iran
File:Taftan nan 01.jpg|[[Nân-e tâftun]] in Iran
File:Butter Garlic Naan.jpg|Butter garlic naan
File:Cheese Naan.jpg|[[Paneer]] (cheese) naan
File:Nanbya.jpg|Burmese nan bya
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Iranian cuisine#Bread|Iranian naans]]
** [[Sangak]]
** [[Taftan (bread)|Taftoon]]
** [[Barbari bread|Barbari]]
** [[Lavash]]
* [[Tandoor bread]]
** ''[[Tandoori roti]]''
** ''[[Tandoori paratha]]''
** ''[[Tandyr nan]]''
* ''[[Bazlama]]''
* [[Shotis puri]]
* [[Tonis puri]]
* ''[[Matnakash]]''
* ''[[Paratha]]''
* ''[[Parotta]]''
* [[Afghan bread]]
* [[Indian breads]]
* [[Pakistani breads]]
* [[List of Pakistani breads]]
* [[List of Indian breads]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

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{{Subject bar|auto=1|cookbook=Naan|Afghanistan|Iran|India|Pakistan|Middle East|Food}}

[[Category:Afghan cuisine]]
[[Category:South Asian breads]]
[[Category:Yeast breads]]
[[Category:Flatbreads]]
[[Category:Persian words and phrases]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Bengali cuisine]]
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