Foolproof Cheese Naan Recipe – No Resting Time Needed!

Do you have a soft spot for cheese naan too? Contrary to what you might think, this popular snack in French Indian restaurants didn’t actually originate on the streets of Mumbai. The bread, known as naan or nân, has been a staple in South East Central Asia for centuries and is indeed a fundamental part of the diet in India. Made from wheat flour and traditionally unleavened, this flat, crispy bread is baked in a clay oven called a tandoor—which sets it apart from chapati, typically cooked on an iron skillet.

The “cheese” component, however, is believed to have been conceived much later, likely within the confines of Parisian kitchens. Some trace its invention back to 1976 when the Gupta family owned one of the first Indian restaurants in Paris, named Indra. Others credit André Risser, who after returning from London, opened his restaurant Annapurna in 1967. Wanting to infuse a French flair into his Indian dishes, he reportedly had the visionary impulse to add cheese to his naans. Since then, cheese naan has traveled the world and, ironically, made its way back to India to satisfy the cravings of tourists.

Making cheese naans at home is quite straightforward. Normally, the bread dough needs to rise for about two hours before baking. Too long? Marjolaine Sigel, known as @marjolainecooking on Instagram, doesn’t waste another minute waiting since she discovered this easy and fast no-rest recipe!

To whip up a naan, our influencer of the day begins by mixing 60 g of wheat flour with 15 g of water, 5 g of olive oil, 25 g of plain yogurt or white cheese, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. She adjusts the water-to-flour ratio if the dough is too sticky. She then rolls it out into a disk, spreads two portions of Vache qui rit® cheese over one half, folds the dough over to form a turnover (moistening the edges slightly to seal it).

Next, she cooks the naan in a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil until it’s golden brown on both sides. Once nicely colored, she removes it from the heat and simply brushes it with some melted butter. It’s an easy way to create an Indian street food vibe right at home!