Naan is much loved by all of us at home. I make it quite often, especially these easy whole wheat flatbreads and pair them with Indian curry dishes. We also love having parathas as a breakfast /brunch option on a lazy Sunday with raitha (yogurt dip) and green chutney. We are a family of four and divided in two teams - my husband and younger daughter are team roti (flatbreads); my older daughter and myself are team rice :-)) and so for us rice lovers there is almost always a rice dish along with roti/parathas at our table. Recently, my husband has developed sensitivity to gluten. This lead me to explore the world of gluten free recipes. (I was also secretly hoping to sway him towards the rice team!) While I was experimenting with different flour combinations for that foolproof gluten free roti recipe, he threw another challenge at me! Now he wanted to be on a grain free diet for a few months (and with that went my hopes that he will come on to our side of the line!) The recipe developer in me loved the challenge though and my brain wheels started churning to develop not only the best gluten free flatbread recipe, but grain free as well! During a conversation with my sister, she mentioned how she was struggling with gluten sensitivity herself. She had tried grain free flatbread mix, but much preferred making them at home from scratch. And then she suggested this flour mix to me. I will explain what those flours are in a moment…
Gluten free naan recipe ingredients
I cannot stop gushing over how lovely this recipe is! This ‘buckwheat naan bread’ (as I also refer to it) is being made on repeat in our house over the past few months and we seem to show no signs of getting tired of it! My husband has given this recipe the title ‘best gluten free flatbread recipe’ that is out there! Requiring only 5 ingredients, recipes cannot get easier than this! These gluten free roti are soft enough to be used as tortilla, wrap or a crepe.
Buckwheat Flour: This nutritious, gluten free (even though it has the word “wheat” in it) flour has a distinctive earthy taste and gives this flatbread its rustic texture.
Roasted Chickpea flour: Also know as sattu, this is a flour made out of roasted chickpeas.
Potatoes: Potatoes add a wonderful texture and creamy taste to the roti. Potatoes also do the job of binding the flours to form a dough because both buckwheat and chickpea flours are gluten free.
Ghee: Both buckwheat and chickpea flours, being gluten free have a dry texture. They therefore need a good amount of moisture (which comes from the potatoes) and good fat (ghee) to bind them well. I love the nutty flavour that ghee adds to this dish. Oil for roasting: Use any neutral oil for roasting the flatbreads. Or ghee.
Instructions
Let us make these gluten free roti shall we? 3. Add a little water and mix the dough again. If you need more water, add in a bit more. The dough formed should be soft but not sticky. It will be difficult to roll out sticky, wet dough. 4. Knead the dough - with the base of your palm and knuckles - for 3-4 minutes till it looks smooth. 5. Pinch the dough into equal(ish) sized portions and roll them into balls. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and keep aside. 6. Roll the naan: On a clean surface, sprinkle some buckwheat flour. Take one ball of dough and dip it in some flour. Roll it out to a round, flat shape, applying very little pressure. If you press too hard while rolling the dough out, the dough will tear/break. Roll out all the other dough balls in the same way. 7. Roast the naan: Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Place one rolled out naan carefully, without breaking it, Roast till you can see bubble appear. Now flip it over. Add 1 teaspoon of oil around the edges and some on the top of the naan. Let it roast till you can see bubbles appear on the other side as well. Press the naan gently with the spatula to help it cook well. The brown spots all over the naan are a sign that it is well roasted. Roast the other naans in the same way. Serve warm with any vegetable or dip of your choice.
Tips and Notes
Potatoes: Use potatoes that are used for making mash. Boil the potatoes till they are soft and fluffy and mash them soft and lump free. This is important. Lumps will tear the roti and make it difficult to roll them out. To be extra sure that there are no lumps, I prefer to grate the boiled potatoes.
Water: The boiled potatoes, for the most part, should give the flours enough moisture to dome together as a dough. You will need to add some water. Use warm water - this will help bind the flours better. I recommend that you keep the water in measured quantity ready and use only as much is required - little by little. The exact amount of water that will be needed will depend on the quality of the flours and variety of potatoes used.
Substitutions
If you cannot find sattu, it is ok to use regular chickpea flour. Use an oil with good fats, such as coconut, avocado or olive oil instead of ghee.
Variation: If you are a fan of gluten-free bread, try this vegan gluten free cornbread.
Serving suggestions
Make a delicious grain free, on the go meal with this easy pickled carrots and daikon and tender okra fry as wrap fillings. Or at the table, with the family, with this delicious green chutney and zucchini lentils I hope that you enjoy making this easy gluten free naan as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. If you have made it, please take a moment to leave a comment and /or a rating below. This will make me super happy and motivate me to create more good content for you! xx Padma
📖 Recipe
Disclosure: The nutritional information is calculated using an online calculator and is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionists’ advice. Changing the quantities and cooking technique will alter the nutritional calculations.
