I’ve been obsessed with Indian inspired cuisine since I was a kid! Naan, specifically garlic naan is possibly my favorite thing. I wasn’t aware for a long time that naan isn’t vegan! Most traditional recipes have yogurt in them. So, I made this incredible cheese stuffed homemade vegan garlic naan recipe for you guys so you can have some incredible vegan naan at home! Not only is this just a really awesome vegan garlic naan recipe, it is even better with melty vegan cheese stuffed inside. Once you proof the naan dough, you flatten each piece, fill it with vegan cheese. Then roll them into a ball and flatten back out before cooking!
What You Need For This Vegan Naan Recipe:
- All Purpose Flour: Just mixed with salt, to start the naan dough.
- Cane Sugar: You can also use agave or maple syrup if you prefer.
- Active Dry Yeast: This is a yeast dough that needs to rise, but it is so easy.
- Warm Water: Mixed with the sugar and yeast to bloom the yeast.
- Vegan Yogurt: You want just plain yogurt.
- Vegan Cheese: I used Chao brand cheese this time, but I also love Follow Your Heart, Violife and Miyoko’s.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic goes in the inside and outside of the naan.
- Herbs: I used chives and cilantro.
- Vegan Butter and Oil: To pan fry the naan and for brushing the outside of the naan once it is done.
In my humble opinion, no Indian-inspired meal is complete without this cheese stuffed homemade vegan garlic naan recipe! If you have never made homemade naan before, it is super easy. Plus you can use this recipe to make any flavor you want. Skip the vegan cheese and just do garlic naan. You can skip the garlic and make it plain. Or just brush with herb butter to make it herby. There is a lot you can do with this basic recipe!
Why Should You Make This Cheese Stuffed Naan?
- Well, first, it is delicious!
- It is super fun to make.
- This naan recipe is so easy.
- I made this recipe to be really easy to customize so you can change up the flavors.
- There is nothing better than hot, fresh, naan!
Cheese Stuffed Vegan Garlic Naan
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Warm water(about 110 degrees)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons Organic cane sugar, agave or maple syrup
- 2 1/4 Cups All purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Plain vegan yogurt, I used Kite Hill
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 1/2 Cups Vegan cheese, I used Chao brand shreds
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Fresh chives, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
- Pinch of Red pepper flakes
- Oil for cooking
Garlic Butter for Topping
- 1/3 Cup Vegan butter, melted
- 8 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh chives, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the warm water and sprinkle the yeast into the water.
- Sprinkle the sugar on top of the yeast and then stir, just once to make sure the yeast is in the water. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until the yeast blooms. It should be bubbly and frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Then make a well in the center of the flour. Then when the yeast is ready, pour the whole yeast mixture into the center of the flour.
- Then add the yogurt, and olive oil into the center too. Begin to mix everything together with a rubber spatula.
- Once it gets hard to stir, begin to knead the dough with your hands. Knead for a few minutes until the dough comes together and is smooth and no longer sticky. It may seem dry at first, but just keep kneading.
- Put the dough in a bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and then cover with a kitchen towel.
- Let the dough rise in a warm dry place(I like to preheat my oven to 200 degrees F, and then turn the oven off and let it rise in there) for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- In a small bowl mix together the vegan cheese, garlic, chives, cilantro and red pepper.
- Take one piece of dough, press it down and flatten it, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture to the center of the dough. Then fold the dough over the cheese mixture and make it into a ball.(See video)
- Now, roll the ball out with a rolling pin into a thin circle that is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
- Repeat with all the dough.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium high.
- Put 2 to 3 pieces of naan in the skillet at a time and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, reducing heat as needed, until the naan is golden brown on both sides.
- Repeat with all the naan, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
- Once all the naan is done, make the topping. Whisk together the melted vegan butter, garlic, chives and cilantro. Brush the outside of each piece of naan with the garlic, herb butter.
- Serve immediately!
Amanpreet Kaur Samra
Well, this looks absolutely mouthwatering n even more coz it’s vegan…I didn’t know so many delicious options exist for vegans…Thanks for sharing…
Bia
I made it!
I will NEVER buy store bought naan again.
This came out delicious.
Tamara Sarg
So delicious! I used some pepper jack cheese that I needed to use up, along with the garlic. So good and easy and fast! Lovely with the lentil curry. 🙂