Cheese Stuffed Garlic Chilli Naan

I love me some naan with a generous slather of butter. But what I love even more is naan stuffed with cheese and topped with garlic and chilli butter. Phew. 

The beauty of this recipe is that it is easily changeable to whatever you desire. You can pair it with some creamy butter chicken or just have it plain with yoghurt. You can even stuff it with keema or shredded coconut and chocolate. 

This recipe does not use any yeast – great if you can’t get your hands on some yeast right now – and doesn’t involve a tandoor either. If you have a tandoor, then making this naan will be an absolute breeze! 

CHEESE STUFFED GARLIC CHILLI NAAN 

Makes 4 naans

INGREDIENTS

125g all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt 
1.5 tbsp oil or melted butter
61g yoghurt
60ml warm water 

Shredded mozzarella or cheese of choice
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
Handful of coriander, chopped finely

1-2 tbsp butter, melted
2-3 green chillies, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely 
Small handful of coriander, chopped

METHOD

1. In a mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt, and mix to combine. 
2. Add in 1tbsp of the oil or melted butter and the yoghurt, and mix. 
3. Using your hands, start to bring together the mixture, slowly adding in the warm water a little bit a time. Continue doing so until the dough has come together and doesn’t stick to your hands. You may not need to use all the water. 
4. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a floured surface until the dough has become soft. Rub in the remaining oil/melted butter, place in a bowl, and cover with a towel. Leave to rise for a few hours.
5. Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and knead for a minute. Separate it into 4 balls, rub in oil, and cover with cling film. Leave to the side for 10 minutes. 
6. In the meantime, combine the cheese, garlic, and coriander in a bowl. Leave to the side.
7. Take one ball of dough and flatten it out with your fingers. Place some of the cheese mixture in the middle, bring up the sides of the dough to the middle, and seal into a ball. Repeat with all the balls. 
8. Roll out each ball into a flat oval shape and press in the nigella seeds and garlic. You can press in the chillies at this point if you are using a tandoor or an iron tawa. 
9. Place the naan on a hot pan and wait until the naan starts bubbling or the sides start to puff up/ feel more “floury”. Flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat for all the other naans. If you are using an iron tawa, rub one side with water so that it sticks in the pan and when one side is done, flip the pan over so that the heat is in direct contact with the non-cooked side of the naan. You can also just place the uncooked side of the naan on the direct heat with a pair of tongs but beware, it gets messy. 
10. Melt butter with chopped chillies and garlic, and brush directly onto the freshly cooked naans. 
11. Serve naans immediately.