Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Naan
212 kcal a serving, against 347 for the traditional version. That is 135 kcal off, or 39%, with 9.8g of protein. Serves 8. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A soft, pillowy dough made from white flour, heavily enriched with whole milk, full-fat yoghurt and a large dose of sugar, cooked fiercely in a tandoor oven and then absolutely drenched in melted ghee before hitting your plate.
What changed, and what each change costs
80g of ghee, 150g of whole milk and 100g of full-fat yoghurt for 350g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Stripping out the heavy dairy fats removes dead weight from the recipe. The thick Greek yoghurt brings a massive hit of protein while providing all the liquid the dough needs to come together.
What it costs you. You lose the rich, flaky softness that melted fat brings to a baked dough. The resulting bread is noticeably chewier and tougher, leaning much closer to a standard flatbread than a classic restaurant naan. It tears rather than melts.
20g of sugar down to zero
Sugar in a bread dough helps it brown quickly and adds a background sweetness that tricks your brain into eating more. You just don't need it. The hot pan will blister the dough perfectly fine without relying on caramelising sugar.
What it costs you. The cooked bread lacks that slight sweetness that usually cuts through a fiery, spicy curry. This means your main dish has to do all the heavy lifting for flavour, which is exactly how a meal should work.
Brushing with ghee for a scattering of fresh garlic and coriander
Slathering cooked bread in melted butter right before serving is madness if you want to stay awake past 8pm. Pounding raw garlic and fresh herbs directly into the dough before cooking gives you a massive aromatic punch for zero cost.
What it costs you. You miss out on the glossy, slippery finish that leaves tasty grease all over your hands. I think you'll survive the loss.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 347 | 212 |
| Protein | 7.5g | 9.8g |
| Fat | 11.6g | 0.7g |
| Saturated fat | 6.7g | 0.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 52g | 40.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.2g | 4.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
I will be straight with you: this is a highly functional flatbread. It lacks the buttery tear of a proper tandoor-baked naan, and I am fine with that. What you get instead is a brilliant, chewy vehicle for scooping up heavy sauce that costs a fraction of the original. The garlic and coriander hit hard, the yoghurt brings a lovely sourdough-style tang, and it leaves you with plenty of room to enjoy the main event.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback