Oven-Baked Kashmiri Naan (A Festive Indian Flatbread)
Kashmiri Naan is a traditional Indian stuffed bread known for its slightly sweet filling and fragrant spices. This version is 100% plant-based but just as indulgent and flavorful. Have it for breakfast or brunch with your favorite chai tea or for supper, with one of my homemade Indian dishes.
Every time I make this Kashmiri naan, it fills my heart with great joy! From kneading the dough with my bare hands, to the air in my kitchen filling with the earthy smell of the dough as it rises; to me, these are gentle hints of the goodness that’s to come. But that’s not all…
Once the dough has risen, it’s stuffed with a delicate blend of nuts, dried fruits, and aromatic spices that are mixed with the natural sweetness of date syrup. The flavors meld together beautifully, and when the naan finally comes out of the oven, golden and slightly puffed, the luxurious taste takes over—rich, sweet, and savory, with every bite a perfect balance of softness and crunch. It’s like a little piece of heaven with every mouthful.
Check out these 5 Vegan Naan Breads roundup if you love vegan naan!
Where did Kashmiri Naan Originate?
Kashmiri naan, a cherished staple of Kashmiri cuisine, traces its roots to the Mughal era, when royal influences merged with local traditions. Unlike the plain naan found elsewhere (like my Vegan Garlic Naan), it’s stuffed with a rich mix of nuts, dried fruits, and spices and has become a symbol of hospitality, often served in celebrations during the festive season.
Over time, this flavorful bread has come to represent warmth, community, and shared heritage. Its careful preparation is an art, and its aroma evokes memories of home and togetherness. More than just food, Kashmiri naan is a wonderful reflection of love, culture, and the enduring spirit of the Kashmiri people.
Kashmiri Naan Ingredients (With Substitutions)
For the Dough
- All Purpose Flour – bread flour or any white flour will also work. If you prefer a healthier version, please feel free to substitute with wheat flour.
- Olive Oil – any neutral oil will work.
- Active Dry Yeast & Sugar – add one packet of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar to 3/4 cup warm water and let it proof for 10-15 minutes until it becomes foamy. If it doesn’t, it means your yeast is no good and you should replace it with new.
- Baking Powder – gives the naan bread a little more uumph to the rise (I know that’s not a word but I like it!)
- Plant Milk – I use oatmilk in all my plant-based recipes, but any plant milk will do.
- Sea Salt – a teaspoon (or less) is all you need.
For the Filling
- Black Garlic – if you’ve tried me Vegan White Bean Chili, loaded with black garlic, you know how earthy and slightly sweet its flavor profile is. You do have the option of leaving it out.
- Pistachios – crush them with a nut hammer or the bottom of a jar for best results.
- Cashews – use raw, crushed, unsalted cashews. You can sub with other nuts if you choose, such as almonds, pecans or macadamia nuts if you want to get fancy.
- Golden Raisins – I love golden raisins best in this recipe, but any other raisins will work just fine.
- Dried Apricots – be sure to finely chop this luscious dried fruit. You can sub with dried cherries, dried mangoes, or any other dried fruit of your choosing.
- Medjool Dates – make sure you purchase dates with no pits in them. You can substitute dried figs if you don’t have dates.
- Date Syrup (pictured below) – brings all these delightful ingredients together; sub maple syrup or agave if you’re not a date syrup fan.
- Spices – cardamom, saffron, fennel seeds, cinnamon – please note: saffron is optional, but it gives it such an unique taste, it’s worth the purchase. I’ve made this Kashmiri Naan recipe with saffron, and without, and it tastes fantastic either way.
How to Make Kashmiri Naan Filling
- Chop black garlic, pistachios, cashews, dried apricots and dates into small pieces.
- Add chopped ingredients and golden raisins to a medium bowl. Stir in date syrup and spices (cardamom, saffron, fennel seeds and cinnamon) until well-incorporated. You can make this while the dough is rising and set aside.
How to Make Kashmiri Naan
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 450F/232C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Proof the yeast by adding a packet of yeast (about 2 teaspoons) to 3/4 cup warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Give it a gentle stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets foamy.
2. Add flour, baking powder, oat milk, olive oil and sea salt to a large bowl. Make a well in the middle with your fingers and add your yeast mixture. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
3. Use the dough hook on your stand mixer or your hands, and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.
4. Cover with a clean moist dish towel and place in a warm place to let it rise for 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in size.
5. Once the dough has risen, punch it down with your fist, then roll into a large ball. Place on a cutting board sprinkled with flour and cut into 4 equal-sized “pillows”.
6. Use a floured rolling pin and roll out each piece into a round shape. Spoon about 2 tbsp of filling into the center of the dough.
7. Fold and pinch the ends together like you’re folding a dumpling.
8. Turn your dumpling over so the seam is on the bottom. Use your rolling pin to roll it out about an eighth of an inch thick. It’s ok if there are bumps in it from the filling.
Brush with vegan melted butter and bake in a preheated oven at 450F/C for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with sliced almonds, pepitas and chopped cilantro. Serve with a side of mint or mango chutney and your favorite Indian dish (like my Spinach and Potato Curry or my Vegan Paneer Butter Masala).
Helpful Bread Making Tips
- Traditionally, Kashmiri Naan bakes in a tandoor oven (see below), but they are very expensive. A tagine also works – and it’s less expensive – but the texture may not turn out the same as when cooked in the oven which also works great. For my version, you’ll make it in a regular oven or on the stove.
- If you don’t want to turn your oven on, pour a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Be sure to use fresh yeast and proof it first by mixing warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. It should turn foamy after 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t you should get new yeast before proceeding.
- Watch Kashmiri Naan carefully in the oven. Because it’s cooked at a very high heat, the edges of the dough can easily get too brown. If you notice the edges getting far browner than the middle, cover edges with small strips of foil.
- If using saffron in the filling, use only a small pinch taken with your fingers. Using too much tends to overpower the other flavors.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
To store: Kashmiri Naan is best eaten right out of the oven. However, it can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze: wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container in your freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: stick the frozen naan bread container in your refrigerator overnight, or on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours. Wrap in foil to reheat in the oven for 7-10 minutes. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
- Homestyle Jeera Rice
- Indian Butter Chickpeas
- Spinach and Potato Curry
- Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
- Vegan Paneer Butter Masala
- One Pot Chickpea Coconut Curry
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
FAQ
My version of Kashmiri Naan is dairy-free and uses no animal products. It’s made from a dough of flour, yeast, baking powder, olive oil, plant milk, sugar and a pinch of sea salt. It’s then filled with dried fruits, nuts and wonderful aromatic spices. For a naan bread without yeast, try my Vegan Garlic Naan, one of the most popular recipes on the blog.
Kashmiri Naan, a popular Indian flatbread, has several variations. You can make it with whole wheat flour or white flour and with, or without, baking powder. You can make it salt-free and without yeast by omitting the sea salt and yeast, and doubling up on the baking powder.
You can fill it with any type of dry fruit, like cherries, cranberries, mango, or dried apricots and any kind of nuts, like cashews and pistachios (like my version), almonds or even macadamia nuts. You can play with the spices by adding cardamom, saffron, fennel seeds and cinnamon, like I did, or cumin seeds, fenugreek, ground coriander or whatever you have on hand. It’s a very versatile bread popular in Indian cuisine.
Kashmiri Naan has a flavor profile that’s both sweet and savory. This is brought out by a filling made with dried fruits, crunchy nuts and a myriad of spices. Not only is the filling delicious, but it provides a lovely contrast of sweetness and crunch, which is part of the pleasure of eating it.
More Delicious Bread Recipes
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Kashmiri Naan Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp active yeast or one packet
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
For the Filling
- 3 tbsp dried apricots chopped
- 2 tbsp dried dates pit removed; chopped
- 2 tbsp pistachios chopped
- 2 tbsp raw cashews chopped
- 1 tsp cardamom ground
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- small pinch of saffron
- 1 tbsp date syrup or maple syrup
For Garnish
- vegan butter melted
- cilantro chopped
- almonds sliced
- pumpkin seeds or pepitas
Instructions
- Before you begin, preheat your oven to 450F/232C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To start, activate the yeast by mixing, in a small bowl, warm water, yeast and sugar. I usually give it a little stir, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- Make the dough by adding flour, baking powder, salt and olive oil to a mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture with your fingers and add the liquid yeast mixture.
- Mix together with a wooden spoon, then knead for 8-10 minutes with your hands or the dough attachment on a stand mixer until soft and smooth. Add a spoonful of flour if too sticky, or a splash of water if too dry.
- Place dough in a slightly oiled large bowl (or you can leave it in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and set in a warm spot. Let it rise for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
- While the dough is rising, make the filling by adding all the chopped filling ingredients to a medium bowl. Add date syrup and mix to combine until everything is evenly coated.
- Once the dough has risen, punch down the dough with your fist, smooth it into a large ball and divide into 4 equal balls. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out into a cylindrical shape with a rolling pin until it's about 1/8 inch thick. To keep dough from sticking to rolling pin, coat it lightly with flour.
- Add 2 tbsp of filling to the center of the dough and fold over like a dumpling, pinching the 2 sides together.
Cooking Instructions
- SKILLET: Heat a small amount of neutral oil in a large skillet. Add naan bread to skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all dough balls are cooked. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
- OVEN: Place 4 pieces of Kashmiri Naan bread on a parchment line baking sheet. Brush with vegan butter and cook in the oven at 400F/C for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
To Garnish
- Once out of the oven or skillet, brush again with vegan butter. Top with chopped cilantro or parsley and sliced almonds. Serve piping hot with your favorite chutney.
Notes
- Traditionally, Kashmiri Naan bakes in a tandoor oven (see below), but they are very expensive. A tagine also works – and it’s less expensive – but the texture may not turn out the same as when cooked in the oven which also works great. For my version, you’ll make it in a regular oven or on the stove.
- If you don’t want to turn your oven on, pour a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Be sure to use fresh yeast and proof it first by mixing warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. It should turn foamy after 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t you should get new yeast before proceeding.
- Watch Kashmiri Naan carefully in the oven. Because it’s cooked at a very high heat, the edges of the dough can easily get too brown. If you notice the edges getting far browner than the middle, cover edges with small strips of foil.
- If using saffron in the filling, use only a small pinch taken with your fingers. Using too much tends to overpower the other flavors.
I tried these vegan naan breads and they were soft, fluffy, and so easy to make at home—perfect with any curry!
Wow! You tried all of them?
This naan is amazing! Such a yummy recipe.
Thank you Jaleah.
This naan recipe is amazing! Super yummy and easy to follow
Glad to hear that. Thanks Nicole.
Tried this oven-baked Kashmiri naan and it turned out amazing—soft, slightly sweet, and so pretty with the toppings!
Thank you Claudia, glad you enjoyed it.
My son and I made this together–so fantastic. We really loved the filling.
Thank you Ashley yes I love the Filling too!
The filling was super flavorful—loved the mix of nuts and dried fruit with the warm spices.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment.
THis stuffed naan is indeed rich and delicious. I served it with paneer butter masala and everyone loved it.
Oh that sounds great I have a recipe for vegan paneer butter masala that I often fix with this Kashmiri naan. Thanks for your comment.
This naan recipe is awesome- soft and chewy
Happy to hear that. Thanks Aish.
This Naan is amazing!! Super flavorful, yet sweet.
Happy to hear that. Thank you Jaleah.
This Naan is so delicious!! Loved this recipe.
Thank you Nicole.
absolutely delicious! We had a curry night party and I was in charge of the naan. Didn’t last very long!
I think that would be my favorite thing to be assigned to at a party! Thanks Amy.
This Naan was delicious!!! I loved combination of sweet fruit and crunch from the seeds and nuts in the filling!
Thanks Liz.