A soft, leavened flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor oven. Popular in South Asian cuisine and commonly served with curries and other dishes.
From Hindi नान (nān) and Persian نان (nān) meaning 'bread'. The word entered English in the mid-19th century through British colonial exposure to Indian cuisine, though the bread itself has ancient Persian and Central Asian origins before becoming integral to Indian cooking.
Naan actually came to India with Persian and Central Asian invaders, but became so integral to Indian cuisine that most people think it originated there! The traditional teardrop shape comes from the way the dough stretches when slapped against the hot walls of a tandoor oven.
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