Few things in life spark instant joy and a hot, soft naan is one of them. With its ancient origins and delicious taste, naan refers to a specific kind of flatbread that is served in almost every South Asian restaurant along with a flavorful curry.
Naan recipe involves mixing white or whole wheat flour with dry yeast, salt, and water. The dough is kneaded for a few minutes, then set aside to rise for a few hours. The dough is then rolled flat and cooked in a tandoor, which is a clay or metal oven used for cooking and baking in South Asia. Flatbreads like naan are cooked against the sides of the oven and stick to the super-heated surface, and in a span of a few seconds, the high heat fills the inside of the flat-bread with air pockets and bakes them to perfection. This helps it turn out extremely soft, airy, and mouth-watering with beautiful golden brown spots. If ordering naan today is on the agenda, then take a peek at some of the appetizing options in Hoboken and Jersey City.
Hoboken
Curry Up Now {91 Washington Street}
{Photo credit: @curryupnow}
Originally a food truck in California, Curry up now was quick to win hearts and turn into one of the fastest-growing Indian fast-casual concepts in the U.S. Every item on the menu brings a funky twist to Indian food and the ‘Naughty naan’ is absolute proof. It is a flatbread of kulcha naan, mozzarella, caramelized onions, shaved jalapeño, and your choice of protein.
Empyrean Indian Kitchen {20 Hudson Place}
{Photo credit: @empyreankitchen}
One of the newest members of the Hoboken community is Empyrean Indian Kitchen. They have a delectable array of Indian dishes and the keema naan is worth checking out. It is a traditional naan stuffed with keema {ground lamb cooked with aromatics and Indian spices}.
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Karma Kafe {505 Washington Street}
{Photo credit: @karmakafeusa}
Not only is Karma Kafe one of the earliest Indian restaurants in Hoboken, but also a local favorite for all the right reasons. While the entire menu is worth eating in one sitting, the garlic naan continues to be the highlight.
Jersey City
Amiya {101 Hudson Street}
{Photo credit: @amiyarestaurant}
Why settle for one kind of naan when you can really just try them all? Amiya’s contemporary Indian cuisine offers an array of selections – chicken tikka naan, chili garlic naan, coconut naan, and keema naan. Also available are mixed bread baskets for dinner that can be paired with a wide-range of gravy options.
Brick Lane Curry House {136 Newark Avenue}
New to the scene, Brick Lane Curry House specializes in Indian food and for your next naan fix, this spot offers regular naan and a made-to-order mushroom and truffle oil naan.
Laree Adda {287 Grove Street}
Laree Adda translates to ‘Lorry stop’, which is a place between places. While they do have an interesting hi-tea menu, the naan selection cannot be missed. Along with plain and garlic naan, they also have roghni naan which is a flatbread garnished with sesame seeds and butter.
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Pariwaar Delights {827 Newark Avenue}
Pariwaar Delights offers an array of Indian dishes, including naan. The options include regular naan, butter naan, and garlic naan.
Sapthagiri {804 Newark Avenue}
Nestled on the corner of Liberty and Newark Avenue, Sapthagiri Jersey City is one of the only restaurants in Journal Square with outdoor seating and serves up authentic Indian food. This spot offers chilly naan, butter naan, garlic naan, paneer naan, and cheese naan.
Shadman {293 Grove Street}
When in search of an authentic Pakistani and Indian cuisine, look no further than Shadman. While there’s the traditional naan, the kebab rolls are the real secret. Each roll is stuffed with salad, coriander yoghurt, and a well-cooked kebab that’s wrapped in a fluffy puffy naan.
Rasoi {810 Newark Avenue}
Rasoi offers Kashmiri Naan which is a sweet dough stuffed with almond, kishmish, cashew nuts, and pista baked in a clay oven. And when looking for something spicy, consider a chili naan topped with extra butter. As its tagline says “Deliciously memorable” and with the variety of naans on the menu, the experience is surely going to satisfy your palette.
