Stef is allergic to wheat products, so we rocked the gluten-free naan action for the Indian Feast.  She and Ken came prepared with this recipe, which we veganized.  It was some superlative naan, I assure you.  I should mention that before they arrived on Saturday night, I searched high and low all over the interwebs for vegan AND gluten free naan to no avail.  So this might be one of the only recipes of this sort you'll find for this Indian curry-scooping staple.  Here's the translation:

Veganized Gluten Free Naan

  • 1 cup tepid unsweetened soy milk
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour (superfine)
  • 1/2 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
  • 3 tbsp chickpea (garbanzo bean) and/or fava bean flour (we didn't have the required teff flour and this worked fine)
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp dried active yeast
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup soy creamer (or soymilk) with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tbsp cornstarch added as replacement for the yogurt [plain soy, coconut or rice yogurt would probably work fine too if you have one of them on hand (we didn't)]
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed combined with 3 tbsp water as replacement for the egg
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • melted Earth Balance (tm) for brushing atop naan prior to baking
  • onion powder and more salt for sprinkling onto naan prior to baking
  • optional fresh minced chives--either mix into dough or sprinkle atop each piece prior to baking (ideally both!)

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the tepid soymilk and store in a warm place for 10 minutes or so. Make the "egg" and set aside. Make the "yogurt" by whisking the ingredients together and set aside. In a large-ish bowl, sift the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum) together. Mix the wet ingredients ("egg", "yogurt", and yeast-milk) into the dry and continue mixing until a smooth dough is formed.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide dough into about six separate balls, and roll each one into a thin flat round using the traditional rolling pin method (be sure to use one of the flours on the rolling pin and surface first), or use a floured plastic bag or piece of parchment paper between the rolling pin and the dough. It should look something like this:

Place each piece onto an oiled cookie sheet and bake for about three minutes. Flip bread and bake for 2 minutes more.  Watch for brown spots to appear on top of each piece. You may need to put it under the broiler for additional browning, or add baking time depending on your oven.

Celiacs and vegans alike can rejoice over this one!  The naan was an essential component to our feast.  Victory!