The leavened Indian flatbread traditionally baked against the inner wall of a clay tandoor oven is naan.
Naan dough is usually made with wheat flour, water, salt, and a leavening agent such as yeast; yogurt, milk, ghee, or baking powder may also be used. In a tandoor, the dough is flattened and pressed onto the hot inner wall, where it adheres while baking rapidly. The intense heat produces a soft, chewy bread with characteristic blistered or browned spots.
The name comes from Persian nān, a general word for bread. Naan became established in the Indian subcontinent during the period of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate, and early references are associated with the 14th-century poet Amir Khusrau. During the Mughal era, it was especially associated with elite and courtly food before becoming more widely available.
Naan is often confused with chapati, roti, and paratha. Those breads may be cooked on a tava or griddle and are not defined by the same leavened, tandoor-baked tradition. Naan can also be made without a tandoor, including on a stovetop.