The Delhi High Court has stayed proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against Sudarshan TV and its editor Suresh Chavhanke in connection with allegations that his channel made false accusations against a madrasa. The case against Chavhanke was filed by Mohammed Tufail Khan
China said on Sunday (August 23, 2026) it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon. The Chang'e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch
Canada’s Carney Puts His ‘No Deal Is Better Than a Bad Deal’ Doctrine to the Test The prime minister ’s approach has broad support from the Canadian public and his political opponents, but it isn’t without risks. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:05:27 IST WSJ Prefer HTon Google Share via
A group of former cricket captains, including Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar and one of England's longest-serving skippers Sir Alastair Cook, have called on Pakistan to ensure its ex-PM Imran Khan be given proper care while in custody. The cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since
Fewer than 20 commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz at the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday (August 24, 2026), as Iranian and U.S. blockades restrict traffic through the chokepoint for energy shipments. Four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday (August 23, 2026)
Naan: How the 'world's best bread' travelled from Islamic courts to our plates
Naan: How the 'world's best bread' travelled from Islamic courts to our plates
A pillowy-soft naan - a leavened flatbread popular in South Asia - paired with rich, creamy butter chicken gravy is one of the most popular comfort foods in the region, and it's also one of the most popular Indian dishes abroad.
And while the tangy, aromatic gravy is often considered the show stealer, it would lose much of its charm in the absence of its understated partner.
The naan's chewiness adds texture to every bite; its subtle flavour complements the gravy's spices and seasonings. In fact, the versatile naan diligently props up whatever it is paired with, allowing the main dish to shine.
That's probably why this flatbread has become one of the most popular breads in the world. Recently, butter garlic naan - a flavour-packed rendition of the traditional naan - topped Taste Atlas' best breads list.
It is made by brushing butter onto a piping hot naan and sprinkling a generous amount of chopped garlic on it. Also on the list was aloo naan - made by stuffing the naan with potatoes seasoned with spices and coriander.
While today naans and its versions have become ubiquitous in restaurants serving Indian or Middle Eastern fare, they were once served only in the courts of Islamic kings. So, how did the naan travel from royal kitchens to our plates?
The origins of the naan are murky but many food historians believe that the flatbread originated in ancient Persia, since it derives its name from the the Persian word for bread. The Persians used water and flour to make the bread, which was most-likely baked on hot pebbles.
The naan travelled to the Indian subcontinent with the Sultans who ruled large parts of the subcontinent between the 13th and 16th Centuries. The Muslim rulers brought with them culinary traditions that spoke of their Western and Central Asian roots, which included using a tandoor (clay oven) to cook food.
Amir Khusrau, an Indo-Persian poet who documented courtly life during the reign of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, mentioned two types of naans in his writings - naan-e-tanuk and naan-i-tanuri.
While the former was delicate and thin, the latter was a thick, puffy flatbread baked in a tandoor. During the Delhi Sultanate, naans were usually enjoyed with different meat preparations, like kebabs (meat grilled on skewers over charcoal) and keema (minced meat).
Cooks in the royal kitchens also advanced the art of naan-making by introducing specialised kneading techniques and adding yeast - a rare ingredient at the time - to make the bread softer and fluffier. Because of its complex and expensive preparation, the naan became a luxury food item enjoyed largely by the nobility.
This remained the norm during the reign of subsequent Mughal emperors as well, which stretched over the next three centuries.
"Specialised cooks, called naan bais, made and experimented with the flatbread, using adjectives to highlight their innovations. For example, the naan-e-warqi was a flatbread with thin, flaky layers while the naan-e-tangi was a smaller bread that absorbed gravies well," says Neha Vermani, a historian of South Asia.
Naans were also named after the household kitchens they were crafted in.
"Baqir Khani, a flatbread with a biscuit-like texture, was named so because it was made in the kitchen establishment of Baqir Najm Saini - a high-ranking officer at Jahangir and Shah Jahan's court," Ms Vermani says.
During British rule, the naan remained a food item enjoyed by the elite, but it also travelled to the West through the sojourns of English travellers. Back in India, the naan weaved its way into colonial cuisine, as it began being paired with cured meats or sauces infused with local spices.
"But over time, complex preparations gave way to simpler techniques and a more basic preparation of the naan became accessible to the common man, like the variety we see in most local restaurants today," says Ms Vermani.
Today, naan is made by combing flour, yogurt and yeast and kneading them into a soft dough. The dough is left to rise before being divided into balls and patted into shape by hand. The naan is then placed in a very hot tandoor until it puffs up and brown spots appear. It is lightly brushed with butter or ghee before serving.
But the story of the naan doesn't end here.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the naan saw a fresh wave of innovations as fine dining restaurants in India and abroad began experimenting with the flatbread. Chef Suvir Saran recollects how his restaurant in New York began infusing naan with spinach, gouda and mushrooms.
"It was a way to jazz up the naan to make it more appealing for non-Indians, while Indians could feel less guilty about eating their traditional food abroad," Mr Saran says.
The trend spread like wildfire and today, restaurants across the world are serving experimental naans stuffed and sprinkled with a variety of food items.
"You'll find a restaurant in Goa serving a pork vindaloo naan or a butter chicken naan, while there's one in Hong Kong that serves a truffle cheese naan," Mr Saran says.
"The naan is India's glorious culinary gift to the world," he adds.
Food historians may not fully agree - naan belongs to other South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines as well - but its ties to India are deep and long-standing.
Mr Saran says that the naan offers a message on belonging and the Indian identity.
"The naan tells a story of plurality; of cross-cultural identities co-existing in harmony," he says.
It shows us that differences need not cancel out each other when they can be celebrated together.
Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: World
India had asked the United States not to allow reporters to ask questions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France in June, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Saturday
8 hours ago
Former Australian captain Greg Chappell with the support of 20 other former international skippers appealed to the Pakistan Government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, to provide ‘humane treatment and proper medical care’ for Imran Khan
11 hours ago
The shock resignation of Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran earlier this month has left corporate India's top job vacant. But finding his successor will be no easy task for the country's most revered conglomerate, whose sprawling $300bn empire spans Jaguar Land Rover and Air India as well as
11 hours ago
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a memorandum of understanding with the United States as the best way out of a stalled war. Meanwhile, the new head of the Islamic Republic's top security body warned, in a more forceful tone, of retaliation if neighbouring countries support U.S
11 hours ago
Authorities in China have launched an investigation into reports of formaldehyde being used to preserve the freshness of cabbages for human consumption. Officials in the northeastern Hebei province confirmed that they had verified footage showing individuals dipping cabbages in a solution before
11 hours ago
Three newborns died after a fire that broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati district in the early hours of Monday, PTI reported. The fire broke out at the Amravati District Women’s Hospital around 3
11 hours ago
Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Imran's party demands immediate cardiac care for him at Shifa International Hospital Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:10:49 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Islamabad
11 hours ago
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s three-day visit to New Delhi in July 2026 for the India-Japan summit appears to have elevated relations between the two Asian countries into a fresh phase of strategic expansion. Ties had already undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade
11 hours ago
How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought How well do COVID antivirals actually work? Not as well as we thought Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 11:11:50 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Sydeny, If you're aged over 70
11 hours ago
On Sunday, in a post on X, Wali said the audio contained "explosive evidence" and claimed that Brar admitted his gang had ordered Nijjar's killing, alleging that the assassination was driven by an inter-gang feud. Ottawa: Three years after NIA designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in
15 hours ago
Until recently, there would have been little to distinguish Vietnam's so-called Justice Tree from the hundreds of others lining the streets of Hanoi. Then the bouquets started piling up. It was here that former politician Nguyen Sy Cuong was driving his BMW in May last year when he veered into the
15 hours ago
Fast-fashion giant Shein says it plans to raise up to HK13.86bn (£1.3bn; $1.77bn) when its shares start trading on the Hong Kong stock market on 1 September. In a filing on Monday, Shein said it will offer nearly 280 million shares for between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50
15 hours ago
A fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has forced about 42,000 people to evacuate, while another 45,000 have been urged to prepare to leave. The Hawk Fire has burned 15,040 acres, destroyed some homes and injured six people. Officials declared a state of emergency as the blaze
15 hours ago
Former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri has raised concerns about the verification process under the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Suri, a retired Indian Foreign Services officer, went through the process in Punjab. It is among the 16 states where the voter roll revision is being
15 hours ago
A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday (August 23, 2026), injuring more than 20 people, most of them slightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
1 days ago
Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday (August 22, 2026). More than 2,000 humanoid robots were participating in the event
1 days ago
One afternoon in 1907, a young accountant named Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman walked into the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at 210 Bowbazar Street in Calcutta. Though he had a passion for the sciences, colonial India offered no stable careers in the field
1 days ago
Three first information reports were filed against 14 identified and more than 200 unidentified persons on Saturday in connection with clashes between the police and student protesters a day earlier, PTI quoted Ranchi Superintendent of Police Paras Rana as saying
1 days ago
Did an Amazon delivery guy assault a 71-year-old man in California? What we know about the attack and lawsuit A California lawsuit alleged that an Amazon delivery driver assaulted a 71-year-old man at an Elk Grove gas station. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
‘Pure evil’: Videos of mothers splashing water at their kids spark outrage amid Lindsay Clancy trial Social media videos of mothers throwing water at their children have sparked concerns amid Lindsay Clancy's trial. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The sister of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday (August 22, 2026) filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the government and senior officials of violating the top court’s order to shift him to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment
1 days ago
The United States and Canada have entered into uncharted territory. The longtime allies and economic partners, who have enjoyed free trade for decades, are now in an escalating trade war with no clear off ramp. And for Prime Minister Mark Carney
1 days ago
Harrisburg weather update: Special Weather Statement issued for central Pennsylvania as thunderstorms bring 40mph wind NWS has issued a Special Weather Statement for Harrisburg and surrounding parts of central Pennsylvania. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
The police in Maharashtra’s Latur have registered a first information report against Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign, for allegedly entering a government school without permission, threatening teachers and defaming the institution
1 days ago
The United States and Iran exchanged defiant messages ahead of Monday’s (August 24, 2026) scheduled announcement of new U.S. economic sanctions that could impact the Islamic Republic and Tehran’s most important trading partners including China
1 days ago
Fourteen people were killed in military air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early on Friday, opposition fighters and a local rescue worker have said. All of those killed were elderly and a number of monks were also injured, the rescue worker told BBC Burmese, adding that the site was struck twice
1 days ago
The Armed Forces Tribunal on Thursday upheld an administrative censure for a brigadier who was commanding a sector of the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district in December 2023 when three civilians died during an interrogation following a militant attack
1 days ago
