Paneer tikka masala pizza

Paneer Tikka Masala Pizza

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes 

Written by guest author Rich

We have been craving Indian pizza.  Unfortunately, the nearest place that we can find that serves it is in Michigan.  One day I was cruising the internet for recipes to inspire me to make it.  I found one on Green Planet by Tori Cooper (vegan Indian pizza ) that at least gave me the right combination of ingredients however, it was vegan but we both love cheese.  

Also, Cooper’s recipe doesn’t include roasting the spices, which is a must in Indian cooking otherwise it leaves you with a raw bitter taste.  I also had to make some other changes as the sauce was a bit sour.  

 

Pizza dough 

 

For the Pizza Dough, I used one can of Wal-Mart Pizza crust.  Grease a round pizza pan and roll the dough.  Set aside and allow to rise.  

 

Ingredients

 

Spices for roasting 

2 teaspoons of ground turmeric

2 teaspoons of garam masala

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 clove

½ teaspoon ground red pepper 

3 pods Cardamom crushed

2 Tbs Sesame Oil

Mix all the spices in a magic bullet (blender) to crush the clove and cardamom and to mix the spices.

 Heat oil on a pan and add the spices to it and roast for about a minute.  Set aside 

 

For Sauce

4 cloves Garlic minced

1 thumb ginger peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small white onion chopped 

1 cup green and red bell peppers

1 can tomato paste (mix with 1 can of water and set aside)

1 can chickpeas

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup of cherry tomatoes – crushed 

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup of plain yogurt (We prefer Desi Natural)  Don’t use Greek yogurt ( it seems more sour) 

½ cup fresh cilantro chopped

¼ cup Brown Sugar

1 bag of fried paneer (Or one block – cubed and fried in about two tablespoons of butter)

 

Toppings: 

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

Tamarind sauce

Red and green bell peppers chopped

Instructions

 

1) Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.  Roast the garlic, ginger, and onion until the onions are transparent. then add the bell peppers and roast them 

2) Add the ground spices and a tablespoon of of oil and roast them as well. 

3) Add tomatoes and cook until the raw smell is gone.  

4) Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tomato paste, paneer, and cook until chickpeas are tender.  

5) Add yogurt and flour and cook until sauce thickens.  

6) Taste sauce and add brown sugar a spoonful at a time until the sour taste is gone, and sauce is slightly sweet.  

7) Spread sauce evenly across the pizza crust.

8) Spread cheese, chopped bell peppers and cilantro on the top.  Bake the pizza at 425F for 15-20 min or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly 

9) Take out of the oven and drizzle with tamarind sauce. Now delicious pizza is ready to serve.