Tag: Pizza

The recipe that I have given below is one that I have been making for years. It’s one of the best pizza recipes that I have come across. It was given to me by my friend.

It requires some effort and planning. I usually make the tomato sauce and the topping a day earlier as this saves me a lot of time. The tomato sauce is really delicious. Thick and really luscious. You can use it as a pasta sauce, for making wraps, in sandwiches and lasagne. I use this for almost all the Italian dishes. It also keeps well in the fridge for about a week.

I have used Paneer Tikka as a topping. But you can use any topping of your choice. You can also add capsicum to the paneer and onion.

I like to make the base a little thick. It somehow tastes better – well, according to me anyway! But then again, this is a matter of choice. I used instant yeast but the active dry yeast also works well.

You can also double the recipe. It works very well, especially if you’re having a party.

I usually use a mixture of Cheddar and Mozzarella because I like the strong taste that Cheddar cheese imparts to the overall flavour.

My children tell me that this is the best pizza they’ve tasted! Surprises me, but it’s nice to hear it.

Paneer Tikka Pizza

Ingredients

• 150 gms plain flour
• 200 gms plain flour
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 5 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt

For the tomato sauce

• 2 kg firm tomatoes
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• Salt to taste

For the Paneer Tikka

• 200 gm paneer
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 3 tbsp curds
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

For the topping

• 100 gms Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 100 gms Cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

Cut the onion into large pieces. Marinate the paneer with the onions and all the ingredients for the Tikka and set aside for an hour or overnight.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Take the 150 grams flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture, salt and oil. Mix well. The mixture will be sticky. Add the remaining 200 grams flour and mix well.

Knead the dough for 20 minutes until it is extremely soft. Leave it covered with a damp cloth for 2-3 hours, until it doubles in bulk.

Make an incision at the top of the tomatoes in the shape of a plus (+). Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until the skins peel off easily. Peel, drain and puree the tomatoes in a blender. Heat the oil, add the garlic and chilli powder. Add the tomato puree immediately and bring it to a slow boil on moderate heat. Simmer until it is really thick. It should not be runny. Add the salt, brown sugar and ketchup. Set aside to cool.

At this point, you can pre-heat the oven to 220 C.

Knock down the dough and divide into 2 portions, depending on how large you want the pizza to be. Roll out the dough, using a little flour, into a circle about ¼ inch thick. Leave it in the pan for 15 minutes to rise.

Spoon a little tomato sauce on the pizza base and spread it thickly. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the base is cooked. Add a little Paneer as topping, spreading it around the top. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted. Serve hot.