Paneer Pizza - Herbivore Cucina

When it is a weekend and I am thinking what to make for lunch or dinner, my family has just one answer, PIZZA. Pizza baked from scratch is probably one of the most common weekend foods we enjoy. It is thus that we have been experimenting with different kinds of pizzas at home. The first one was the Veggie pizza, followed by the spinach artichoke pizza and a fusion of Indian and Italian in the form of pav bhaji pizza.

Following these pizzas, and given our love for home-made punjabi food, paneer pizza was an obvious choice to bake this weekend. I had a big block of paneer sitting in the fridge and all purpose flour and yeast are generally always present in bulk. Combining all these, I decided to make a BIG paneer pizza. Three cups of all purpose flour is enough to make a thick crust 14" pizza from scratch. The flavors were so perfect and the XL size was more than enough for two of us!

Apart from the flavors, what was new in this time's lunch was our brand new pizza cutter! I have been using a roller style cutter since forever. Last week I was sent a 14" pizza cutter from #TipnToss. On opening the packet, I saw how well it was built. The top is made from rubberwood and is of the perfect width to fit in your hand. The length of the sharp blade is such that it cuts a 14" pizza into pieces in under a minute. When I compare the pizza slices to the ones I have made earlier, I can see the perfect edges that this cutter gives. Whether it is the dough or the paneer pieces or the vegetables, this cutter slices right through the middle of it all and gives perfectly straight slices. And all this in no time and with minimum effort. I am truly impressed by the quality and the ease of operation of this cutter!

Going back to the pizza, I made the base from scratch, just like my other pizzas. The recipe of the dough remains same as here. However, to enhance the flavor, I added garam masala to the dough. This gives the base the same Indian flavors like the toppings. The topping is simple, paneer simmered in tomato gravy; onions, peppers and a generous topping of processed cheese. The Indian flavors on top of a pizza tasted so yummy and was a complete meal by itself. Now this pizza will make its appearance in my kitchen soon 🙂 When are you making yours?

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

Paneer 1 block of 200 grams

Onion 1 medium

Pepper/Capsicum 1 medium

Tomatoes 1 ½ medium

Garlic 2-3 cloves

Ginger 1 inch piece

Vegetable oil 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Salt, Red Chili powder, Turmeric powder, sugar

Garam Masala 1 tbsp

Cilantro

Hot and sweet ketchup

Processed Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese

Method

Make the pizza dough as per the instructions in this recipe. Add ¾ tablespoon garam masala in the dough to enhance the flavor. While the dough rises, make the paneer. Dice paneer into ½ inch cubes and dice the onion and pepper to ½ inch pieces too. Blend the tomatoes to a puree with no extra water.

To make the paneer makhni, heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them pop. Next add minced garlic, finely grated ginger and let the raw flavor vanish. Next, add the tomato puree and let it cook till it is bright red in color. Now add the paneer cubes, salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, garam masala and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder. Let the gravy and paneer cook for 5-6 minutes till it is dry. Turn down the flame and let the paneer cool.

By the time the paneer is made, the pizza would have risen. Now punch it down and knead well for another 5 minutes. Lay it out on a pizza pan. Press down the dough to make a 14 inch round. Let it rise for another 30-45 minutes. Once risen, spread the ketchup and then add the paneer coated in tomato gravy. Spread the cut onions and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake the pizza for 15-18 minutes at 400 F/ 210 C till the base is crisp and the cheese melts thoroughly.

Remove and devour it immediately. I used my brand new 14" pizza cutter from #TipnToss to cut perfect slices of this pizza. You could order yours here.