Paneer Tikka Pizza – A flavorful pizza
An easy paneer tikka pizza with homemade no yeast pizza dough topped with tikka sauce and spice marinated paneer and vegetables. It’s bursting with flavors.
Few years ago, I made some flat breads similar to pita or naan in taste and texture. Since then, I use same base for a quick no yeast pizza dough. Its super easy and anyone can make it.
I do love yeasted dough, but sometimes I want something quick and easy to work with. We even hosted friends and made this base dough, cooked it on barbeque grill. They were a hit and quite easy to work with.
This pizza recipe is perfect when you want something different, and craving for some spicy kicks in. I can never get tired of eating pizza. However, I am very averse to eating those $1 slices. They have never appeased me. We get best pizza in New York. So many different varieties and styles. And, we have had our share of pizza in Italy too when we travelled there few years ago.
I will also share my pizza dough recipe one of these days that I love a lot, which is yeasted dough. I have made this same pizza during lockdown with yeasted dough.
If you are not feeling like making dough at home at all, then use naan as your base. The flat bread dough is very similar to it. So, the taste is exactly same. But if you are like me who likes to sloth in the kitchen then check out the flat bread recipe here. If you need to use water, just add 1-2 tbsp only.
I love desi pizza. Do you know, in India we get spicy paneer pizza at regular chain places like dominos etc. Our favorite pizza place is a little bit far away. So, I end up making them at home.
I will break down the steps and process to make it easier to make ahead.
There are three components to the pizza
The Dough – Use your favorite pizza dough, buy premade dough from stores, or use naan. Check out my flat bread dough.
The Tikka Sauce – If you make this in advance, sometimes I make extra when making other paneer dishes and freeze it. It stays well for days. Just take it out and defrost it. Its going to warm up anyways while baking pizza. You can also doctor up store bought marinara cheese sauce with the spices. If you do not want to make your own. We all have been there.
The marinated and spiced up paneer – Paneer marination takes literally few minutes, but you can make this in advance and leave it in the fridge. Paneer is easily available at whole foods or Indian grocery stores. I like to remove paneer from freezer and then leave it in hot water with the packaging on. It softens it up and makes it squidgy. Along with paneer, there are spices and yogurt used in the marination. A classic paneer tikka marination that can be used for chicken too. You can saute the marinated paneer in a pan for just a few minutes if you like. It depends on time and the flavor will not be much different. So, adding paneer directly on top of the dough while assembling will work just fine.
Veggies – Additionally, I have used red onion, green, red pepper and jalapeños. Jalapenos are ofcourse optional. We Indians love our spicy food.
Cheese – I used shredded mozzarella. You can use any melting cheese of your choice.
Suggestions
Flat bread dough is shared click on the link. Roll and cook them half done first before assembling it into pizza.
You can use some other vegetables too like broccoli, corn, or mushrooms, olives etc.
Paneer Tikka Pizza
Ingredients
- 5-6 cashew nuts
Tikka Sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 green chili
- 1 medium onion ¾ – 1 cup
- 1 inch ginger piece
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 can tomato sauce/puree 8 oz
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 ½ tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- Salt
- 1 tsp sugar or honey
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi crushed
- 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
Marinated Paneer
- 150 grams paneer cut into big chunks cubes
- 1/4 thick Greek style yogurt
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 tsp green chili and ginger paste
- ½ tbsp tandoori masala
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp kasuri methi optional
- Salt to taste
Other components
- ½ cup red onions chopped into cubes/slices
- ½ cup green bell/red peppers chopped into cubes/slices
- Jalapenos and cilantro optional
- Pizza Dough or Naan
- Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Tikka Sauce
- Soak cashew nuts in warm water for few minutes. Keep it aside.
- On medium heat in pan, take some oil or butter and once it’s hot add cumin seeds, onions, garlic, ginger and green chili. Saute it until onions turns translucent. Add other spices too along with fennel seeds, and then add cashew nuts and tomato sauce. Let it cook for few seconds and then let it cool down.
- Blend this mixture once it cools down with 1/4 -1/3 cup water. You can add some water too if you like. (Optional)Strain the mixture after blending so that sauce looks smooth and silky.
- Heat butter in a pan on medium heat. Once it’s hot, add prepared onion tomato sauce. Stirring occasionally cook it until it thickens up for 3-4 minutes. Add spices like red chili, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. Add garam masala close to it getting cooked along with crushed kasuri methi and add sugar or honey. Add cardamom powder too. Mix and let it simmer for few seconds and turn off the flame. Let it set aside and cool down.
Marinated Paneer
- Take all the ingredients for the marination and give it a stir.
- Marinate the paneer cubes in the yogurt mix. Leave it aside.
Assemble Pizza
- To assemble – Preheat oven to 450F. If you are using baking stone, then leave it in to preheat. Take your pizza dough, shape it or if using flatbread/naan, just lay it down on parchment paper (it helps transfer pizza). Add tikka sauce, cheese and then toppings like paneer, vegetables. Add some more cheese and bake it away at 450 F for about 10-15 minutes. It should be done when the cheese has melted, and you see the pizza base looks cooked and browned.
- Remove and serve it with cilantro chutney, arugula/greens, oregano, chili flakes etc.
Notes
- Flat bread dough is shared click on the link. Roll and cook them half done first before assembling it into pizza.
- You can use some other vegetables too like broccoli, corn, or mushrooms, olives etc.