Paneer Tikka Pizza on Naan Bread

Somehow or other, the idea of a paneer cheese pizza with naan bread recently came to mind. I went about drafting a recipe, knowing I had a day off coming up with nothing pressing to attend to. I'm pretty confident when it comes to my culinary skills, and frequently modify recipes, sometime significantly, but drafting your own recipe for something rather new can be intense. Cooking temperatures, flavor combinations, and the compatibility of the ingredients as a whole were not immediately apparent to me. As a consequence, I gave this recipe considerable thought and worked in harmony with the food. I admit I didn't make everything from scratch — I bought the naan bread, the block of paneer cheese I used to make the paneer tikka masala, and also the vindaloo paste — but this experiment with Indian fusion was a huge success.

Start a day ahead with the paneer tikka masala:

Paneer Tikka Pizza on Naan Bread

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 5, 2008 My favorite pizza of all time — homemade pieces of paneer tikka masala along with peppers and fried mushrooms spread over a homemade spicy Indian-style tomato sauce on top of fresh naan bread, all topped with melted bubbly Gruyère cheese Print this recipe Paneer Tikka Masala Ingredients: 14 oz (400 g) paneer cheese 1 clove garlic, peeled 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin pinch of cayenne 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek (methi) leaves, crumbled 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup plain yogurt juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) Instructions: Cut the paneer cheese into 1-inch cubes. Crush the ginger and garlic together to make a paste. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Coat each piece of paneer with the yogurt spice marinade. Cover the paneer cheese and refrigerate for a least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Coat a baking sheet with oil. Spread the marinated paneer cheese cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet, and place under the broiler. Broil until the cubes brown up, taking care to turn the cubes frequently so they brown evenly on all sides. Makes approximately 2 dozen pieces Tomato Sauce: Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots or 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 2 small firm tomatoes, diced juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon vindaloo paste pinch of cayenne pinch of dried red chili flakes 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped Instructions: Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When hot, fry the shallots or onion for a few minutes until they turn translucent. Add the garlic and green chilies, and stir and fry for another minute. Increase the heat slightly and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vindaloo paste, lemon juice, salt, cayenne and red chili flakes. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat. Skillet-Fried Mushrooms Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, sliced 8 oz (225 g) white mushrooms, sliced Instructions: Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, stir and fry for a minute or so, and add the mushrooms. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms just begin to release their juices. Remove from heat. Pizza Ingredients: 2 10-inch or 12-inch naan breads 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 1/2 cups fresh grated Gruyère, Swiss or other creamy and salty cheese Assembly: Preheat an oven to 350°F. Place the two naan breads on a large baking sheet. Coat the breads with olive oil and spread evenly with the tomato sauce. Arrange chopped peppers, cooked mushrooms, and pieces of the paneer tikka masala over top. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the pizzas are heated and the cheese is bubbling, then place under the broiler for a minute or two or until the cheese is slightly browned. Makes 2 10-inch or 12-inch pizzas, with maybe a little paneer tikka masala left to nibble on.