Paneer Tikka Pizza is a fusion pizza variant where the pizza base is made from whole wheat flour dough and topped with a layer of pizza sauce, marinated paneer tikka cubes, mozzarella cheese.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 140 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 160 minutes
  • Yield: 5
  • Category: Main Course, Snacks
  • Cuisine: Fusion, Indian, Italian, World

Ingredients

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour ((atta), can use any other variety of whole wheat flour as well)
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dry active yeast (or 1.5 teaspoons instant yeast)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or add as required)
  • 125 to 150 grams paneer (cubed)
  • 4 tablespoons hung curd (or Greek Yogurt)
  • 1 bell pepper (- medium-sized, green or red or yellow pepper, diced or cubed)
  • 1 onion, (- medium-sized, quartered and layers separated)
  • 1 tomato (- medium-sized, diced or cubed (optional))
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 3 to 4 small to medium garlic cloves + ½ inch ginger - made into a paste in a mortar-pestle)
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala (or tandoori masala)
  • ¼ teaspoon carom seeds
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon chaat masala
  • rock salt ((edible and food grade) + black salt or regular salt, add as required)
  • 2 tomatoes (medium -sized, pureed in a blender or about 1 cup of tomato puree)
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves (- small to medium-sized, finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon dry oregano (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder (or add as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • mozzarella cheese (- grated or shredded, as required)
  • 7 to 8 black olives (or green olives - pitted and sliced, optional)

Method

Preparing the pizza bread base

  1. Warm 1 cup water in a bowl.
  2. Stir and dissolve the ½ teaspoon sugar in it. Sprinkle the yeast and stir to mix.
  3. Cover and keep this mixture for 10 to 12 minutes at room temperature.
  4. After 10 to 12 minutes when the yeast mixture bubbles and froths, then add 1 cup flour, salt and olive oil.
  5. Stir the mixture well.
  6. Then add another cup of flour and stir to mix again.
  7. The flour mixture would begin to leave the sides of the flour.
  8. Add the last cup of flour and begin to knead the dough.
  9. Working with your hands, knead the mixture, till you get a soft, smooth and elastic dough.
  10. If the dough appears dry, then add some water.
  11. If the dough is little sticky, its alright. But if it is too sticky then sprinkle some flour and continue to knead.
  12. Rub some water all over the pizza bread dough and keep in a covered bowl for 1:30 to 2 hours for the dough to leaven.

Preparing tikka

  1. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl till smooth and creamy.
  2. Add all the ginger-garlic paste, carom seeds, salt, lemon juice and all the spice powders mentioned above.
  3. Check the taste of the marination and add more salt or lemon juice or the spice powders if required.
  4. Chop the paneer into cubes.
  5. Dice the onions, bell pepper and tomatoes.
  6. Add the paneer cubes and the diced veggies to the yogurt marinade.
  7. Fold in gently so that the paneer and veggies are evenly coated with the marinade.
  8. Cover and set aside for minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature or for 1 hour to 2 hours in the fridge.

Preparing the pizza tomato sauce

  1. Rinse and then chop the tomatoes.
  2. Puree the tomatoes to a fine consistency in a blender.
  3. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan or skillet
  4. Then add finely chopped garlic and sauté for 10 to 12 seconds.
  5. Add the tomato puree and sauté for 3 to 4 mins.
  6. When the tomatoes are cooked, add the chopped basil, dry oregano, salt and pepper.
  7. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more or until the sauce thickens.
  8. Keep the sauce aside.

Assembling paneer tikka pizza

  1. When the dough has doubled up and nicely leavened, then divide the dough into 2 to 3 parts. Note that 2 parts of the pizza dough will give you a medium-sized pizza 3 parts will give you a small pizza.
  2. You can refrigerate the remaining dough if not using it immediately.
  3. Grease the baking pan with olive oil and sprinkle some flour on it.
  4. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius at least 20 minutes before you begin baking.
  5. Roll the dough on a dusted work flour surface to about ¼ inch thickness all over.
  6. Place the rolled dough on the greased baking pan or tray.
  7. Brush some olive oil on the pizza base.
  8. Next spread the tomato pizza sauce evenly.
  9. Now top the pizza evenly with the marinated paneer cubes, bell pepper, onions and tomatoes.
  10. Arrange the olive slices if using.
  11. Sprinkle grated or shredded mozzarella cheese on the top as needed.
  12. Bake the pizza in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or more till the cheese has melted, the pizza base is cooked and browned, and the veggies have a golden brown edges. The paneer will also be cooked by then.
  13. Remove and serve the paneer tikka pizza hot with tomato sauce or your preferred dip and seasonings.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.