Tandoori Chicken Pizza

When Indian and Italian taste fuses it creates an explosion of cheesy happiness and yumminess.

Tandoori chicken is popular all over India and Pakistan. The rich spicy chicken marinated in yoghurt and tandoori masala can make your mouth water. See, I’m going off tangent and talking about tandoori chicken rather than pizza.

I don’t marinate the chicken in yoghurt for making pizza. Just chop the chicken into small pieces, mix it well with red chilli, ready tandoori powder, lemon and salt. Then cook it on the stove top or grill till well cooked. If you have left over tandoori chicken, then go ahead and add it.

If you have never made the dough for pizza, roll up your sleeves and get ready.  The taste of your hardwork is going to be much sweeter. (yummier)

This recipe makes 8 slices of Tandoori Pizza. One serving of this recipe provides approximately 297 Calories.

For the dough:

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cup all-purpose flour (Maida)

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 egg (optional)

3 tbsp oil

Pinch of baking powder

2 tbsp milk in warm water

1 tbsp butter (optional)

Method:

1.  In a large bowl, sift the flour.
2. Add the sugar, salt, baking powder, and instant yeast. Mix it well. 
3. Crack in an egg. Add 2 tbsp of oil.
4. Add lukewarm water- milk mix little by little till smooth dough is formed.
5. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and knead well for 5 minutes on the working surface.
6. Keep the kneaded dough in the bowl covered with a damp cloth.
7. Place the dough inside a switched off oven for 2 hours or till the dough rises and becomes double.
8. Roll the dough into a large circle. Roll out thin if you want thin crust pizza which will serve 8 slices or roll medium thick for serving 6 people.
9. Line the baking tray with aluminium foil and spread butter on it for crisp buttery base.
10. Place the rolled out dough on the baking tray and let the dough sit covered for 10- 15 minutes 

For the base tomato sauce:

During my initial years of cooking I would cook up the whole tomato sauce from scratch, which took up lot of time and ingredients. For lazy people like me, I then found an easy solution. Spice up the ready tomato puree!

Here is what you’ll need:

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 garlic clove grated

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs (thyme, basil, oregano)

½ tsp vinegar/ lemon juice

1 tbsp Red chilli sauce

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Tada! Tomato sauce for your base is ready!

Tandoori Chicken:

Here is what you’ll need:

2 chicken breasts

1tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp tandoori powder

½ tsp lemon juice

1 tsp oil

Method:

1.      Coat the cleaned chicken piece with the the ingredients.
2.      Cook it on the stove top or grill it in the oven till well cooked and dry.

Other Toppings:

     Here is what you’ll need:

     1-2 cup mozzarella cheese

     ½  onion

     ½  capsicum

     2 tbsp black olives

     2 tbsp corn

     1 tbsp oregano

     The final step:

1.     Once the dough is rolled and rested on the baking tray, Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2.     Spread half of the mozzarella cheese on the base.
3.     Scatter the onions, capsicum, olives, corn, and the tandoori chicken.
4.     Cover the pizza completely with the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the oregano.
5.      Place it into the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or till the base turns golden brown.
6.     Serve hot and yummy.

     Note:

•      If you've added the egg and rolled the pizza thin, it will cook considerably faster. Keep an eye on the base after 5 minutes.
•       If you have not added egg and rolled the pizza thick, it may take longer.

Recipe by Zohra Sada