Paneer Tikka Naan Pizza- Indian inspired vegetarian pizza with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), spices and cheese! A fun and easy pizza to make at home when pizza cravings kick in!
225gramspaneercut into cubes, soak store bought paneer in warm water for 20 minutes before using
1/2of largegreen pepperdiced, 1/2 to 3/4 inch
1/2mediumred oniondiced, 1/2 to 3/4 inch
1/2jalapeñosliced
Spiced Pizza Sauce
1/2cuppizza sauceuse any bottled marinara sauce
1/8teaspooncardamom powder
1/8teaspoongaram masala
pinchred chili powder
1/2teaspoonkasuri methi
1/2tablespoonbutteryou can use salted or unsalted
For the Pizza
1cupshredded cheeseor more to taste, mozzarella cheese or cheese blend
4mediumnaanhomemade or store bought (cooked naan)
cilantro chutney, to drizzle
Instructions
To a bowl add yogurt (make sure the yogurt is thick and not runny at all) and then add the ginger-garlic paste, mustard oil, coriander powder, chaat masala, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, kasuri methi and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a whisk mix it all together until you have a nice smooth marinade.
Add the paneer cubes, peppers and onions to the bowl.
Using a spatula toss everything together until the paneer and the vegetables are well coated with the marinade mixture. Cover and refrigerate for minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile add 1/2 cup of marinara sauce (any bottled sauce would do) to a pan and put in on heat. Add cardamom powder, garam masala, red chili powder, kasuri methi and butter to it and stir until the butter melts and everything is well combined.Remove the pan from heat and set aside. Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 450 F degrees.
After 30 minutes are up, remove the paneer marinade from the refrigerator. Now, take one naan (this is a medium size naan, around 8-10 inches in length and 5-6 inches wide) and spread around 2 tablespoons of sauce on top of the naan. I usually leave 1/2-1 inch on the side while spreading the sauce.Then top with cheese, around 1/4 cup shredded cheese or as much as you like.
And then place the marinated paneer, pepper and onions on top of the cheese. Place the naan on to a baking sheet (if using aluminum foil, make sure to grease the foil a little with oil before placing the naan).Bake at 450 F degrees for 9 to 10 minutes and then broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes (this is optional, broil if you want the cheese and paneer to brown up a little).
Remove the paneer tikka naan pizza from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then remove from pan and transfer on to the serving plate. Drizzle with cilantro chutney and serve!
Air fryer Instructions
You can also air fry the pizza. Pre-heat your air fryer according to manufacturer's instructions. Then Air fry at 390 F for 7 to 9 minutes until cheese melts and paneer is golden brown.
Notes
You can make this using a pizza base as well. It will probably make 1 regular size pizza.
This made 4 medium size naan pizzas for me, it can make more or less depending on the size of naan you are using.
Skip jalapeños to cut down on spice. The jalapeño that I used here weren't spicy at all, so it might be a good idea to check their spiciness before using in the recipe.
Please note that the Kashmiri red chili powder used here is very mild, it's mainly use for that bright red color. Do not substitute it with regular chili powder, else it will become very spicy.