I do not think that it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that I have a serious love for Indian food. I love seasonings like garam masala, and any dish with the word “curry” in the title has me instantly intrigued. I absolutely love Indian food for its intense and delicious flavors, but I also love it because it is very vegetarian and vegan friendly. In fact, I think that it may be one of the most vegetarian/vegan friendly cuisines out there. It probably comes as no surprise, then, that I am HOOKED on all things Indian.
Do you know what else I am hooked on? Well, the same thing that just about everyone is hooked on: pizza! So, is it any wonder that I would think to combine the two? I was perusing around Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago and found this:
And I thought, “now this would make for the perfect Indian-inspired pizza crust!”
And when I combined the naan with delicious Indian-inspired vegetables and this:
the Indian Naan Pizza was born!
Indian Naan Pizza
Servings: Makes 1 individual pizza
Ingredients
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 small eggplant, diced
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
sea salt
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
garam masala
water, for cooking
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 small yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup frozen green peas
1/3 to 1/2 cup store-bought curry sauce
1 whole wheat naan
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place eggplant and cauliflower on the baking sheet. Spray the vegetables with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasonings. Roast eggplant and cauliflower for approximately 25 minutes. Once the vegetables are roasted, lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a medium skillet with a thin layer of water. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, lower the heat to medium. Add garlic and onion and cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add additional water, as necessary.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in frozen peas and roasted vegetables. Cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are warm.
4. Place the naan on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, or until it begins to become slightly golden brown.
5. Remove the naan from the oven and spread it with the curry sauce and top with the cooked vegetables. Bake the Indian Naan Pizza for approximately 5 minutes, or until the naan becomes golden brown and slightly crispy.
It looks tasty, right?
Slice your Indian-inspired pizza into strips or slices and dig in!
I was loving this pizza! Using naan as a pizza crust is now my new favorite thing! And replacing traditional pizza sauce with curry sauce produced amazing results. This pizza definitely had a spicy kick (as with most Indian food), which I loved. The flavorful seasonings and crispy texture of the roasted vegetables were delicious additions. I have come to find that I really love creating dishes that combine two different types of cuisines. I would definitely be on look out for more dishes like this in the near future!
If you could pick any type of cuisine to make into a pizza, what would you choose?
