The idea of a chicken tikka salad has been playing in my mind for a long time (while writing this post I googled it, and apparently there are other versions as well, so I am not the only one to have thought of it) and finally I got around to making it a few days … Read More →
If you love chicken tikka, and you love pizza- this is totally your kind of Pizza.
I made it last week for V and me, using some leftover pizza dough I had and both of us really devoured it!
Now, V is not a pizza person. He is mostly a dal roti person, but for this pizza he changed his mind. He actually was sad when it got over and even though he knew there was no more pizza left he was talking about how he felt like having this pizza the next day. He still talks about it. And while writing this post, I wish I had some pizza dough so that I could make this again now.
You do need to take out some time to make this pizza. Well, any pizza for that matter.
The pizza dough recipe I use requires a rest overnight and since I always get fantastic results with it, when I want a really good pizza crust I prefer to use that recipe. Plus, you need to marinate the chicken and keep it for atleast 4 hours. The sauce is a breeze to make if you have canned tomato paste- it will require a little more effort if you try making your own.
But while it takes time- most of it is just resting time. The dough kneads in ten minutes and then you just need to let it rest overnight. The marinade is ready in two minutes- but you have to wait for at least 4 hours for the chicken to soften, before grilling. If you plan the pre-prep properly- that is if you already have some pizza dough in your freezer that you take out the night before and put in your refrigerator, and marinate the chicken the night before while you thaw your pizza dough base, making the pizza the next day won’t require too much effort or too much time in the kitchen.
Either way, whether you think it takes a lot of time or not- this pizza is totally worth it.
And the pizza sauce makes plenty. You can use it for future pizzas.
Chicken Tikka Pizza
Recipe Type: Appetizer, dinner, main course
Cuisine: Indian, fusion, italian
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3 pizzas
The pizza dough requires overnight rest. I generally have some in the freezer, so when I let the dough thaw overnight, I marinate the chicken along with it. Next day the dough is ready and the chicken is ready to grill. The sauce makes more than required for two pizza bases. But it’s good to have on hand for further pizza making days.
Ingredients
- For the chicken tikka:
- 440 gm chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup yogurt, whisked
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala (if using store bought you might need a little more)
- 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- salt, to taste
- 1 tsp mustard oil (or use vegetable oil)
- 1 tbsp gram flour (besan)
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- For the Chicken Tikka Pizza sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 inch stick cinnamon
- 3-4 green cardamoms, crushed slightly
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- salt, to taste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 can tomato paste
- 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 cup water
- For the topping:
- 2 tbsp melted butter or olive oil
- cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
- 1 tbsp slivered garlic (optional)
- few sprigs Coriander or mint leaves to top
- Freshly grated Mozzarella cheese, as much as you like
- For the dough, check this recipe(you would need to make this one day ahead)
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Marinate the chicken with the lemon juice, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, roasted cumin powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, oil, gram flour, coriander and onion powder. Let marinate overnight or for atleast 4 hours. Broil on high for 8-10 minutes, turning over once. Or grill till cooked. Once cooled, shred the chicken into smaller pieces.
- For the sauce:
- Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, fenugreek seeds and let sizzle. Add in the ginger garlic paste, and chilli powder and fry the paste for a few seconds. Add in the green chillies, tomato paste, salt to taste and fry for a minutes. Add in the water, salt and the roasted cumin powder. Cook till the oil separates. Take off heat. Let cool.
- Making the Pizza:
- Follow the instruction for the pizza dough. Two hours before you are ready to bake your pizza, remove your pizza dough balls from the refrigerator. And let rest on a lightly floured surface while you grill your chicken and make the sauce.
- Preheat oven to the highest setting on your oven. Mine goes to 550F. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven. I do not have one, and I use the back of my sheet pan. You do not have to preheat your sheet pan. Dust your sheet pan or peel with cornmeal or semolina flour.
- Roll out your pizza dough. Add some melted butter or olive oil on top of your rolled out pizza. You can add slivered garlic if you like. Slather 2-3 tbsp of pizza sauce. Top generously with the chicken tikka. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese has melted and crust has cooked. Sprinkle chopped coriander or mint leaves. Let cool a little and serve.
Chicken Tikka Pasty is a savory, handheld turnover pastry featuring a bold spiced chicken tikka masala filling encased in a buttery, golden crust. This recipe is inspired by the traditional Cornish pasty mining lunches, combining English heritage with aromatic Indian flavors. Jump to Recipe How to make the perfect chicken Tikka Pasty Updated (April 1, … Read More →