We all love our cheesy pizzas. There is nothing healthy in a pizza, even if we are to include a truck load of vegetables. First, the crust is prepared with all-purpose flour that is bleached and processed to get the pure white color. Do you think it is healthy? Absolutely not. Some people have allergies towards yeast. And there are some who can’t resist the oozing cheese and there are some who can’t stand the cheese. With pizzas, it is always a battle between the taste and health. We need to draw a line somewhere and what if I told you, I have the perfect solution?! Yes I have.. Introducing my whole millet gluten free pizza crust 🙂
My amma is such a sport when it comes to food. Not only she appreciates anything that I prepare, she has a special liking towards non-Indian cuisines. Ever since I started preparing my own pizzas at home, she waits patiently to devour hot pizzas right out of the oven. There was only one problem though – she was allergic to all-purpose flour. As much as she loved the pizza, she could never have more than a bite of it. I was experimenting with whole wheat flour but then, if she was allergic to gluten – that left me with no choice. That’s when I thought, why not millets? They are healthy and are gluten free too. That’s how I ended up making gluten free millet crush for our pizzas.
I used two types of millets for my crust – Thinai (Foxtail Millet) and Varagu (Kodo Millet). These look like tiny little pearls and are packed with nutrients. From all the experiments I have had with them, this approach seemed to yield the best results. I soaked these millets in water for 1 hour, ground them into a smooth paste. Added a generous pinch of baking soda and salt. With few drops of oil, I cooked them as little pancakes and set them aside. My pizza crust was done! All I had to do was assemble them with my toppings and bake them. All done! Easy-peasy 🙂
Soak the millets in enough water for at least an hour. In a mixer jar, add only the millets and grind into a smooth paste. If the batter is too thick, add few tbsp. of water. Remove it on to a bowl and add baking soda along with salt. Mix well.
Heat a flat pan. Pour a ladle full of the prepared batter – don’t spread it. Spread few drops of oil all around the crust. Within few secs, small dots start appearing on the crust. Gently flip it to the other side and cook for 10-20 secs. Remove it on a plate. Repeat the same with rest of the batter.
Pre-heat the oven at 180°C for about 5-7 mins. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place these prepared pizza crusts on the baking tray. Spread the pizza sauce all over the crust (leaving 5mm from the edges). Spread mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Place cubed onions, capsicum and sweetcorn all over the pizza. Bake/Grill at 180°C for about 7-10 mins, until the cheese is bubbly and the vegetables are toasted.
Serve hot with red chilli flakes and mixed Italian herbs on top!
This recipe is for instant pizza where the batter and the pizza can be prepared on the same day. If you don’t want to use baking powder, ferment the batter in a warm place for 6-7hrs. This yields the same result as well. Don’t overcook the crust on the flat pan/tawa. As the crust is going to be baked, it is enough if it is just cooked. Any choice of vegetables can be added – onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, sweetcorn, olives, pineapple, jalapeno, bell peppers, paneer/cottage cheese or even cooked chicken pieces. Mix and match as desired. I used my regular pizza sauce recipe. Don’t overcrowd the pizza with a lot of veggie toppings. Leave about 5 mm space from the edges, which helps in easy handling of the pizza while eating. Oven timings and settings differ between different ovens. Keep an eye on the pizzas while baking them. There can be a few cracks over the edges of the pizza crust as it is gluten free, but that not hamper the taste 🙂
If you wish to get regular updates on my recipes, do follow me on Facebook @ Cooking From My Heart. You can also reach to me at [email protected] for any suggestions or queries 🙂 Take these healthy mini-pizzas to Fiesta Friday #119. The co-hosts for this week are Ahila @ A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.
