I love making desi style pizzas at home. Indian veg pizzas are my most favorite probably because growing up my mom made lot of vegetarian pizzas. There aren’t many desi pizza options here in Las Vegas, so over the years I have developed a few recipes that we like. Be it for us or for our guests, pulling out a bubbly & cheesy indian spiced pizza out of the oven makes everyone suddenly hungry. In this veg mushroom pizza recipe, I use my scratch made tandoori masala that elevates the mushrooms to next level. You do not need to have tandoor at home, the smokiness of the tandoori masala and a super hot oven do a swell job in getting that charred taste commonly associated with tandoori dishes. Not just on desi pizza, these tandoori mushrooms are so good on their own that you would want to grab a fork and eat them all in one go! However don’t do so 🙂 Layer them on a crust with a tangy tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella & a sprinkle of parmesan. After a few minutes of baking, what comes out of the oven is sheer joy! Even mushroom non lovers like the husband came back for a second slice of this tandoori pizza.
Ingredients Notes
Mushrooms - You can use white button mushrooms or any kind of mushrooms you prefer. I used crimini mushrooms which I happened to have at home. Tandoori Masala- I grind my own tandoori masala in small batches and store it. Here is my recipe of homemade tandoori masala. However, these days lot of brands are available in the stores and honestly, you can pick up a few kinds and try before deciding which one you like the most. Among, store bought tandoori masalas in American stores, I like Frontier brand - its mild (so perfect for kids). Tomato Sauce- I leave it up to you. Use your favorite pizza sauce from the store or you can quickly make your own. This recipe happens to be one of my favorite for homemade tomato pizza sauce. You can also use my quick makhani pizza sauce to top the crust. Pizza dough. Again I leave it to you. You can use store bought pizza, ready to use frozen dough, gluten-free pizza dough, even cauliflower pizza crust will work! Here is my recipe of homemade pizza dough. You can use naan as well - naan crust is just so delicious! Cheese - You can use a mix of shredded cheese on the pizza. I usually go for mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan (give me that extra saltiness).The only cheese I grew up eating on my pizzas was Amul pizza cheese. Do you remember? It used to come in a red colored packet. My job was to grate that block of cheese whenever mom made pizza. Mozzarella with its creamy and tangy tastes complements spices in desi pizzas. Pizza Toppings - Besides tandoori mushrooms, we like sweet onions, they really go well the taste of tandoori spice. You can use jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper etc.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
How To Make Tandoori Mushrooms
Hint: Use a wide seasoned cast iron pan or heavy ceramic pan to cook the mushrooms. Avoid using a kadai. The tandoori masala gets a smoky taste rightway especially if you use cast iron. Tip:- While the mushrooms cool down, work on stretching out the pizza dough.
Assemble Tandoori Mushroom Pizza
This pizza is super easy to assemble.
Stretch out the pizza dough to a roughly 10 inch circle on a pizza baking stone or a sheet . I simply use my cast iron griddle (tawa), it works beautifully. Spread the tomato sauce leaving ½ inch from the edges. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the pizza dough. You can add as much or as less as you like. Layer the cooled tandoori mushrooms over the cheese layer. Add onions or sliced jalapeños as well if you wish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese. You can skip parmesan if you dont have. Brush some olive oil on the edges of the crust. Bake at 475F for 10-12 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the crust is slightly browned.
A Few Tips & Suggestions
Whether you are using homemade or store-bought pizza dough, make sure that the dough is not cold. Stretch (not roll) the pizza dough. If you do not have a pizza stone, use your tawa or cast iron griddle or a baking sheet to bake the pizza. You need a surface which heats up and stays hot, cast iron griddle works great! Avoid adding too much tomato sauce else the crust gets soggy. You can use this recipe to make tandoori chicken pizza, use chicken strips) or tandoori paneer pizza (use paneer cubes) or for that matter, any kind of tandoori pizza at home. Just swap the mushrooms with the protein or vegetable you want to use. Always pre- cook the mushrooms. Make sure that the mushroom are not at all watery after sautéing. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes or so after baking and then slice.
Other Pizza & Pie Recipes to Try
Eggplant & Tomato Chutney PizzaPaneer Makhani PizzaMushroom Matar GaletteSamosa Tart
