Indian Fusion Pizzas: Chicken Curry Pizza, Chutney Sandwich Pizza, Tomato Masala Pizza

In the United States so many cultures come together. It is always fun to mix foods from different cultures and that is why fusion food is becoming famous these days.
Pizza is everybody's favorite; right from kids to elders. Today I will be sharing recipes for three Indian style pizzas.

(Makes: Three eight inch thin crust pizzas)

Ingredients

Pizza dough:
3 cups unbleached flour (plus 1/2 cup if needed)
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water (warm)
1 tbsp. olive oil for brushing

Chicken curry pizza:
Sauce
1/2 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 clove
1 cardamom
1/2 centimeter piece of cinnamon
1/2 centimeter piece of mace
1 pinch garam masala
3/4 cup water
1 pinch salt
Topping
1 chicken breast
2 tsp. oil
1 pinch salt
1 pinch garam masala
1/4 cup mozzarella (shredded)
Chutney sandwich pizza:
Sauce
1/2 cup cilantro (tightly packed)
1 by 1/4 inch ginger
5 green chilies (medium spicy)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 pinch salt
Topping
1/4 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 medium potato (boiled, peeled and sliced thinly)
1/4 cup cucumber (finely chopped)
1 tomato (sliced thinly)
1 tsp. oil
2 pinch salt
1/8 tsp. chat masala
1/4 cup mozzarella (shredded)

Tomato Masala pizza:
Sauce
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1tsp. oil
1 pinch salt
Topping
1/4 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup bell peppers (chopped)
1/2 cup cabbage (shredded)
1 tsp. oil
2 pinches salt
1/4 cup mozzarella (shredded)

Method
Pizza dough
In a glass bowl add 1 cup of flour. Make a well in the center. Add sugar and olive oil in the well and keep aside. Sprinkle yeast in warm water and keep aside for five minutes. Mix the yeast and water and add to the well. Mix everything, cover the bowl with a towel and keep aside in a warm place for 20 minutes. This mixture is called a starter.
After 20 minutes, mix the remaining flour and salt and add it to the starter. Knead well for about 10 minutes. At this point the dough will become soft. Form the dough into a ball and brush it with oil. Oil a clean bowl and keep the dough in it. Cover with a towel and keep aside in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour OR till the dough rises to double in size.

Sauces and toppings
Chicken curry pizza:
Sauce
In a pan heat the oil. Add clove, cardamom, cinnamon and mace and sauté till fragrant. Add onion and sauté till soft. Add tomato paste, water , salt and boil.
Topping
Chop chicken breast. In a pan heat oil and add the chopped chicken breast, salt, garam masala and sauté till done.

Chutney sandwich pizza:
Sauce
Chop cilantro, ginger and green chilies roughly. Add tomato paste, water, salt and the chopped ingredients in a mixer and grind till they form a paste.
Topping
Sauté onion in oil over medium heat till soft, add a little salt and mix well. Add little salt and chat masala to potato mix and keep aside. Add some salt, cucumber, tomato and keep aside.

Tomato Sauce pizza:
Sauce
In a pan heat the oil. Add cumin seeds and sauté till fragrant. Add tomato paste, water and salt and boil.
Topping
Sauté onion, bell peppers and cabbage in oil over medium heat till soft. Add salt and mix well.

Keep the toppings and sauces aside till you are ready to assemble the pizza.

Once the pizza dough has doubled in size, heat the oven to 500 degree.
Punch down the pizza dough divide in 3 parts and form each part into a ball. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

To Assemble:
Stretch or roll each dough ball into an 8 inch round base. Prick with a fork (so the dough does not puff up while baking). Brush with olive oil. Spread the sauce generously. Spread the toppings. Spread the cheese and bake (on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet) for 10 to 15 minutes or till the crust is golden brown.

For chutney sandwich pizza do not add cucumber and tomato before baking. After the pizza is baked, spread cucumber, tomato and extra chutney and serve.

Here are some more ideas for sauces and toppings.
· Sauce: tomato sauce. Toppings: coconut, pineapple, onion, jalapeno, paneer
· Sauce: palak paneer. Toppings: onion, cheese.
· Sauce: tomato, garlic, ginger, green chili, Worcestershire sauce. Toppings: cabbage, paneer

Tips
· Yeast gets killed at very hot temperature, so make sure the water used in dough is not very hot.
· Always brush dough with oil when you keep it for rising otherwise the outer dough becomes dry.
· Brush the pizza base with oil before putting the sauce, that way it does not become soggy.
· To create a warm place for rising the pizza dough you can use an oven, which has been heated at 300 degrees for 3 minutes.
· Pizza dough is available in some grocery stores, e.g. Trader Joe's.