Gluten Free Pizza Base, using lentils and beans

I had soaked various dals and rice and had fermented the batter. I make idlis with this batter often and remembered a chana and mung dal pizza post shared by Mr Sikand on a food group and decided to use the same principle to make this mixed dal pizza base.

Ingredients 
1 cup each of idli rice, tur dal, urad dal, mung dal, chana dal - soak for a few hours and grind it to make a thick batter (idli consistency)Ferment overnight.
1 cup of batter makes one crust, for thinner crispier crust, 1/2 cup batter will work well. 
This is for a 9x5 bread loaf pan 1 tsp ginger chilli paste (optional. I added the ginger to aid in digestion of the dals)
salt to taste
1/4 tsp Eno/fruit salt- optional - if batter is not well fermented use Eno.1 tbsp water (dissolve the Eno in the water before adding to batter and mixing so that it spreads evenly) 
butter to grease the pan
ready made pizza sauce or Marinara sauce
shredded cheese

Method 
Mix together the batter, ginger chilli paste and salt. Grease the pan well with butter. Pour the batter in the pan and bake at 350F for about 20 mins. Test with a toothpick or skewer and if it comes out clean, it is baked. At this stage I removed it from the pan and flipped it over and browned the top side which had remained cream during the cooking. I browned one crust in the oven and another crust on the tava. The tava was much faster. Now spread the marinara/pizza sauce and top with shredded cheese and put it back in the oven and bake till the cheese has melted. 

Tips
We loved the taste and I will be making it often and I will try out different toppings. I think it will taste great if I make a sauce with Indian seasonings. I didn't need to use the Eno as the batter was well ferment and rose well as it baked. 

Whole Wheat Thin Crust Pizza with White Sauce

For a long time, I couldn't stand the taste of store bought whole wheat breads. They seemed dense, dry, and bland, almost cardboard like. However, I am finding that my taste has matured and changed for the better, especially after eating home made whole wheat breads. And of course, eating whole grains is much better for health than all purpose flour.

Whole wheat breads are denser in texture than their counterpart white breads. This is mainly because all purpose flour which is used to make white breads, doesn't contain the germ and bran parts of the wheat grain. The bran in the flour hampers the creation of gluten (wheat protein) strands which is needed to create the fluffy bread texture. While I have made several breads with whole wheat flour, I hadn't tried a whole wheat recipe to make pizza before. When I came across a whole wheat thin crust pizza from America's Test Kitchen, I had to try it out. The recipe called for whole wheat flour and the bread flour to boost up the gluten content. Due to the mix of the flours, we are able to have a great texture and chew.

I made a few modifications, used the cheeses that I had on hand and a variety of toppings and the end result was fabulous.

Ingredients
For the pizza base
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
2 tsp honey
3/4 tsp rapid rising instant yeast
1.5 cups cold water
2 tbsp
1 and 3/4 tsp salt
all purpose flour/bread flour to flour your working surface

For the pizza base sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic gloved, finely chopped
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (whole or ground) (this will add heat to the sauce, so you can adjust quantity to taste)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp red chilli  flakes (optional) (this will add heat to the sauce, so you can adjust quantity to taste)
1/8 tsp salt
10 basil leaves (optional)
2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
2 cups shredded mixed cheese (cheddar, mozarella)

Toppings used here
broccoli
artichokes in brine solution
olives
onion, sliced
tomato, diced
mushroom, sliced

Additional topping suggestions
green bell pepper
colorful (red/yellow/orange) sweet bell peppers
spinach (add this after the pizza is baked)
pineapple
jalapeno slices

Method

To make the dough
Mix together the whole wheat flour, yeast, honey. Add the water and combine till there is no dry flour and keep the dough aside for 10 minutes. Keep it covered. Add the salt and oil and knead the ingredients together, till the dough comes together and is smooth. If you have a food processor or a stand mixer, you should use it to knead the dough. It will take less than a minute for the first step and 3-4 minutes for the second step. If not using a mixer, it will take about 10 minutes of kneading to get a smooth dough. Even if you use the food processor, knead the dough by hand for about a minute and shape it into a smooth ball.
Then put it in an oiled bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge for at least 18 hour up to 48 hours.

Pizza sauce
Heat the extra virgin olive oil and to it add the garlic, peppercorns, oregano, red chilli flakes (if using). Let the garlic get lightly browned (takes less than a minute). Take the oil off the heat and add the salt. Let this cool.

Pizza assembly
One hour before you start to put your pizza together, place a pizza stone on the top rack of your oven (4-6 inches from the broiler heating element) and pre-heat the oven to 500F and let the pizza stone heat for the entire hour.

At the same time, get your pizza dough our of the fridge, divide it into 2 parts and roll them into balls. Place them apart from each other (leaving space for the dough to expand) on an oiled flat pan or baking dish or separate plates. Cover with plastic wrap and let it stand for an hour

Dust your rolling surface liberally with flour. Take one of the dough balls and roll it flour to cover it and then using your fingertips and palm, flatten it and into a 12 inch pizza round. Dust the pizza peel that you will use to place the pizza base into the oven and transfer the pizza base. to your pizza peel. Flatten it further into about a 13 inch round.

Switch the oven to broiler, high setting for 10 minutes while you spread the toppings on the pizza.

Now, spread half of the flavored oil that you made above onto the pizza. Leave a small border around the pizza, about 1/4 inch. Place the basil leaves onto the base of the pizza (if using) and then layer 1 cup of each cheese onto the base. The add the toppings. I have listed the toppings that I used and also other suggestion. You can use any combination that you want.

Switch the oven back to bake at 500F. Slide the pizza very carefully onto the pizza stone. Bake till the crust is browned and cheese melts and is bubbly. It takes about 10-12 minutes for this to occur. The time may vary based on your own oven, so check on the pizza and keep an eye on it after 8 minutes.
Rotate the pizza halfway through the baking process, at around the 5 minute mark.

Remove your pizza and let it cool a little before cutting it. Place it on a wire rack.

Then return your oven to broil and using the same process work with the second piece of dough and add the toppings. Turn the pizza back to bake at 500 and then place the second pizza into the oven.

Serve hot.

Tips
Make the dough the previous evening, when you want to make it for dinner (about 24 hours). You can use whole or you can grind these to make a fine powder and use pepper powder instead. It will add heat to the sauce, so adjust the amount of pepper you want to use, based on taste. I used whole peppercorns and then picked them out of the oil before spreading the oil onto the pizza surface.
You can use a mixture of mozarella, parmesan and cheddar cheese on the base. If you are choosing more than one cheese, mix a little together at first and taste it and check if you like the combination.
Heating the stone at 500F for an hour creates a kiln effect and ensures that the pizza gets cooked properly and there are no uncooked spots under the toppings. This helps create a nice crispy crust.
Place the pizza on a wire rack, so that the steam doesn't pool under the pizza crust and make it soggy.

Mexican Pizza

I have so many photos now, that I am having a hard time trying to decide which recipe to post next. And, as I backup and archive these photos, some recipes are slipping away from memory. So, I am going to try and jot down notes when I cook, so that when I finally post the recipe, I am able to remember all the details.

I am sure that you are wondering what a Mexican pizza is. Is the base made from tortillas or do I top it with salsa? Well, this is an inspiration from a pizza that I have eaten at a restaurant called "California Pizza Kitchen". It is a delicious and flavorful pizza. The pizza has a traditional base and has a thinner crust than the usual one inch crust pizzas. It it topped with blackbeans, tomatoes and onions and green lettuce. And finally the topping of tortilla chips lends the crunchy texture. So every time you bite down into a slice, you hear a nice satisfying crunch. Well, one day I decided to reverse engineer this dish and see if I could create a similar taste. The challenge was to find the right spices to create that similar and oh so tasty flavor. The end result was very close to the original. My family enjoyed it and I got great feedback from the fact that we polished off the entire pizza in one sitting. So, make this the next time your family can't decide on whether to eat Italian or Mexican. This is one tasty alternative which will satisfy everyone.

Ingredients
1 prebaked pizza base OR
pizza dough for 1 pizza
2 cups soaked and cooked black beans, alternately you can use one can of black beans
4 tomatoes, diced (or use canned tomatoes)
green chillies or jalapeno, to taste
1/8th tsp, cumin powder/jeera powder
salt to taste
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
3-4 green leaf lettuce leaves, sliced into thick ribbons
2-3 green onion stalks and leaves, diced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (can use any other cheese blend)
1/4 tsp sugar, optional
10 tortilla chips, crushed into bite size pieces or you can use tortilla strips
2 tbsp sour cream, adjust to taste

Method
If you are using pizza dough, then roll out the dough to the desired thickness and blank bake (see tips) the pizza till the base is cooked through for about 10-15 minutes at 450 F. This prevents the pizza from getting soggy. While your pizza dough is getting baked, mix together the tomatoes, chillies and add salt. If the tomatoes are sour, add a little sugar. Cook this mixture down, till a thick sauce is created. You will not need a lot of sauce, just enough to cover the pizza base.
Then, heat the cooked black beans, add the cumin powder to this and some salt.
Now, you are ready to assemble the pizza.

Take your prebaked pizza base. Then spread a layer of the tomato sauce. Next spread a generous layer of the black beans. Then, sprinkle the diced onions and bell peppers as the next layer. Finally, add the layer of cheese.  Then, bake the pizza at 350F for 10 minutes or till the cheese has melted completely.


Take it out of the oven. Then, cover it with lettuce, green onion leaves and tortilla chips. Finally, drizzle a layer of sour cream on the pizza.

Serve hot with some salsa on the side.

Tips
You can find an easy to make pizza dough recipe here. You can also find pizza dough at grocery stores these days or even request a pizza restaurant to sell you some. Blank baking, means baking the pizza base without any toppings. This is to cook the pizza base, so that the pizza doesn't get soggy in the center. You can also blank bake the pizza base a couple of days earlier and then use this base when you are ready to add the toppings. Prick the dough before you bake it, else it will puff up. Else, you can place a foil on top of the rolled dough and cover it with some baking weights or beans and then blank bake the base.
If you are using canned beans, make sure to rinse them out before using it. Also, add a little water (a tablespoon or so) to the beans as you cook them with the cumin powder and salt.
If you are starting with dry black beans, then soak them overnight. Next day, pressure cook these till completely cooked and slightly softened. You can add some salt to the beans when you cook them. 

Naan Pizza - Indian Flatbread Pizza

This is one of the simplest and fastest dishes you could make. Definitely something that you can make in a jiffy if you are pressed for time. And while it can be made fast, you do not have to compromise on the taste. I was inspired by my greek pizza recipe. I thought "if pita bread can be made into quick pizzas then why not naan (which is an Indian flatbread)?" Naan is a flat bread, made in a hot kiln or tandoor. The dough is fermented and then stretched into a triangular shape before being baked. It is one of the most popular Indian breads and can be found in most Indian restaurants.  In fact it is becoming so popular that I have seen ready made naans popping up in local grocery stores everywhere. I no longer need to drive all the way out to the Indian store to buy frozen naans. I can just walk into the nearby grocery store and buy fresh naan. Another feature of the recipe is that you can use any vegetables that you have on hand to make the toppings. Quick, easy and delicious and kids love it too!

Ingredients
4-5 naans (Indian flatbread)
1/2 cup crushed tomato
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ginger -garlic paste
salt to taste
red chilli powder to taste (optional)
1/2 cup grated cheese
 sliced red onions
1 cup baby spinach or regular spinach

Method
Heat the crushed tomato and add the garam masala, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and salt. Reduce this to a thick consistency. The consistency should be similar to ketchup consistency. Take this off the heat and add the ketchup. Let it cool down till warm. You can make this sauce in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container for a week or freeze it for a few weeks. Then take the naans and apply an nice even coat of the sauce over one side of each naan. Then sprinkle about 2 tbsp of grated cheese on each naan and add the onion and spinach toppings. You can add any vegetables you want as toppings. Bake these in the oven till the cheese starts to melt. You can cook it for an additional time if  you want the base to get crispy.  Serve hot.

Tips
If you have bought frozen, pre-cooked naans then cook them according to the instructions on the packet before adding the sauce and toppings. The ginger and garlic proportions are about equal in amount. So, if you are using fresh ginger and garlic, add about half a tsp of each. If you are using fresh tomatoes, then you will need to dice them and cook these down to a thick sauce (ketchup like consistency) before use. If you use a very watery sauce (this applies for any pizza), your base will become soggy, especially in the center.

Greek Pizza

This is a very simple, and elegant dish. It's colorful, full of flavor and textures. It is also a whole meal, hearty and filling. The best part is that this takes less than half an hour to put together. I orginally ate a version of this at a friend's place. She was inspired by a pita pizza she had eaten at a restaurant and wanted to try it out. I have taken the concept and used the same base, but created a Greek salad to top the pizza.  This recipe makes about four to five pita pizzas. This can be used as an appetizer recipe too or finger food for a party. Just cut the pita into slices and serve.

Ingredients
4-5 pita rounds
1 cup hummus
4-5 greek olives, diced
2 cucumbers, diced
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 tomato, diced
1 cup sweet bell pepper mix, diced (yellow/red/orange)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 onion, sliced
salt to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
2-3 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

Method
Mix together the diced cucumber, bell pepper mix, onion and olives. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, oregano and lemon juice. Pour this over the vegetable mixture. Add the salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients together. Heat the pita bread on a flat pan so that they become a little crisp. Apply a layer of hummus  over the pita bread round. Then spread a layer of the vegetables. Add some spinach leaves over the pita and then sprinkle some feta cheese. Eat this as soon as you have added all the layers, else the base will become soggy.

Tips
You can use a flavored hummus to add more flavors to the recipe. Dice all the vegetables in similar sized cubes.

Pizza at Home - No more takeout

A couple of weeks ago, I was in a mood for some good gourmet pizza. Most delivery places only offer ones with a tomato sauce base and it was a weekday so we didn't want to go out for dinner. So, I finally decided to make it at home. And I did!! The best part of it was that the pizza base was homemade, and it took only a total of 1.5 hours to make it including the time needed for the dough to rise and bake. I am so glad that I made it, because now I know that its easy to make and I can control the amount of oil in the dough and the amount of cheese on my pizza and customize it to include unlimited toppings.

Ingredients
2.5 cups of bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
3/4 cup luke warm water
2 tbsp +1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp italian spices (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Method
Mix together the water, yeast, sugar. Set aside for 10 mins till it turns frothy. Mix the dry ingredients in another vessel, add 2 tbsp of  oil to it and the water mixture. Knead the dough till its reall smooth. If you do this by hand, it will take about 10-15 mins of kneading.

Turn the dough in a little olive oil and keep aside in a vessel. Cover the vessel with a cling wrap or a damp towel and keep aside to rise for an hour till its double in size. 

Preheat the oven to 450F. Roll out the pizza dough into a pizza base about 1/2 inch thick. The diameter is about 12 inches. The dough will tend to shrink back, so you need to roll it out a little extra. Prick the base so that the pizza doesn't puff up.

Just bake the pizza base without sauce or topping for 10 mins. The dough should be semi cooked by then. This pre-baking will prevent the base from getting soggy when you add the sauce and cheese to it.

Then use your favorite sauce as the first layer. I used pesto and then added some sundried tomatoes, broccoli, artichoke hearts, red bell pepper slices and onion.  Then I baked it further for about 20 more mins.
I will post the recipes for different base sauces soon. So keep watching this space.

Tips
The test I use to determine the correct water temperature for kneading the dough is, to dip my finger in the water and if it feels warm, thats when I add the yeast. Warmer temperature will help the yeast develop faster. It is very important that the water be luke warm and not hot, else it will kill the yeast. If you are not sure, then use room temperature water. It will take a bit longer for the dough to rise, but it will not kill the yeast. You can use a food processer to knead a dough, which will reduce the kneading time to about 2-3 minutes. If you have a pizza stone, you can use it to bake the dough. This will help create a kiln kind of an environment for the base to cook well.