Veggie Pizza

When you crave for a good pizza with just the right amount of cheese and all the topping of your choice, the best way to go is to make one on your own.

It is way simpler than we think it is and many things can be pre-made and stored earlier.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough -

2 and 1/2 cup plain flour

1 cup lukewarm water

2 teaspoons dry yeast

a pinch of salt

2 spoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 teaspoon garlic powder - optional

1-1 and 1/2 teaspoon mixed dried herbs - optional

Pizza sauce -

4 large ripe tomatoes, thinly chopped

2 large tomatoes - pureed

8 cloves garlic - minced

1 cm ginger - minced

2 green chillies

1 spoon olive oil, 1 spoonful of butter

salt and pepper to taste

handful of corriander leaves

Toppings and variations -

Mozzerella and cheddar cheese

Veggies of your choice - Onion, mushroom, Red/yellow peppers, olives, spinach, corn

Paneer tikka variation - marinate diced paneer in dry spice mix of garam masala, dry mango powder, chat masala, chilli powder and salt with a small dash of oil. Keep this aside and arrange on the pizza base for a paneer tikka variation

Method -

Pizza base -

1. Add spoonful of sugar to luke warm water and stir in the dry yeast. Keep aside for 10 minutes while you prepare for the dough.

2. In a big mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, garlic powder, toss in the herbs and a couple of spoonfuls of olive oil.

3. Once the yeast has bloomed, pour the yeast-water to the flour and fold in

4. Knead into a sticky dough

5. If the dough appears dry, add milk or water

6. Knead the dough for atleast 10 mins

7. Shape into a round and coat with a thin drizzle of olive oil

8. Cover and leave to rise until double - about 1.5 hours

Pizza Sauce -

1. Heat a pan and add butter and oil in it.

2. Add garlic, chillies and ginger

3. Add chopped tomatoes, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are mushy cooked

4. Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper

5. Cook for another few minutes until done

6. If you prefer a spicier taste, add chilli flakes or red chilli powder at this point

7. Add finely chopped corriander leaves

Assembling and baking the pizza -

1. When the dough has risen well, punch the dough to knock out the air from it.

2. Divide the dough into 2 large or 3 medium sized balls

3. Roll the dough into pizza base round shapes

4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

5. Poke the base randomly with fork. This avoids the pizza from rising and fluffing up.

6. Place the pizza bases into the oven for about 10 minutes.

7. Remove from oven, spread a few spoonfuls of pizza sauce on the base

8. Follow with a layer of chedder and mozzarella cheese

9. Top off with veggies of your choice and more cheese to finish

10. To make paneer tikka variation, dice paneer into small cubes and marinate with spices. Keep aside for about 10 minutes while the pizza bases bake in the oven.

11. Bake the pizza for about 15 to 20 minutes depending upon oven settings.