Indian(ised) Pizza, anyone???

Friday nights are Fun Food nights at our house...not the usual breads or rotis or curry or rice...as the kids grow up and we keep trying to include more servings of different food groups to their daily diet, I find it necessary to come up with more interesting ideas for dinner...which is the only meal we all are together for, really(weeknights at least!)

I came up with this new idea for "Indianised "(Desi)Pizza for one of  our Friday Fun Food nights. Most of the pizza chains normally have a Hawaiian style fruit n veggie Pizza or some style of fruit-topped pizza nowadays, which gave me the idea of including fruit in this version of Indianised Pizza...hence, I came up with this Kurma-style Gravy Pizza. Plus, I was pumped up from the success of my previous venture with Indianised Pav Bhaji Pizza.

The kids thought this pizza was very colorful and so they liked it and of course, I was very happy to have taken care of a few servings of fruits and veggies with this dish...so, all said and done, a fun time was had by all that night:))

This Kurma style Gravy Pizza is making its way to Lavi's Global Kadai - Indian Flavored Pizza event...started by Cilantro.

Recipe for Kurma-style Gravy Pizza:-
Serves: 4
Prep/Cook time: 35-40 mins.(with store-bought pizza dough)


For Pizza Base/Dough: Paula Deen's Recipe and Emeril's Recipe on Food Network


For Gravy Base and Topping:
Ingredients:
Cauliflower - cut finely and cooked - 1/2
Carrots cut finely and cooked - 1
Apple - cut finely and cooked - 1
Pineapple - cut finely and cooked - 1/2
Green peas, shelled 1/2 cup and cooked
Tomatoes, chopped - 2 medium
Onions, chopped - 2 medium or 1 big size
Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
Garlic 4 or 5 cloves
Grind the following to a fine paste: Unsweetened fresh or desiccated coconut - 3 to 4 tbsp, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 2 tsp fennel seeds
Oil - 2 to 3 tablespoons
Green chillies, chopped 3-4
Garam masala 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 medium or big size
Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp chopped for garnish, roasted
Raisins - 1tbsp
Cheese - mozzarella, grated 3 or 4 tbsp


Method:
Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.


Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Sauté till light brown. Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute. Then, add the ground paste and let come to a boil.


Add half the quantity of tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala.


Add cooked peas, cauliflower, carrot, pineapples and apples and one and half cups of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for seven to ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed.


Add Garam Masala, salt and remaining tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously. Then set aside.


Now, spread parchment paper/foil on baking sheet and place the pizza base/crust on it. Spread an even layer of the gravy curry on the pizza base.


Next, add the fresh cheese, cashew nuts, raisins and cilantro on top of the curry. Optionally, you could place some butter on the top of the pizza crust. Bake for 10 - 12 mins(or according to package directions for pizza crust)


Serve hot / at room temp.

Enjoy!!!