Mexican Style Pizza

                 Pizzas, like the Indian paratha, are versatile and full of possibilities. Be it the flour, crust, stuffing/toppings, we can keep on experimenting with them. Here's a pizza experiment with a Mexican-style topping. 
It's interesting to read how the Mexican style of  cooking uses spices from different regions, for eg, Cilantro brought in by the Spanish and the cumin seed, that is Eastern Mediterranean....I have personally seen Mexican food find many lovers in the lovers of Indian cuisine, and of course, needless to say that we adapt it to suit our palate further!!
This recipe is also part of our #FoodieMonday theme of #PizzaMania...

MEXICAN STYLE PIZZA

Ingredients :

Pizza base - readymade or homemade using this method

Mexican-Style Topping :
Cooked kidney beans (Rajma) - 2 cups
Tomato purée - 1 cup
Colored Bell Peppers - 1 cup, finely chopped
Paneer - 1 cup, cubed
Cajun spice - 2 tsps
Salt to taste
Chili flakes - 1 tsp (optional)
Shredded cheese as required
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsps

Method :
1. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let crackle.
2. Add chopped bell peppers and sauté. for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée, salt to taste and let simmer.
3. After about 7-8 minutes, tip in the cooked Rajma and paneer cubes and mix well. Add the cajun spice (homemade or readymade Mexican seasoning available in the market) and optionally, chili flakes if you like it extra hot. 
4. Mix again, check for salt and let simmer for about 5 minutes more or till almost all the gravy is absorbed. Remove and keep aside.
5. If making your own pizza base, half-cook the base in the oven on high for 2 minutes. Remove, brush a little oil on the surface. Spread the Mexican stuffing on top, onion slices and sprinkle shredded cheese. Also optional to top up with sliced bell peppers.
6. Bake in a microwave oven at 170 deg C for 5 minutes, followed by 3 more minutes at 200 Deg C or till the cheese melts and becomes golden brown.
Serve hot as desired.

Shout-out for Pizza - 'Whooppeezz'

                You got to love Indians for one thing, among many others; and that's their love and adaptability for International cuisines. And I say adaptability because we do "adjust" it to suit our palates :) One such cuisine that has been and will always be a hit is Italian; and not just for its pizzas, but we are appreciating the pastas and gnocchis too, at the gourmet, quick-serve and also home-food levels. 
                A new pizzeria in town is always a welcome deal, and when I came to know of the 16th FBAB (Food Bloggers' Association of Bangalore) meet at the newly opened Whooppeezz I rushed to buy my ticket. This was to be my first meet as well with this wonderful group !! Saturday, 9th Jan 2016, and I set out in search of the pizzeria. First thought - excellent location, right opposite Raheja Arcade in Koramangala and next to Starbucks; couldn't have asked for a better launchpad (w.r.t location) to get going with a bang!

                  I entered the place a bit apprehensive, since I knew no one, but I was immediately made to feel welcome, both by the FBAB members and the  Team Whooppeezz. After the initial introductions, it was time to get down to business, a.k.a Clicking & Tasting !! To begin with the starters....we had Nachos with Cheese sauce and salsa plus Cheesy Garlic breads - one with Cheese & mushroom and the other with cheese alone. Needless to say, all of these disappeared quite fast!! I liked the Salsa especially as it had a bite to it. Between the two variations of Garlic bread, my vote would go to the Cheese version, the mushroom one would have to take second place. The bread, though was super soft, warm and along with the cheese simply dissolved in my mouth.

                  The pastas - Arrabbiata and the one with White sauce, which I believe (as per their menu) would be " Pasta Rosé " were quite appealing, here again I shall be partial to the Arrabbiata version; maybe I was expecting something more traditional when it came to the white sauce. Suggestion - the white sauce could be slightly thicker and cheesier, perhaps with the bite of finely chopped, sautéed Garlic; I am happy for the seasonings & accompaniments to be minimal.

                       Moving on to the main course, i.e, the pizzas, we were served a mix of Veg and Non-veg varieties. Being a non-meat eater, I confined myself to the Green dot, that said, their "Eggizza" sure caught my fancy. More on that a bit later. Of the veg ones I tasted, I quite liked the simplicity of "Hawaiian Fusion" served on a thin crust. The other regular crust varieties had the usual toppings of Paneer, Capsicum, bell peppers, olives, sundried tomatoes and a pretty sprinkling of herbs. The Tandoori paneer version disappeared just as quickly, however my humble opinion, the chef could go a little easy on the Tandoori sauce.

                 The "Eggizza" (top right) was really an eye-catcher. Now I dig presentation as much as the dish itself, and to me, the boiled and sliced eggs with cutely cut olives on top were its USP! Though not much of a fan of Eggs on pizzas, I indulged in this one and went in for a second helping too :) But then came the Centre-piece or their Show-stopper - The "Whooppeezzoo" (Bottom left) - sinfulness loaded!! Its claim to fame -  it needs a double base to support all that goes into it!! And I agree, I couldn't down more than a slice! Good option to go for if you are out as a family and are happy to share a pizza :) Statutory warning - look out for cheese dripping all over, yep, that sinful!!
                 And no meal is complete without the dessert round. I doubted if I could do justice to the sweet offerings, being stuffed with all of the above, the Whooppeezz desserts did change my mind! The 'Tres leches' (Top left) stood up to its definition. The cake was super spongy and the milk sauce was divine. Our host Sujata had a twinkle in her eye when she said it wasn't condensed milk.. Well, I leave it to you to find out what it could be and let me know too!

                   The other dessert - Chocolate Bomb (Bottom right), served in a shot glass and made up of four delectable layers was gone in a jiffy too. But what we were waiting for were the Chocolate pizzas that were staring at us from the wall posters. One came topped with Almond flakes and the other with gems. To hell with modesty, in a few seconds we all had chocolate covered faces and that is a testimony in itself !! Must credit its crunchy and flaky base, instead of a chewy one.
                 The other selling factors of the brand, their pricing is wallet-happy and the outlet has a competent staff, the hosts are amazing and of course, the location. As one of my FBAB co-member mentioned, parking would be a concern for quite a few. So a better option would be to go with hired or public transport. 
                 Well, Whooppeezz look set to mushroom throughout Bengaluru and BTM layout is mentioned as the next probable destination. I for one am definitely looking forward to an outlet in my area and soon :) A big Whooppee for Whooppeezz !!!
[You can stay updated via their social media channels and their website...]

Leftover Roti Pizza

LEFTOVER ROTI PIZZA

Ingredients :

Leftover rotis - 5-6
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Paneer cubes - 1/2 cup
Boiled sweet corn - 1/4 cup
Chopped Bell peppers (green, red and yellow) - 1/2 cup
Chopped and blanched spinach - 1 cup
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Grated cheese or cheese slices
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
Dried herbs
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the capsicum and saute lightly. Add chili powder and salt.

2. Add the tomato puree and garlic powder. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes. It is absolutely up to your taste to add spices of your choice here, ranging from garam masala, dhaniya powder to even Curry powder! Remove from the flame as we do not need to over cook the sauce.
(We are cooking the vegetables here, such as capsicum, spinach because unlike a pizza base, we won't be cooking a roti for long, so the vegetables might be left uncooked and a bit uneasy to digest. Onions can however be used raw as they add the crunch factor.)

3. Take a roti, spread 1 tbsp of sauce over it, arrange the paneer cubes, blanched spinach, onion, corn and finally cover with a little cheese. Remember not to over-load the cheese as the roti will be thin and will sag.

4. Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place the roti carefully over it, reduce flame, cover with a lid and let the cheese melt. Take care not to let the roti become too crisp.
Serve the 'Roti-Pizza' as desired.

Homemade Pizza

Getting the Pizza right, at home, is a challenge I am sure most of us love. My mother loves pizzas with wheat flour base and a thin crust at that. Thought would bite the bullet and try it out this weekend!! 
Above all, I followed the Tawa style of cooking, so no oven used here, unless you want to !!

WHEAT FLOUR PIZZA

Ingredients : (Makes six x 6 inch pizzas)
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups (or add 1 cup maida + 1 cup atta)
Instant Dry yeast - 2 tsps (Use curd if you do not wish to use yeast)
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Curd - 1 tbsp

Tomato sauce :
Olive oil - 2 tbsps
Tomato puree - 1 1/2 cups
Salt to taste
Chili flakes - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Dried herbs such as oregano
(You can also use any dry masala of your choice, eg, Garam masala, Tawa Fry, etc to give it an Indian touch!!)

Pizza Topping :
Chopped Capsicum - 1 cup
Sliced Onions - 1 cup
Paneer cubes - 1/2 cup
Grated Mozzarella cheese + any other extra cheese - as required
(One can add any topping of choice apart from these)

Method :

1. Soak yeast in a bowl along with luke warm water, sugar and 1 tsp salt. Stir and leave aside for 10 minutes till it becomes frothy.

2. Meanwhile sift together the flour and salt in a clean bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture.
[Note : If you do not wish to use yeast, you can use 1 tsp Baking Pwd, 1 tsp Baking Soda and required curd to knead the dough]

3. Add 1 tbsp curd and knead into a soft but firm dough using sufficient water. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm corner for about 1 1/2 hours or till it doubles in size.

4. Take the dough on a floured counter and punch it lightly. Roll into a cylinder and divide into 6 equal portions. Roll the portions out into pizza bases of desired thickness. Prick all over gently with a fork.

5. Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place the pizza base on the tawa, cover with a lid and cook on 1 side only for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and keep aside. Repeat with other bases as well.

6. For the sauce - heat olive oil in a pan and add the tomato puree. Let simmer on low to medium flame for about 4-5 minutes. We do not want to over-cook the sauce as it will be cooked once more with the pizza.
Add garlic powder, chili flakes, salt to taste and any other dry spice/masala you want to add. Finally add the dried herbs, stir for 1 minute and remove.
[I also tend to blanch the vegetables (except tomato and onion) a little, i.e, about 1/2 cooked so that they are easier to digest, especially for elders and children.]

7. Spread about 1 tbsp sauce on the cooked side of the pizza. Arrange the rest of the toppings leaving 1 cm space from the edges. Finally sprinkle grated cheese, you can be really generous here as a pizza without enough cheese isnt much fun :)

8. Place the prepared pizza base back on the tawa so that the uncooked side is directly on the pan now. Cover - cook on low heat for about 7-8 minutes or till cheese starts bubbling and becomes golden brown. At this point you can use the oven (normal or micro) as well. I used a combination of both so the pizzas got done faster!!

9. Remove the finished pizzas on to the serving plate, cut and serve :)