Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza

Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza

We decided to make an Asian-style pizza and came up with the idea of Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza. Chicken Tikka Masala (check out the recipe by What’s for Lunch Honey) is a delicious Indian recipe and makes a killer topping for the pizza. The exotic tastes of the spices and the chicken paired beautifully with the cheesy pizza. It was scrumptious and we couldn’t stop eating it.

Ingredients:

10 oz skinless and boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 jalapeno, deseeded

Salt to taste

One (1) 12-inches store-bought pizza crust or three (3) 7-inches mini pizza crusts

Olive oil for brushing

1/4 onion, thinly sliced

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Handful of coriander leaves/cilantro, chopped, save some for garnish

Marinade:

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground garam masala

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Pinch of cinnamon

Tomato Sauce:

4oz tomato sauce

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Spice Mix:

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt masala

Method:

1.In a bowl, marinade the chicken with the Marinade for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

2.Line a layer of aluminum foil in a baking pan for grilling. Spread the marinated chicken in a single layer on the pan, discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken at 450F for 6-7 minutes, turning at half time.

3.While the chicken is cooking, prepare the Tomato Sauce and Spice Mix in separate bowls. Remove the chicken from the pan when it is done and discard the juice.

4.Heat a small sauce pan and melt the butter. Sauté the garlic and jalapeno until aromatic. Pour in the Spice Mix and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Remove the jalapeno and discard.

5.Add in the Tomato Sauce and stir well to mix. Sprinkle salt to taste and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the chicken meat into the sauce and mix well.

6.Pre-heat the oven to 450F. Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Spread the sauce/gravy on the pizza crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese. Arrange the chicken on the pizza. Top it with the sliced onions, chopped cilantro and the remaining cheese.

7.Reduce the temperature to 425F. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the pan when is done and garnish the remaining chopped cilantro.