Saag paneer pizza
This veggie pizza is a tribute to one of the most famous Punjabi dishes, saag paneer. A classic pizza crust is topped with a spinach sauce, buttery paneer, artichokes, crispy onions and red pesto.
This recipe is based on the Hara Bhara pizza served at East West in Tufnell Park, London. It has been adapted to make it easier to cook in a domestic kitchen and offers substitutes for any elements they wish to keep secret (such as the pizza dough).
Ingredients
For the pizza dough
- 500g/1lb 2oz strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 330ml/12fl oz lukewarm water
- 2 x 7g sachets fast-action yeast
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
For the spinach sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- pinch mild red chilli powder
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed and seeds ground
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 250g/9oz spinach
- 2 tbsp double cream
For the toppings
- 200g/7oz chargrilled artichokes, cut into small pieces
- 226g/8oz block paneer, cut into small bite size pieces
- garam masala, to taste
- 2 x 225g/8oz balls mozzarella (125g/4½oz drained weight)
To garnish
Method
To make the pizza dough, place the flour and salt into a large bowl. In a jug, mix the lukewarm water with the yeast and sugar and leave for a few minutes to activate. Pour into the bowl along with the olive oil and knead until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic. Alternatively use a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on high for 5–10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic.
Transfer to a large, greased bowl and cover with a damp tea-towel. Allow to prove in a warm place for around an hour, or until doubled in size (alternatively, place in the fridge overnight). Once the dough has risen, knock it back and knead again briefly until smooth, then return to a greased bowl and allow to rise for another 30 minutes–1 hour.
To make the spinach sauce, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, ground cumin, chilli powder, ground cardamom and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for around 10–15 minutes over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently until softened and golden brown.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a further 1–2 minutes before adding the spinach. Allow to wilt for a few minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Return to the pan, stir in the cream and cook over a low heat until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to its highest setting (ideally 280C/260C Fan/Gas 10). Place a large, non-stick baking sheet in the oven to heat up for 5 minutes.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll into balls. On a floured surface, stretch and shape each ball into four rounds (using a rolling pin if needed), going as thin as possible – pressing and shaping with your hands until you have a circle of dough approximately 28cm/11in wide.
Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle with a good dusting of flour. Arrange one of the pizza bases on the tray. (You will need to cook each pizza separately.)
Spread a quarter of the spinach sauce over the base. Top with a quarter of the artichoke pieces and scatter over a quarter of the paneer. Sprinkle over some garam masala. Tear half a ball of mozzarella equally over the top.
Cook in the hot oven for around 7–8 minutes, until the base is golden and crisp and the mozzarella has melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with dollops of red pesto and some chopped coriander. Repeat with the remaining pizza dough and toppings.
