Chicken tikka masala pizza: Fusion at its best

Chicken tikka masala pizza, a meeting of two cuisines. (Rasa Malaysia pic)

Chicken tikka masala is a delicious Indian recipe that makes a killer topping for a pizza, which originated in Italy.

The exotic tastes of the spices and the chicken pairs beautifully with the cheesy pizza.

It is scrumptious, easy enough to put together and makes for a healthy meal for the whole family.

Ingredients

• 280 g skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 green chilli, seeds removed
• Salt to taste
• 1 30 cm store-bought pizza crust or three 15 cm mini pizza crusts
• Olive oil for brushing
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• Handful of coriander leaves, chopped, save some for garnish

Marinade:

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 pinch cinnamon

Tomato sauce:

• 120 ml tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Spice mix:

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Method:

• Marinade the chicken for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
• Line a baking tin with aluminium foil for grilling. Spread the marinated chicken in a single layer on the pan and discard the remaining marinade.
• Grill the chicken at 230ºC for six to seven minutes, turning halfway through.
• While the chicken is grilling, prepare the tomato sauce and spice mix in separate bowls. Remove the chicken from the pan when it is done and discard the juice.
• Heat a small saucepan and melt the butter. Sauté the garlic and chilli until aromatic.
• Add the spice mix and sauté until fragrant, about one to two minutes, on medium heat. Remove the chilli and discard.
• Add the tomato sauce and stir well to mix. Add salt to taste and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, another two minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add the chicken to the sauce and mix well.
• Pre-heat the oven to 230ºC. Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Spread the sauce on the pizza crust and sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Arrange the chicken on the pizza and top it with the sliced onions, chopped coriander and the remaining cheese.
• Reduce the temperature to 220ºC and bake the pizza for eight to 10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the pan when done and garnish with the remaining chopped coriander.

Tips

• Bake according to the instructions on the pizza crust. Depending on the type of crust, the timing and temperature may vary slightly.
• Stir-fry the chicken instead of grilling it if preferred.

This recipe first appeared in Rasa Malaysia

Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.

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