Tandoori Chicken Pizza

Pizza. A little bit of food magic. I think anyway. A few simple ingredients. Some heat. A culinary miracle happens. Tandoori chicken pizza takes that magic up a notch.

I don’t really understand my love of pizza. It’s my kryptonite. I will eat pizza when I’m full.

Any pizza without pineapple on it anyway. I know. It’s wrong. But I can’t help it. It’s a sickness. A wonderful, wonderful sickness.

And somehow tandoori chicken pizza has become my favourite. Top of my list. Not sure how that happened. But it did.

Things are finally changing

There’s a bit of a movement afoot. Indian restaurants are breaking the mold. Casting off the chains of formula Indian menus.

It’s finally happening. I’ve been waiting my whole life for it. I’m pretty excited.

It’s about familiar food. Kissed with Indian flavours. Something you know. But with a twist. Funky. Fun. And delicious. All the cool restaurants are doing it.

Indian inspired. Taking what you know. And bringing those big bold Indian flavours to it. I call it Indian-ish. Not quite Indian. But close. Just fun.

Desi pizza is coming to a pizzeria near you

What does that have to do with pizza? It’s a great example of Indian-ish. Something familiar but different. Pizza. With Indian flavours.

It goes by Indian pizza. Or desi pizza. Google it. It’s a thing. I’m not making this up. I’m just trying to spread the word.

Butter chicken pizza. Chicken tikka masala pizza. Saag paneer pizza. Tandoori chicken pizza. Drop dead amazing pizza.

It’s not intuitive. Ask me to pick two cuisines that don’t play well together? Indian and Italian has to be close to the top.

And yet it works. And it just doesn’t sort of work. It works incredibly well. I am actually amazed at how well in fact.

And before you ask. This is way better than naan with stuff on top of it. Not in the same league.

Not saying that naan with stuff on it isn’t good. Just saying this is a whole lot better. But remember. I am a pizza addict. Factor that into your thinking.

Tandoori chicken pizza is all about balance

Tandoori chicken pizza is the simplest of the desi pizzas. In my rotation anyway. Not a lot to it. But that’s what makes pizza great. Complicated is not always better.

I have a test for pizza joints. Pizza margherita. Crust. Tomato sauce. Basil. Cheese. Olive oil.

If a pizzeria can pull that off they know their stuff. There is nowhere to hide. Grand master territory.

Notice I put crust first. Did that on purpose. Crust is the real test. Great crust. Great pizza. Mediocre crust. Mediocre pizza. You can try to hide it. But you can’t fix it.

The crust is the thing

Crust. Sauce. Cheese. Toppings. There’s really not a lot to pizza. So the crust matters. A lot.

I’ve spent more than 10 years working on my Neapolitan pizza dough . And I’m not done yet. I chase the pizza dough dragon.

Flour. Water. Salt. Yeast.

Nothing more. Nothing less. No sugar. No oil. Four ingredients. Slow fermentation. Seriously complex flavours. They have rules about this. For real.

It is not one size fits all though. No silver bullet here. My version doesn’t work at oven temperatures under around 650F. It needs real heat to make it work.

It won’t work in a regular kitchen oven. Don’t try. It will suck. Badly. You’ve been warned. I’m not happy about it either. But it is a fact.

My best advice? Go with the dough that works for you. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

But never stop trying to improve. There’s real magic to be had. When you nail it. Did I mention I’m an addict?

Sauce matters too

I’m going to lose a lot of people here. I know. I do a crazy sauce for butter chicken. Another crazy sauce for chicken tikka masala. I love to play. Tinker.

I used to do a complicated sauce for this pizza. It was really good. But in the end simple won. For me anyway.

Turns out the sauce I like best is the same one I use for all my red Neapolitan pizzas.

One 28 ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes. Real San Marzano. DOP. Passed through a food mill. And one teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix. Done.

That’s it. Not cooked. No spices. No herbs. Just pure tomato flavour.

It’s perfect. I think anyway. It doesn’t get in the way. Provides a nice acidic balance. A canvas on which to paint your pizza. Proof that less can actually be more.

Works incredibly well against the tandoori chicken. The onion. The bite of the green chilies. The richness of the cheese. And the clean tomato flavour.

A little methi pushes it into serious Indian-ish territory

This is a tale of two pizzas. And both are great. So you have a choice to make.

If you really want a more Indian-ish pizza think about a little bit of kasoori methi. This one is a tough call. I’m torn.

It’s just one ingredient. So you wouldn’t think it makes a huge difference. But it does. Changes the pizza completely. Pushes it deep into Indian territory.

I’m not saying it’s better. And I’m not saying it’s not. It’s just different. Small change. Big difference. Up to you.

I wouldn’t use San Marzano tomatoes if you go the kasoori methi route. It’s an assertive flavour. Bit of a sledgehammer. Any good quality canned tomato will do.

Try it both ways. That’s the beauty of pizza. You keep playing with ingredients. It never gets old. There’s always something you can tweak.

Jalapenos are right for tandoori chicken pizza

I’m not trying to create pizza controversy. It’s just happening somehow. Jalapeños are right for tandoori chicken pizza.

I can hear what’s going on in your head.

“Tandoori chicken pizza? That’s Indian right? Do you not know anything about Indian cooking? Jalapeños are not Indian. Green chilies are Indian. Jwala chilies are where it’s at. Jalapeños? What????”

I get that. I use jwala chilies for pretty much everything Indian. Everything that calls for fresh green chilies anyway.

I always have jwalas in my fridge. Always. But they are wrong for tandoori chicken pizza. Totally wrong.

This is pizza. Keep that in mind. Green bell peppers are a quintessential pizza topping. Maybe not in Italy. But everywhere else in the world.

That is why jalapeños are right here. There’s method in my madness. Green bell pepper flavour. But with a little bite. Perfect. For this pizza anyway.

Put the tandoori in tandoori chicken pizza

I’m usually not a big fan of day-glo red tandoori chicken. Trying to get away from it in fact. But it looks so good on this pizza. I can’t resist. My bad.

It’s purely a look thing. The red contributes zero flavour. There is no point. Except it looks cool. I feel a bit dirty. Guilty even. Hope you can forgive me.

You can go as far as you want with the chicken. When tandoori is the main event I use a serious tandoori marinade . It’s a bit involved. And it is really popular.

When I need tandoori in a hurry I keep it simple. Tandoori masala. A bit of salt. Garlic ginger paste. Kasoori methi. Neutral oil, And a bit of naga pickle.

That’s actually a really good blend. When you are in a hurry. You just need to watch your salt. Commercial tandoori masalas can have a lot of salt.

This tandoori chicken works in the oven. But it works better over charcoal. There’s just something about charcoal that makes me smile.

Either way the key is to pull when it’s a little underdone. Because it gets cooked again on the pizza.

If you like pizza you need to try desi pizza

This one crept up on me. I started making Indian-ish pizza because I like Indian flavours. Just because. Had no idea it was a thing. Completely clueless. As usual. I’m not very trendy.

And somehow I got hooked. Addicted. Desi is now my favourite pizza style. Hands down. No contest.

This is the one that started it all for me. Tandoori chicken. Jalapeno. Red onion. Nothing to it.

The pizza police are coming for me. I’m sure of it. And they should. I’m spreading pizza heresy.

I’m OK with it though. I’ll take the heat. Do the time. All I ask is you try desi pizza. So you can see for yourself. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed…

Ingredients

The sauce

• 28 ounce tomatoes 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes (or not but you are missing out).
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Quick tandoori chicken

• 4 chicken breasts – boneless, skinless. I rarely specify white meat for Indian but it works here.
• 3 tbsp tandoori masala – pay attention to how much salt the blend contains
• 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/4 tsp naga pickle – optional as it adds real fire. But it adds amazing flavour too.
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 1/2 tsp salt – the amount of salt really depends on how much salt there is in your tandoori masala.

Tandoori chicken pizza (one 13 inch pizza)

• 4 tbsp sauce – from above
• 1/2 tsp kasoori methi (optional – pushes the pizza in a strong Indian direction. You decide)
• 1 tandoori chicken breast cooked and sliced (from above)
• 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 small jalapeno thinly sliced
• 6 ounces mozzarella grated

The Dough

• Your favourite pizza dough here

Instructions

The crust

• Get your dough ready. Go with whatever dough works in your workflow.
• You can make this as easy or as hard as you like. Go with what you know. If you really want to get into serious pizza making check out the Neapolitan pizza dough in the comments below.

The sauce

• Pass the tomatoes through a food mill. If you don’t have a food mill you can try using a food processor. Note that a food mill really makes a difference though. It removes the seeds and more fibrous material. If you are getting into pizza in a serious way I do recommend the investment.
• Add the salt. Stir to combine. That’s it. The easiest pizza sauce ever. Just pure tomato flavour.

The quick tandoori chicken

• Combine the tandoori masala, garlic ginger paste, kasoori methi, naga (if using) and oil. Stir to combine. You want a nice slurry. Taste. Yes. I know it’s a little strange but it’s actually quite tasty. If it is well seasoned you are good. If it seems like it could use a bit more salt then add the salt as well.
• Combine the tandoori masala mixture with the chicken. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Don’t use your bare hands for this. Tandoori masala has food colouring in it. It will stain badly.
• Set aside (refrigerated) for up to one day. You can go within 30 minutes. After 12 hours it will be fully brined. Any longer and you are just letting the food colouring penetrate a little further. For the record the chicken in the pictures was marinated for about 30 minutes.
• Ideally you can grill the chicken over charcoal until it hits an internal temp of about 150F for white meat. 160F for dark meat. You want it a little underdone because it will cook some more when you fire your pizza.
• If you are doing it in the oven simply roast in a 400F degree oven. Flip the chicken at around the 10 minute mark and cook to the recommended internal temperatures. You don’t need to worry about trying for char for this to work.

Build the tandoori chicken pizza (13 inch diameter)

• Open your dough as you do normally. If you want to get the big cornice like in the pictures don’t use a rolling pin. Open by hand a leave a little extra dough at the edges.
• Spread about 4 tablespoons of sauce on the crust.
• Cover evenly with cheese. This is an upside down style pizza. Cheese, then toppings.
• Top with red onion, thinly sliced jalapeño and then the tandoori chicken. You want the tandoori chicken on top.
• Cook as you would normally. In my pizza oven that’s about 90-110 seconds at around 800F. You know your oven. Do what you do.
• Serve. Bask in the adulation of your guests. Or just eat it all up yourself. That’s a tough choice. I share. But I don’t want to…

Notes

Ingredients

The sauce

• 28 ounce tomatoes 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes (or not but you are missing out).
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Quick tandoori chicken

• 4 chicken breasts - boneless, skinless. I rarely specify white meat for Indian but it works here.
• 3 tbsp tandoori masala - pay attention to how much salt the blend contains
• 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/4 tsp naga pickle - optional as it adds real fire. But it adds amazing flavour too.
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 1/2 tsp salt - the amount of salt really depends on how much salt there is in your tandoori masala.

Tandoori chicken pizza (one 13 inch pizza)

• 4 tbsp sauce - from above
• 1/2 tsp kasoori methi (optional - pushes the pizza in a strong Indian direction. You decide)
• 1 tandoori chicken breast cooked and sliced (from above)
• 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 small jalapeno thinly sliced
• 6 ounces mozzarella grated

The Dough

• Your favourite pizza dough here

Instructions

The crust

• Get your dough ready. Go with whatever dough works in your workflow.
• You can make this as easy or as hard as you like. Go with what you know. If you really want to get into serious pizza making check out the Neapolitan pizza dough in the comments below.

The sauce

• Pass the tomatoes through a food mill. If you don’t have a food mill you can try using a food processor. Note that a food mill really makes a difference though. It removes the seeds and more fibrous material. If you are getting into pizza in a serious way I do recommend the investment.
• Add the salt. Stir to combine. That’s it. The easiest pizza sauce ever. Just pure tomato flavour.

The quick tandoori chicken

• Combine the tandoori masala, garlic ginger paste, kasoori methi, naga (if using) and oil. Stir to combine. You want a nice slurry. Taste. Yes. I know it’s a little strange but it’s actually quite tasty. If it is well seasoned you are good. If it seems like it could use a bit more salt then add the salt as well.
• Combine the tandoori masala mixture with the chicken. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Don’t use your bare hands for this. Tandoori masala has food colouring in it. It will stain badly.
• Set aside (refrigerated) for up to one day. You can go within 30 minutes. After 12 hours it will be fully brined. Any longer and you are just letting the food colouring penetrate a little further. For the record the chicken in the pictures was marinated for about 30 minutes.
• Ideally you can grill the chicken over charcoal until it hits an internal temp of about 150F for white meat. 160F for dark meat. You want it a little underdone because it will cook some more when you fire your pizza.
• If you are doing it in the oven simply roast in a 400F degree oven. Flip the chicken at around the 10 minute mark and cook to the recommended internal temperatures. You don’t need to worry about trying for char for this to work.

Build the tandoori chicken pizza (13 inch diameter)

• Open your dough as you do normally. If you want to get the big cornice like in the pictures don’t use a rolling pin. Open by hand a leave a little extra dough at the edges.
• Spread about 4 tablespoons of sauce on the crust.
• Cover evenly with cheese. This is an upside down style pizza. Cheese, then toppings.
• Top with red onion, thinly sliced jalapeño and then the tandoori chicken. You want the tandoori chicken on top.
• Cook as you would normally. In my pizza oven that’s about 90-110 seconds at around 800F. You know your oven. Do what you do.
• Serve. Bask in the adulation of your guests. Or just eat it all up yourself. That’s a tough choice. I share. But I don’t want to…

Notes

Think rich. Creamy. Complex. A little spicy. And completely over the top. That is chicken changezi.

Chicken changezi is a curry unto it’s own. There’s nothing like it. That I know of anyway. The spice cuts through the cream. It has bite. A lush curry. Special even.

This might not be the chicken changezi you’re expecting. It’s on the bold side. Big flavours. Shouldn’t be a surprise though. This is glebekitchen.

It’s always flavour first here. I’m not the king of subtle. Want to know my worst nightmare? Someone says “Meh. That was a little bland”.

I’m not worried. This is a Mughlai dish. Which is a fancy Persian word for Mongol.

The most famous Mongol of all time? Ghenghis Khan I think. So I’m going to pretend I know Ghenghis.

And I’m going to pretend I know Ghenghis liked his dishes spicy. Nothing to do with reality. But I’m going with it.

So my chicken changezi has to be a little badass. No way it can be bland. Not for the meek. Not crazy. But not to be mistaken for insipid either.

Yes. That’s ridiculous. I know. No need to tell me. I’m just having a bit of fun here.

The history of chicken changezi

With a title like that I bet you are expecting a bunch of facts. I would be too. But this one is a little murky. Willing suspension of disbelief required please.

Chicken changezi big in the North. Ghenghis Khan invaded the North. It’s Mughlai. He was a Mongol.

So of course this must be his favourite dish ever. That makes sense right? OK. Maybe not.

But there’s also the “fact” that they called him Changhez in India. See where this is going? Changez liked his curry just so.

A little creamy. Some dairy to soften things. Maybe all that invading gave him ulcers? Conquering is a tough gig.

I know if I was the royal cook I’d be worried. Wouldn’t want to give him indigestion. There’s only one way that would end. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like it.

So a tasty curry with badass spicing and cream to tame it? That sounds like something like Changez would approve of. That would keep the royal cook alive.

Fun story. Tall tale. Work of fiction. But in the end it doesn’t matter. What matters is that chicken changezi is one tasty curry. And hotel style pushes it over the top.

Hotel style for serious flavour

This part isn’t a joke. If you want deeply flavoured dishes. And you want the lush sauce you get in restaurants. Then hotel style is for you.

Hotel style is about more. More flavour. More polish. Just more. It takes restaurant cooking up a notch. Or two.

Think high end restaurants. Posh restaurants. The ones where you go “Wow – that is so much better than my local takeaway”. That’s what hotel style is about.

It’s called hotel style because that’s what they serve at the fancy restaurants in India. The ones in the crazy hotels. And in high end Indian restaurants around the world.

It’s more work up front. That’s why every restaurant doesn’t do it. Labour costs money. But it’s easier at service. Nowhere near as messy either.

And you get amazing curries. It’s just win win win.

Hotel gravy is the secret

Restaurants don’t make curries in the traditional style. They have tricks to get your dinner in front of you in less than two hours.

And they don’t just have pots of every dish on the menu simmering on a hundred burner stove. That’s a recipe for bankruptcy.

They use sauces. Or gravies. And they turn those gravies into the dishes they serve.

It can be simple. Like regular restaurant style. The same gravy for every dish. Like a blank canvas. I like that. It’s tasty. But maybe a little limiting.

Or it can be more sophisticated. Hotel gravy . Makhani gravy . Specialized gravies. Combination of gravies. The right tool for the job. I like that better.

That’s hotel style. Opens up a whole new world of possibilities. For me. And for you.

Chicken changezi is a curry for kings (or khans)

Changez had it pretty good. At least when it came to his dinner. Chicken Changezi is a little decadent. Seriously tasty. Opulent even.

I don’t think I’ve ever described anything here as opulent. But it is. So opulent is the right word.

I don’t do a lot of creamy curries. Not much dairy in general. My roots are Bengali. Creamy isn’t really my thing. When it comes to Indian anyway.

It also doesn’t quite fit my usual flavour sledgehammer style. I wouldn’t go as far as subtle. It’s a little less over the top. But only a little.

Which is why I’m fascinated by this one. It doesn’t really fit my mold. Creamy. A bit restrained. Not my thing.

And yet I’m putting this one into my regular rotation. Try it. I’m willing to bet you will too. Changhez would approve.

chicken changezi – Indian hotel style

Ingredients

The spice mix

• 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/3 tsp kosher salt

The chicken marinade

• 4 chicken thighs boned and skinned. Cut into 3 pieces each
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper – butcher’s grind (a little coarse)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp tandoori masala – a commercial mix (I know. It’s hard for me to write those words) mostly for colour and a bit of tang.
• 1/3 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt

Chicken changezi

• the marinated chicken
• 3 tbsp canola oil – any neutral oil
• 1 black cardamom for a hint of smoky flavour
• 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste – recipe link below
• the spice mix from above
• 1 green finger hot chili – aka jwala chili coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes – or makhani gravy (see note)
• 1 tbsp plain yoghurt – I like full fat Greek yoghurt for this
• 1 cup Indian hotel curry gravy – Recipe link in the notes. It’s meant to be thick. The juices from the chicken will thin it and you can adjust it to taste at the end.
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp kasoor methi – dried fenugreek leaves
• fried shallots to garnish

Instructions

Do your prep

• Measure out your spices. Prep your chicken. Chop your green chili
• Basically have everything on hand and ready to go

Coat the chicken

• Combine the spices and yoghurt. Whisk to combine. If it is really thick add a little dribble of milk to loosen it up.
• Add the yoghurt mixture to the chicken and mix to thoroughly coat the chicken. It’s ready to go at this point. Letting it sit for few minutes won’t hurt but it won’t really make much difference either.

Fry the chicken

• Set a large skillet over medium heat. For this step a non-stick skillet helps. I don’t say that often but in this case pull it out.
• Add the oil.
• When the oil starts to shimmer add the chicken in an even layer.
• Fry until lightly coloured. Maybe 3 or 4 minutes per side. Regulate your heat so the yoghurt doesn’t burn.
• You aren’t trying to cook the chicken through. When it has a bit of colour remove from the pan and set aside.

Make the chicken changezi

• Transfer the oil from frying the chicken into a clean skillet. This is now spiced oil. You want to get back to 3 tablespoons so if it looks low a little more oil won’t hurt.
• Heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the black cardamom. You should see little bubbles form. Cook for about 20-30 seconds.
• Stir in the garlic ginger paste. Gently fry until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering. This step can get a bit messy so be ready.
• Turn your heat down to medium low and add your spice mix. Cook for about 30 seconds. You want to fry your spices in the oil. There are fat soluble compounds in spices. This is how magic happens.
• Add the yoghurt. Stir it well. Fry for about 30 seconds. I know frying yoghurt is a bit strange. Just trust me. The yoghurt needs to get cooked out.
• Add the tomato puree and the green chilies. Fry the mixture for 2-3 minutes. You will need to add a bit of water or stock to keep it from getting too thick. But at least when that happens you’ll know you’re doing it right.
• Add the Indian hotel curry gravy. Stir well. You want everything mixed together. Bring to a simmer.
• Add the cream and kasoori methi. Stir to combine.
• Add the chicken thigh pieces in a single layer. Nestle them down into the sauce. Cover and cook about 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid, flip the chicken and replace the lid. Continue simmering until the chicken is done. You are shooting for an internal temperature of 170F. Should only be a couple minutes more.
• Chicken changezi should be a saucy curry. Look at it in your pan. It’s going to need a little extra liquid (water or no-sodium chicken stock) to get it there. Somewhere between 2-4 tablespoons. You want a consistency just slightly thicker than heavy cream.
• Serve garnished with fried shallots if you like. It’s not essential but it is a really nice touch.

Notes

Nutrition