Join us every first Friday of the month for an exciting culinary journey with moji's blends, crafting tantalizing dishes that transcend borders worldwide! #FusionFriday celebrates the art of spice fusion, seamlessly merging traditional Indian flavors with global culinary inspirations, resulting in a symphony of delightful tastes. Experience the magic of flavor exploration with us!
Today we are learning how to make Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza. Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza is food fusion on many levels! The dish Chicken Tikka Masala itself is an English invention that dates back to the 60s. It marries the North Indian specialty of juicy marinated tandoori chicken with the European preference of cream-based sauces. Layering this dish on to pizza dough and topping it with marinated green peppers and red onions along with melted shredded mozzarella creates a blissful marriage of two ultimate comfort foods!
moji masala's chicken tikka masala recipe makes some minor adjustments from the restaurant favorite to create a meatier dish with a more robust flavor profile, by using moji’s Tandoori-Style Chicken Masala and a high quality full-fat Greek yogurt instead of cream. For that critical final touch, we finish with a sprinkle of moji’s Kashmiri Garam Masala. The end-result is a beautiful, luxurious braised chicken dish with layers of tantalizing flavor!
This dish can be used to make a few Chicken Tikka Masala pizzas, or you can enjoy the dish with rice and use leftovers to make one pizza.
chicken tikka masala pizza
Ingredients
1 ½ cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt, like Fage Total 5%, stirred until smooth and creamy to prevent curdling; alternatively you mix the yogurt in a blender.
3 tablespoons olive oil (for the marinade and onion/pepper topping)
2.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approx. 8 pieces)
3 tablespoons high-heat neutral oil (like canola or sunflower)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon garlic/ginger paste or 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 1 teaspoon minced ginger
14 oz. high-quality finely chopped Italian tomatoes, like Pomi or Mutti
1 small green pepper thinly sliced
1 small red onion thinly sliced
1 handful of chopped cilantro or parsley leaves, with small stems (for garnish) [optional]
1 pre-made pizza crust
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Directions
Marinade (10 minutes)
Step 1 In a medium size mixing bowl blend ½ cup of yogurt with the olive oil. Add two tablespoons of the Tandoori-Style Chicken Masala and mix until you have an even, smooth paste.
Step 2 Add the chicken to the yogurt mixture, making sure that all pieces are well-coated (your hands are the best tools in the kitchen for this). Marinate 1-48 hours if you can.
Chicken Tikka Masala (40 minutes)
Step 1 Take the marinated chicken out of the fridge. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In the meantime, blend the remaining cup of yogurt with 1/2 cup of water until smooth and creamy and set aside. This prevents the yogurt from curdling when cooking. You can blend by hand or in a small blender.
Step 2 Lay the marinated chicken pieces touching side-by-side on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the outside is just cooked. Remove from the oven and cut each thigh into 5-6 pieces. Set aside.
Step 3 Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the hot oil and sauté until golden brown (approximately 4-5 minutes).
Step 4 Add the garlic-ginger paste and sauté for about 15 seconds until fragrant.
Step 5 Add the tomato and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until much of the water has evaporated and the tomato has softened and cooked down. The tomato is properly cooked at this stage, when it starts to darken, and the oil begins to separate out.
Step 6 Add the remainder of the Tandoori-Style Chicken Masala packet and blend well into the onion-tomato mixture, adding splashes of water as necessary to keep the pot and the spices from burning. Sauté for about a minute so the spices have a chance to bloom and cook properly.
Step 7 Turn the heat to medium-low. Stir in the remaining one cup of yogurt a little at a time and blend well. Let the yogurt gently warm up, while stirring vigorously to keep the yogurt texture smooth.
Step 8 Add in the partially baked chicken and coat well. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir a few times every 3-4 minutes to make sure the chicken is not sticking to the bottom of the pan and the dish is not drying out. About half-way through a good amount of water should be released. If your pot is dry, stir in a quarter cup of water so the chicken can continue to cook fully.
Step 9 When the chicken is fully cooked, reduce the liquid, if necessary, until you are left with a slightly thick, gravy-like texture. Take the pot off-heat and stir in the garam masala. Add ¼ teaspoon more if you prefer a fuller flavor. Adjust salt to taste. Garnish and serve immediately with rice or gently reheat for later.
Pizza (20 minutes)
Step 1 Preheat your oven to 425°F
Step 2 Toss the sliced red onions and green peppers with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Set aside.
Step 3 Remove as much chicken as you plan to use and dice it into small pieces to be used as a topping.
Step 4 Spread a layer of sauce from the chicken tikka masala evenly over the pizza crust followed by the diced chicken topping.
Step 5 Layer on the sliced peppers and onions followed by the shredded cheese.
Step 6 Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
Step 7 Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
