Curry Inspired Pizza With Cauliflower Crust

The development of this pizza was a journey. It started with a desire to make butter chicken... then I realized that I didn't have any chicken... then I realized that I didn't have any prepackaged butter chicken sauce. Somewhere during my substitute-inspired spiral I ended up creating a delicious sweet and savoury sauce to put on a cauliflower crust. Why the cauliflower crust? Why not? It was a good way use up some veggies in my fridge.

Ingredients:

For Cauliflower Crust:

• half a head of Cauliflower
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp Goat Cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt

For Sauce:

• cooking oil
• 2 tbsp Onion (diced)
• 1 clove Garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp Fresh Ginger (minced)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/3 cup Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 cup Vanilla Yogurt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Pizza Toppings:

• 1/2 cup mozzarella
• spinach
• broccoli (steamed)
• bell peppers
• chickpeas

Supplies

• knife
• large pot
• sieve
• cheese cloth (optional)
• mixing bowl
• parchment paper
• pizza pan (12 inches or wider)
• small sauce pan
• stirring spoon

Step 1: Cauliflower Crust: Prep the Cauliflower

Use a food processor or a knife to chop cauliflower into tiny pieces.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower pieces and cook for 4 minutes on medium-high heat. Remove from heat.

Drain the water by pouring the contents of the pot through a sieve. Wait until the cooked cauliflower pieces are cool enough to handle by hand. If you do not wish to wait, run cool water over the cauliflower until it reaches an adequate temperature.

You want the cauliflower pieces to be as dry as possible before the next step. Squeeze out the excess liquid and pat it with paper towel or a clean cloth. If you have a cheesecloth you use it to assist the squeezing process to remove large quantities of water.

Step 2: Cauliflower Crust: Mixing and Baking

Place cauliflower pieces in a mixing bowl. Add egg, goat cheese, and salt. Use your hands to thoroughly combine.

Pour the mixture onto a pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Flatten the mixture with your hands until it measures about 12 inches in diameter. Avoid creating any gaps.

Place the crust into an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the crust holds together when lifted.

Step 3: Sweet and Savoury Sauce

Add a little cooking old to a saucepan and medium heat. Add onions; sautee until they soften. Add garlic and ginger; sautee for 30 seconds. Add cumin, garam masala, coriander and chili powder; stir to combine. Add tomato sauce and yogurt; stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

The sauce can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Step 4: Adding Toppings

Spoon the sweet and savoury sauce onto the cauliflower crust. I used a light layer of sauce, but a generous portion is also delightful.

Add spinach directly to sauced layer to help prevent it from burning during cooking. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the pizza. Add the broccoli, bell peppers and chickpeas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pizza.

Place the pizza into an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 10-15 minutes or the toppings are heated to your desire.

Enjoy!

Step 5: Recipe TL:DR

Cauliflower Crust:

Ingredients:

• half a head of Cauliflower
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp Goat Cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Chop cauliflower into tiny pieces.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add cauliflower. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat
4. Use a sieve to drain the contents of the pot. Allow cauliflower to cool. Remove excess water from cooled cauliflower.
5. Add cauliflower pieces to a bowl. Add egg, goat cheese, and salt. Use your hands to combine thoroughly.
6. Pour mixture onto a lined pizza pan. Flatten the mixture with your hands until it measures around 12 inches in diameter.
7. Place crust into oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the crust holds together when lifted.

Sweet And Savoury Sauce

Ingredients:

• cooking oil
• 2 tbsp Onion (diced)
• 1 clove Garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp Ginger (minced)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/3 cup Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 Vanilla Yogurt
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Method:

1. Add cooking oil to sauce pan on medium heat.
2. Add onions; sautee until they soften.
3. Add garlic and ginger; sautee for 30 seconds.
4. Add cumin, garam masala, coriander, and chili powder; stir to combine
5. Add tomato sauce and yogurt; stir to combine
6. Bring sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes
7. Remove from heat. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Pizza:
Add sauce and toppings to crust. Bake in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until the toppings are heated to your desire.