Pushing the Limits of Pizza

By: Roberto Ferdman
Making Indian Pizza

Last night's premiere of United Tastes of America featured Jeffrey Saad and his mission to dig into the incredible diversity of pizza. From a slice in the streets of New York to sushi-topped pies on the West Coast, Jeffrey thought he'd tried it all until tasting a slice of Zante's "Indian Pizza."

Serving up traditional pizzas and authentic Indian fare in San Francisco, CA, Zante Pizza doesn't mess around when melding the two cuisines into its popular pie. While Zante wouldn't share all the details of its secret recipe, they’ve given us enough tips to piece together a version for you to try at home…

Crust

Using a turmeric-infused naan recipe for its dough, Zante Pizza packs tons of South-Asian flavor into the crust.

Try using Anjum Anand's naan bread recipe as your pizza crust, rolling the dough out to the size of a pizza.

Sauce

Zante really changes things up with a spinach-based sauce, much like that used in sag paneer.

Spice Goddess Bal Anderson's recipe for Sag Paneer provides the perfect base for a fragrant sauce under your pizza toppings (just leave out the paneer).

Toppings

Curried cauliflower, garlicky eggplant, fresh green onions, fresh ginger, tandoori chicken, lamb and shrimp are some of the unconventional toppings Zante uses to dress its pizza.

Grab the vegetables of your choice, and go all out with Emeril's grilled tandoori chicken.

Cheese

Zante opts for shredded mozzarella for its mild flavor, letting the spices of the sauce and toppings shine through.

Sprinkle a healthy handful over your pizza, and it's ready for the oven.

Special Sauce

Zante finishes off its pie with a spicy green yogurt sauce. A mixture of green onions, green peppers (Zante uses hot Thai chilies), cilantro, and lime juice is blended together with plain yogurt and a splash of water.

Experiment with the ingredients until you get the flavor to your liking, then drizzle over the pizza right after it comes out of the oven.

Catch Jeffrey next week when he embarks on a nationwide burger tour on United Tastes of America, Tuesdays at 9:30pm ET.

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