Recipe: Simple BBQ Veg Pizza

Vegetarians complain that they have very few options when it comes to pizza -- margherita, double cheese margherita -- and most of the varieties include paneer in different styles -- tandoori paneer, bbq paneer, peppy paneer, etc.

It's rare to get a BBQ Vegetarian Pizza and that's what makes Chef Sabyasachi Gorai's recipe so special.

He combines walnuts with pizza sauce in a blender to get a meat-like texture.

BBQ Vegetarian Pizza

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 420 gm white bread flour, available online or in gourmet stores
• 7 gm sachet dry yeast
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
• 140 gm pizza sauce
• 200 gm grated mozzarella cheese or a vegan cheese alternative
• 1 red capsicum, sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 150 gm walnuts
• 2 tbsp barbeque sauce
• Fresh basil leaves, to garnish
• 250 ml water

Method

• Place the flour, yeast and 1 tsp salt into the bowl of a kitchen mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  Stir to combine.
  Mix in the oil and 250 ml warm water to make a dough.
  Knead for 10 minutes.
  You can also use a blender or your hands to knead the dough.
• Transfer to a large, oiled bowl.
  Cover and leave for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  Lightly knead the dough to knock out the air and divide it into 2 balls.
  Roll out each ball into a 26-cm circle on a floured surface, spread with the pizza sauce, leaving a 2-cm border around the edges.
  Sprinkle with cheese followed by pepper and onion.
  Bake for 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the walnuts and barbeque sauce in a food processor and blend to a mince-like consistency.
  Scatter over the pizzas and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
  Top with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of oil to serve.

Note: Add a pinch of dried chilly flakes for extra flavour.

For gluten-free pizza, use gluten-free flour available online.

Alternative toppings for this pizza might include burrata, a chopped green capsicum, soaked chopped sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bacon bits, chopped pre-fried chicken sausage, a handful of argula, 2 tbsp black olives, whole cherry tomatoes or whole tiny green tomatoes, a few pre-fried slices of eggplant, slices of zucchini, slices of fresh artichoke, fresh oregano.

For a diabetic-friendly crust, substitute the crust ingredients and alter the method by using a keto crust [external link].

Chef Sabyasachi Gorai is a consultant chef and mentor.

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