A delicious and crispy and utterly flavorful vegan Tandoori Tofu Pizza inspired by Indian flavors but with an Italian pesto sauce. The crust is part whole wheat.
Marrying different cuisines can be one of the most fun aspects of cooking. I do it a lot, not just with the various Indian cuisines that I grew up eating in the melting pot of Bombay, but also with international dishes. A little of this, a little of that, and you've got a whole new dish to love.
This weekend, I wanted to have a pizza. Now here's another food that begs for experimentation. You can top a pizza with just about anything. And by that I mean anything other than cheese.
I've been making cheeseless pizzas for a while now, and truth be told, I've never missed the cheese. Of course, you can always buy soy cheese, which is completely vegan, and it is just wonderful and melts like a dream. But sometimes I just want some really good, nutritious food minus the pretend stuff. That's when I turn to tofu.
Tofu's a great topping for pizza. I usually use marinated, baked tofu and crumble it on top of the pizza, just like cheese. It doesn't melt, but it tastes gorgeous.
For this tandoori tofu pizza I marinated tofu in the same bright orange-red spice mix one uses to marinade a popular Indian dish, tandoori chicken. The word tandoori, incidentally, is derived from a tandoor, a clay oven that is used in India -- and in Indian restaurants-- to bake the chicken. I just use my oven.
The marinade, spicy-sour with an immense kick, adds a great layer of flavor to the otherwise bland tofu. Instead of crumbling it, I placed the tofu in slices on top of my pizza, alternating with roasted red peppers. My sauce was a flavorful pesto of spinach, garlic and capers, but feel free to experiment here.
I made a homemade crust for my Tandoori Tofu Pizza, and it was part whole-wheat. I have posted the recipe before, but I have repeated it here.
So here's the recipe for the perfectly delightful Tandoori Tofu Pizza. It's fun, it's healthy, and it's delicious. Hooray for fusion!
More vegan tandoori recipes
More vegan pizza recipes
Vegan Tandoori Tofu Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 roasted bell peppers
- 12 oz extra-firm tofu (water pressed out)
For tandoori marinade
- 1 cup vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
For pesto sauce
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 2 tablespoon capers , drained
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the pizza crust (recipe makes two crusts. You can freeze one for later)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the tandoori marinade
- Mix all the ingredients together and add salt to taste (don't skimp too much on the salt because the salty flavor tones down when baked)
- Bake the tofu
- Marinate the tofu slices in the tandoori marinade for 30 minutes at least. Arrange the tofu slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper well because the tofu can and does stick.
- Place in a preheated 350-degree oven about 25-30 minutes until a crust forms on the outside. Flip once halfway through the baking. The tofu should be firm but still soft inside: that's how I like it best on the pizza.
- Remove the tofu slices from the baking sheet and set aside.
Make the pesto
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and process into a coarse paste.
Make the pizza crust
- Mix the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for five minutes to make sure the yeast is alive and starts frothing.
- Add all of the whole wheat flour, about 1 ½ cups of the all-purpose, dried basil, olive oil, and salt and knead by hand or in a stand mixer. If the dough is too sticky, keep adding the remaining all-purpose flour until you get a smooth dough.
- Place in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over once to coat it on all sides with oil. Cover with a kitchen napkin and place in a warm spot for about 1 ½ hours or until it doubles in volume.
- After it has doubled, punch down the dough, and divide it into two. If you're making just one pizza, this would be a great time to wrap one half in plastic wrap and freeze it for future use. When you need it, just bring it out several hours before and let it sit at room temperature to thaw.
- Shape the other half into a ball and let it sit around 10 minutes. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a round of about 14 inches (this isn't a thin crust but I still roll it fairly thin. Make sure your baking sheet is large enough to accommodate the rolled crust).
- Push down around the center with your fingers so you get a slightly raised edge around the pizza.
- Dust the baking sheet with cornmeal and place the crust on it. Brush the crust with olive oil and place in a 475-degree oven for about 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. The crust might bubble up in places, but don't worry. It adds to the great, rustic look.
- Now take the pizza out of the oven and spread the pesto sauce over it.
- Layer the roasted bell pepper strips on the pizza.
- Put the pizza back into the oven and bake another 5 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and place the baked tofu strips on top. Serve.
RoseAnne
I'm looking forward to trying your Tandoori Tofu Pizza recipe, but have a few questions, please. How much dried basil do you add to the pizza crust? And, after adding the baked tofu strips, do you return the pizza to the oven? The tofu will - by the time the pizza comes out of the oven after you've put on the bell pepper - have cooled somewhat, yes?
Thanks kindly,
Rose Anne
Hasita
This one is totally happening for dinner! Although I think I'll use some pineapple, broccoli and red peppers with tomato sauce.
I think it has become an everyday affair for me to refer to your site before making dinner. The results are always amazing!
Soma
I missed quite few of your post Vaishalli. I am going over them now:-) This is a lovely idea. I jsut recently made Tandoori tofu which I posted, & it rocked. We loved the way it cooked so soon & so well & tasted even better. yesterday I made mutter Tofu & that was great too. I think I am slowly going to move from paneer to Tofu!
Karen
Ok that looks so freakn' good.
kahliyalogue
Thank you so much Vaishali for your response!Yay! Now I can pursue a long lost dream.. 🙂
I was actually thinking of soymilk instead,but I`ll try Oil as you proposed.Thanx,Mia.
kahliyalogue
Finally I can have Tandoori!Ive been forever tempted and frustrated..what a lovely idea to do it with tofu!I dont think I can find soy yogurt though,any idea on how I could replace it?Im dying to get to it! 🙂 thanx,Mia.
Pavithra Kodical
Delicious pizza..I love the topping..Its Vegan and its healthy..Great post Vaishali..
Pomegranate
Wow!!! This is one of your most amazing-looking recipes ever! I'm a pizza freak..
SB
You didn't put how much yeast to use!
Mihl
Tandoori tofu? I think you just made my day 😀
Dershana
you know girl, I just added tofu to my today's shopping list hoping to come out with a pizza topping for your event. but never thought of tandoori tofu!! looks fantabulous!
Curry Leaf
I love this Vaishali.Toooo tempting.Cannot believe its vegan.Love it soooooooo much.
DJ Karma
Love the fusion idea! I usually crumble follow your heart mozarella, but this sounds a lot healthier. I remember eating Tandoori when I was a meat-eater and how it made our tongues red! 🙂
Sharmila
I make cheeseless pizza too (I cannot make the crust though ) ... and sometimes use leftovers too. Tandoori tofu souns good Vaishali ... but I'll use paneer. 🙂
Madhuram
My!My!My! That's awesome Vaishali. The list of Italian dishes I have to try from here is growing day by day.
Food Fanatic
that looks interesting.
p.s. leme knw wen u are abt to showcase the italain posts 🙂
talk to u soon!
Priya
Can I come over, please ?
Varsha Vipins
My..this looks awesome Vaishali..wat a fiery red..I would love to have a bite of it..Tandoori tofu sounds so yum..!!
Cham
Sounds absolutely delicous, we get Tandoori pizza here (where i live) but Tofu sounds more terrific with pesto!
Asha
I heard that you get Tandoori Pizzas in CA, never tasted it but sounds great to me. Tofu tandoori pizza looks delicious! :))
Yasmeen
Flavorful Tandoori tofu must be so good on pizza.My little one is big cheese fan,but I avoid as much for its fatty unhealthiness,the soy cheese sounds new,now I must look for it in stores here:)
Usha
What a coincidence Vaishali, I just posted a oat wheat pizza recipe today..your pizza looks wonderful I loved the idea of using tofu as a topping, will surely try!
Mahimaa's kitchen
pizza looks gorgeous Vaishu! i love paneer pizzas available in india.. miss them so much 🙁