Scrumptious South Africa

I’m always on the lookout for quick, ribsticking dishes for my growing lads, and these vibrant spiced-up pizzas tick all the boxes in the teen-fodder department. My local Spar sells nice little naan breads, and I’ve teamed these up with a lightly spiced tomato sauce, some zingy toppings and a handful of fresh leaves.

Look, I know mozzarella isn’t an ingredient you’re likely to find in an Indian dish, but what’s a pizza without cheese? I use the stringy supermarket stuff that passes for mozzarella on these pizzas, and everyone’s happy. You can add any topping you like to these, as long as – and this is my personal rule of thumb – it’s something you’re likely to find in a curry. So olives, salami, strips of ham, anchovies and tinned pineapple chunks are out. In the first picture I’ve used roasted aubergines and yellow peppers, plus orange chillies, and in the second strips of spiced chicken breast and sliced green chillies.

My sons aren’t mad about fresh coriander – which is the obvious choice of leafy topping – so I use little mint leaves instead.

If you don’t have time to make a spicy tomato base for these pizzas, use ordinary tomato pizza sauce and add a little garlic and cumin to it.

Spicy Pizzas made with Naan Bread

For the Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 T (15 ml) vegetable oil

1 tsp (5 ml) mustard seeds

a thumb-length quill of cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) fresh ginger, finely grated

1 tin tomato-and-onion mix, or tinned tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) medium-strength curry powder

½ tsp (2.5 ml) cumin

½ tsp (2.5 ml) coriander powder

3 T (45 ml) water

2 T (30 ml) natural yoghurt

salt and pepper

For the pizzas:

8 small naan breads

mozzarella cheese

3 cloves garlic, finely crushed

cumin and red chilli powder for dusting

toppings of your choice (see my notes above)

a little olive oil

salt and milled black pepper

fresh coriander or mint

First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds and cinnamon stick. When the mustard seeds start to pop and sputter, turn down the heat and add the garlic and ginger. Allow to sizzle for a minute or two (don’t let the garlic brown) and then add the tomatoes, curry powder, cumin and coriander. Let the sauce bubble over a medium heat for five minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir in the water, and then stir in the yoghurt, a teaspoon at a time. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Turn on your grill and place a baking sheet or a pizza stone in the oven to heat through.

Lightly toast one side of the naan breads in a dry frying pan, or under the hot grill. Turn them over and spread a little tomato sauce on them, leaving a little gap around the edges. Cover with a few slices of cheese. Dust the cheese with a little cumin and chilli powder, and dab with crushed garlic. Add the toppings. Cook under a hot grill until the cheese is bubbling.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and top with fresh green leaves.

Serves 8.

More filling food for teenagers:

• War-time Meat Pies with Mashed-Potato Pastry
• Peppered Halloumi with Red-Pepper Tahina Dip
• Blend-Ahead, Deeply Delicious Spicy Mince, Bean and Tomato Soup

Like this dish? Find more of my original recipes on my blog:

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© Jane-Anne Hobbs 2007-2011. You may not reproduce this material without my written consent