Having made the Pizza base and sauce in the previous post, without wasting much time, let’s create our vegetarian pizza – with paneer/indian cottage cheese.

Store bought pizzas may contain just a few sprinkles of vegetables. The base and loaded cheese are enough to fill our tummies. But, when we make pizza at home, we are able to load more vegetables and alter the nutrient content. That’s why I feel we are creating our own version of Pizza here.

So, feel free to create your own.

Whole Wheat Paneer Pizza

Ingredients (for 2 medium pizzas)

• paneer/cottage cheese – 20-25 cubes
• green capsicum – 1 no. (cubed)
• red capsicum – 1 no. (cubed)
• button mushroom – 200 gms (halved)
• frozen corn – 1/2 cup
• shredded mozzarella cheese – 300 gms appr. (more or less)
• cut green chillies or thai red chillies – for a spicy treat (optional)

The quantity of each ingredient can be altered according to family preferences. I like to load my pizza with vegetables, and hence this list.

Method of Preparation

Keeping things ready–

1. To make paneer flavorful, marinate the cubes in soya sauce, tomato sauce and red chilli sauce for an hour
2. Pan fry them in minimal oil. Set aside

3. Saute the capsicum for a few minutes or if preferred, use them raw

4. Blanch the mushrooms. i.e. Pour hot water over halved mushrooms and close with lid. Leave this for 1/2 an hour. Mushrooms would be cooked

5. Run water over frozen corn until thawed. Drain well without water

Creating your Pizza –

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Or grease a plate that can go straight into the oven
2. Place the pre-cooked pizza base on the baking tray and spread enough pizza sauce

3. Arrange corn, paneer, capsicum and mushroom to cover the base

4. Add cut green or red chillies for that extra spice, that’s completely optional

4. Sprinkle cheese on top

5. Get ready to bake.

Pizza in the oven-

1. Pre-heat oven at 220 degree centigrade.
2. Reduce the temperature to 200-210 degrees Centigrade before baking
3. Since I have a Gas Oven, the burner makes the baked dishes cook faster, at the same time there is this risk of burning the goodies in a giffy. That’s why I am cautious about mentioning exact temperatures. Set temperatures according to your oven.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes

Pizza would be done in 10-15 minutes – cheese melted to glory and the base crisp and golden.