Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Palak Khumb Pizza: Spinach Mushroom Pizza

Palak Khumb Pizza/ Spinach Mushroom Pizza
This recipe goes Global Kadai-Indian Flavoured Pizzas event, hosted by Lavanya of Home Cook's Recipes. Used the traditional Palak recipe but omitted ginger and green chillies and used just the flavours of cummin and garlic. The flavours went surprisingly well together with the spinach puree, mushrooms and the light sprinkling of cheese.
Palak Khumb Pizza/Spinach Mushroom Pizza

Pizza Dough: Used the Willliams  and Sonoma Pizza Dough recipe; however they do not give the baking time or temperature. Pre heated the oven to 450 F and baked the pizza for 15-20 minutes.

Pizza Sauce/ Home-made Tomato Base: 1/2 Cup of Tomato Sauce: The base was a tomato, red chilli, salt, black pepper base: chopped, skinless roma tomatoes  seasoned with salt, black pepper, red chilli flakes and reduced on medium-high heat; then pureed to a thick sauce consistency.

Cheese: 1 Cup grated parmesan for the Spinach Mushroom half.
Garnish: 1tbsp of finely chopped fresh green coriander.
Ingredients
Palak/Spinach layer
4 cups tightly packed, roughly chopped spinach leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tbsps finely chopped onions
3 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
1/4 tsp cummin seeds
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
salt
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil/ 1/2 tbsp butter
Khumb/Mushroom layer
3 large baby bella mushrooms, sliced thick
1/8th tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 pinch of asafoetida
salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
Method for cooking the Palak/ Spinach layer
Heat the oil/butter,
Temper the cummin seeds,
Turn the heat down to medium,
Add the onions, garlic cloves and saute until soft,
Add the turmeric  and red chilli powder and saute for a couple of minutes,
Add the chopped spinach leaves and saute until soft- for 3-4 minutes
Season with salt,
Grind to a smooth paste without any water,
Keep aside.
Method for cooking the Khumb/ Mushrooms layer
Heat the oil a nd add the mushroom slices alongwith the red chilli powder and  turmeric powder,
Fry for 2 minutes,
Add the  pinch of asafoetida and stir well.
Keep aside and let cool.


1. Layer one half of the pizza base with 1/2 Cup- 3/4 Cup [depending on preference; I would prefer a lighter touch with the sauce]

2. Layer the pureed spinach/palak over one half of the pizza base in the  cookie sheet. Next time I will use  a couple of tablespoons less. Here again, a lighter touch works much better than a thick gooey layer!

3. Sprinkle just 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the spinach layer,

4. Layer the mushrooms over the cheese [single layer],

5. Sprinkle 2/3 Cups of grated parmesan over the mushroom layer.

6. [Alongwith the completed/layered other half, bake the pizza in a 450 F pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is melted  and sides are starting to turn a golden colour.]

Regular Mushroom Pizza
Half of the pizza catered to our 10 year old's traditional palatte: organic store-bought pasta sauce, topped with mushrooms, sprinkled with with dried and fresh basil and topped with extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Organic Pasta sauce
1tsp dried basil
3 large baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
5, fresh basil leaves, torn
Method
Spread the sauce evenly over the pizza base,
Sprinkle with 1 tsp of dried basil,
Layer 1/3 Cup of grated parmesan,
Layer the mushroom slices,
Spread 2/3 Cup of grated parmesan evenly over the mushroom,
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated parmesan,
Add half of  roughly chopped fresh basil leaves,
Bake at 450 oven for 15- 20 minutes
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.

Notes:
The pizza dough recipe, from the WS website is a keeper!
Pizza Pan: Half sheet Cookie Sheet Pan from WS.

The second step in the instructions for pulling and shaping the pizza was not successful. So I had to refold it and shape into a ball and then work again from there into a rectangular shape.
Did not use the rolling pin and used my hands to shape it/press it into the pan.
The edges were made a little thicker and final product was about 3/4 of an inch thick.
The asafoetida flavour did not come through and I would omit it next time and probably use  cummin.
Would also take about 2 tbsps less of the Spinach puree and spread it a little  more thinly on the base.

19 comments:

  1. Spinach mushroom pizza sounds unique as well as delicious! wwwill give a try for sure.Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Mouth watering pizza. Pictures are beautiful.

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  3. Loved the Pizza and the rich color that came alongwith it.

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  4. very beautiful pizza, love the mushroom-spinach combo...very nice recipe too ,thanks a lot for sharing

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  5. Hi. First time here. The pizza looks awesome, I love this combo.
    I have started following ur blog, u are welcome to check out my space whenever it's convenient for u.

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  6. I have never been so much tempted by a vegetarian pizza ever in my life until I saw your tempting pictures, I'm practically drooling over !! nice description of the method and thanks for the notes about the flavours !!! the pizza looks perfect and inviting!!!

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  7. love the idea of spinach puree as a sauce!!

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  8. Woww wat a fabulous fusion pizzas...am drooling rite now here..awesome work..

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  9. Pizza looks spicy and delicious...
    Nice tempting clicks :-)

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  10. Thank you everyone!
    Wanted to take a variation from the Paneer topping one sees in Indianized versions and mushrooms seem to go well but kept to the Parmesan for cheese.
    Since the base was more like a pan pizza, felt that it could hold a heavier topping; perhaps more like a deep dish? Next time I would use a little less Spinach puree and maybe more mushrooms/toppings.

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  11. Wow!! Awesome..looks super delicious..

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  12. This is so lovely...I love the lush green base and woody mushrooms. Yummy...great pic!

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  13. If you fry it at a high flame it will be of a different colour...i did fry spring rolls at a medium flame for just a min or two each side...

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  14. woooow,,loooks lovely pizza n toppings with spinach n mushrrom sounds great,,mushrrom n cheese always rocks n tastes goood...

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  15. This is simply superb and gorgeous. Do visit my blog when time permits.http://shanthisthaligai.blogspot.com/

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  16. pizza looks so tempting .Do drop by http://padhuskitchen.blogspot.com/ when time permits

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  17. I like making this green pizza too but just with a spinach garlic mix and some crumbled paneer or chicken . This one looks great . And i make my pizza spread in the whole baking tray too :)

    Also as you asked about the green papaya stew ...
    This green papaya stew is made a different way and it does not taste like the pumpkin curry at all.
    Had promised to post this recipe but as i am super lazy it got postponed ... here i write the recipe in short...
    Heat mustard oil (pressure cooker is used) and throw in whole spices like whole red chillies (must) n black n green cardamoms , cloves , cinnamon,bay leaves peppercorns n cumin seeds .. let them splutter and then add a generous amount of garlic n ginger julienne followed by sliced onions and raw papaya cubes ...onions should be half the quantity of papaya ..add salt n turmeric powder ( no other powder masala ) a little water and pressure cook till the first whistle blows . Gently mash after opening the lid.

    Will try and post the detailed recipe very soon.

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  18. Thanks a bunch Sangeeta!
    Look forward to the recipe in the blog.

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Thank you for your valuable feedback!