Malai Paneer & Tikka Naan Pizza*

Weekdays and dinner can be a difficult topic, especially Monday dinner when the blues are hitting mighty hard. If I start the week with a DoorDash or Grubhub deliveries, I feel guilty and it somehow sets the tone for the week. So what I find helpful is keeping a fun menu for Monday, and pizza definitely tops the list. I rely heavily on store-bought ingredients so it’s a great balance between the comfort of home-cooked without too long to put dinner on the table.

Malai Paneer & Tikka Naan Pizza is just that - for pizza base, I use mini stonefire naan. Quick-marinated paneer, onion, and peppers for toppings, Amul cheese and that’s it. Some days you just need an unapologetically easy meal.

Malai Paneer & Tikka Naan Pizza

makes 6 mini naan pizzas

YOU WILL NEED

225g paneer cubed (at room temperature)
4 oz creamy malai & herb marinade*
6 mini stonefire naan
1 cup tikka masala sauce
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1-2 jalapeños, sliced
3-4 cubes of Amul cheese

Garnish (optional)

chopped cilantro
red chili flakes
italian seasoning/ dried basil/ dried oregano

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Empty creamy malai & herb marinade in a bowl and cover the cubed pieces of paneer with the marinade evenly, and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
Slather tikka masala sauce on the naan evenly. Grate Amul cheese. Yes, I prefer cheese in the bottom layer. This has two advantages a)
Top it with sliced onions, red bell pepper, marinated paneer, and sliced jalapeños.
Place the naan on a pizza crisper or pizza stone. You can also cover the rack with aluminum foil, grease it with oil, and place the naan pizza on it. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the paneer turns brownish. You may broil for an additional 1-2 minutes after 20 minutes if the paneer hasn’t quite browed up.
Remove the pizza from the oven. You may sprinkle chopped cilantro, additional cheese, chili flakes, or herbs of your choice. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the naan pizza into two pieces and serve!