Name: Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza (makes 2 pies / 8 slices of pizza)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 jalapeno (with seeds); 1/4 cup fresh cilantro; 1 tbsp lime juice; 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 1 garlic clove; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cumin; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I love Rao's Marinara); 1 tsp tandoori masala (I love Rani's Tandoori Masala); 1/2 pound pizza dough (8 ounces); 1/4 cup tandoori marinara sauce; 1/4 cup red onions (chopped); 1/4 cup green bell pepper (chopped); 1/4 cup corn (rinsed & drained); 6-8 sliced jalapeño; 1-2 tbsp olives (chopped); 1 cup cheddar & gruyere cheese; 2-3 tbsp cilantro; drizzle of Jalapeno Cream Sauce

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Cheesy Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza is an Indian pizza that’s made with a tandoori marinara sauce, corn, jalapeno, and cheese.

There is no denying it, I love pizza. My all-time favorite is a classic New York-style thin-crust cheese pizza.

Since it’s hard to find really good pizza in Southern California, I’ve been making my own since I moved. Enter, Desi Pizza.

If you love tandoori anything, you will love my Tandoori Pizza. I didn’t make the dough from scratch for this recipe, however you can easily find fresh pizza dough at your local grocery store.

Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

What is Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza?

Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza is essentially an Indian Vegetarian Pizza with some tandoori flavor. In this case, I did not saute the veggies in tandoori masala since the flavors can be a bit overwhelming, instead, I added the tandoori flavor to my favorite marinara sauce.

Top your tandoori pizza with a bunch of veggies and lots of cheese.

Once your pizza is ready, top it with a Jalapeno Lime Creamy Sauce. This pizza is so good and hits the spot.

Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

Ingredients you’ll need for Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza:

Pizza Dough: I just used fresh store-bought pizza dough. Feel free to make your own instead.

Marinara Sauce: I used my favorite marinara – Rao’s Marinara Sauce. You’ll need marinara sauce to make the Tandoori Sauce.

Tandoori Masala: Rani’s Tandoori Masala is delicious and has no food color. You can find this at your local Indian grocery store or Amazon.

Pizza Toppings: Green Bell Pepper, Red Onions, Corn, Olives, Jalapeno.

Cheese: Feel free to use any cheese that melts well, I love the cheddar and gruyere combination which I purchased at Trader Joe’s.

Fresh Cilantro: This is for garnish.

Jalapeno Cream Sauce: For the jalapeno cream sauce you’ll need jalapeno (or serrano for spicier), lime juice, olive oil, sour cream, garlic, cumin powder, salt, and fresh cilantro.

Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza is:

Scrumptious
A Veggie Lover’s Dream
Flavorful
Cheesy
Spicy
Indian Fusion
Vegetarian

Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

How to make Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza recipe step by step?

Make the Jalapeno Cream Sauce

1. In a mini food processor, combine jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cumin.

2. Chop/Grind it in the food processor.

3. Add sour cream.

4. Pulse a few times until mixed. The sauce should be slightly runny.

Prep Pizza

1. Chop the red onions, green bell pepper, and olives. Slice the jalapenos. Rinse and drain frozen corn. Grate some cheese – I used a combo of cheddar and gruyere.

2. Make the sauce – mix marinara with tandoori seasoning.

Make the Pizza

1. Place a castiron skillet in the oven at 475 degrees for 10 minutes. This will result in a crispy pizza so don’t skip this step.

2. In the meantime, roll out your dough in a circle. You should be using 8 ounces of pizza dough for each pie of pizza.

3. Once your skillet is hot, carefully remove it from the oven and brush with olive oil.

4. Carefully place the rolled-out dough over the hot skillet. You’ll hear it sizzle.

5. Spread a few spoonfuls of the tandoori pizza sauce over the dough ~ about 1/4 cup.

6. Top with onions, green bell pepper, olives, corn, and jalapeno.

7. Now top with lots of cheese.

8. Place the skillet in a 475-degree oven for 8-12 minutes – oven temperatures vary so check after 8 minutes.

9. Your pizza is ready. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

10. Optional: top with the Jalapeno Cream Sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this pizza as is.
Add some crushed red pepper.
Top it off with my Jalapeno Cream Sauce. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Tips on making Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza:

Make the Jalapeno Cream Sauce.
Prep the veggies.
Heat up the castiron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes.
Roll out the dough and transfer it to the hot skillet.
Add your sauce, veggies, and cheese.
Bake and enjoy! Garnish with sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I make this recipe vegan or gluten-free?

For a vegan option: you may replace dairy cheese with a vegan version – one that melts well.

For a gluten-free option: use gluten-free pizza dough, however I don’t know much about where you can find this. You can also make your own.

2. What kind of cheese should I use in this recipe?

I used Trader Joe’s Cheddar & Gruyere cheese for this recipe. Alternatively, you may use mozzarella or any cheese that melts well.

3. Can I use store-bought pizza dough?

Please do! For this recipe, I used Trader Joe’s fresh pizza dough. Although pizza dough can easily be made at home, I just prefer a shortcut. Feel free to make yours at home.

4. What other veggies can I use to make Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza?

You can use red bell pepper, broccoli, spinach, and mushrooms – all of these ingredients would work well with the tandoori flavor.

5. What should I use for baking my pizza?

I used a 12″ castiron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven while the oven is preheating. Once your pizza dough is rolled out, place the pizza dough on a hot castiron skillet brushed with olive oil. The dough will sizzle immediately and this will result in a crispier pizza.