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Indian As Apple Pie Recipes
Gluten-Free Oven Pizza Punjabi Masala

Oven: Indian Naan Masala Pizza

March 27, 2025

Oven: Indian Naan Masala Pizza
Indian masala pizza on naan

INDIAN PIZZA? REALLY?  YEP, AND IT’S ALL THE RAGE! 

Everywhere you look these days from New York to Chicago, signs tout ‘MASALA PIZZA'. In my Lincoln Park neighborhood alone I've run into several spots with this ‘new-ish’ take on a tradition. It’s funny when I think back to that summer in the 1980s as a teen landing in Delhi with my folks. American fast food had just hit India in a big way, and I wanted an Italian pie like they served up in Philly where I was growing up. 

What I got was a crust with Indian toppings — even black-eyed peas. My teen self complained, not realizing that my future adult self would be making Indian pizza for every game night, including March Madness and Super Bowl. I even sample it out at grocery store demos and always sell out. People just cannot get enough of it - even folks who think they don't like Indian food. One deli counter worker took her pizza, topped it with the butter chicken I'd made, and declared she now loved Indian food!

Now, with our jarred Punjabi masala, masala pizza is truly one of the easiest Indian-inspired dishes to make. Remember, masala means mixture of spices and can be wet like a curry/gravy or dry like a spice blend. The key ingredients in this Indian pizza are our proprietary Punjabi masala sauce, red onion, green bell pepper, and a touch of garam masala and/or chaat masala. But, don’t let me stop you there. Use whatever you like, including sliced jalapeno for a spicier take, mushrooms, pepperoni or even a ground/spiced lamb kebab or hamburger. For the cheese, you can use cubed paneer, but if you want it to melt, lean towards mozzarella or cheddar — crumbled feta is interesting, too. You can even switch out the sauce for our Tikka Masala, which will give you a creamier and spicier taste profile. Top that with grilled tandoori chicken, paneer, my kebab bites, or a mix of veggies.  

Note to teen self - keep those eye rolls to a minimum - they will haunt you! 
xoxo Anupy

Naan Pizza

Oven: Indian Naan Masala Pizza

Prep: 10 minutes
 Cook: 21 minutes 
Makes: 1 pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 large naan 
  • 1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil
  • ¼ cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi masala
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons green bell pepper, diced or thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, or Mexican blend)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Garam masala or chaat masala, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Position your oven rack in the second-from-top position of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven. 
  2. Drizzle the naan with olive oil or use a pastry brush to lightly coat with the ghee. Place it in the oven directly on the wire rack (or on the pizza stone) and cook for 6 minutes. Baking it first prevents the naan from becoming soggy later. 
  3. Remove the naan from the oven, cool slightly, and start topping. Start with the Punjabi masala and spread it to cover the surface entirely. Follow with the onion, the bell pepper, the cheese, and the salt. You can use paneer (Indian cheese), but it does not melt, so I sometimes combine paneer with a meltable cheese.
  4. Place the naan back in the oven and cook for another 12-15 minutes. I prefer mine crunchier, but you don’t want it to be too crunchy like a cracker.
  5. Remove the naan from the oven and sprinkle it with a generous pinch of garam masala, chaat masala, or a bit of both. You can also garnish it with chopped fresh cilantro, red chile flakes, and/or a drizzle of Indian As Apple Pie Tamarind Chutney.

Watch Me Make Masala Pizza!

Check out English muffin masala pizza in the video below! While the naan version is perfect for an easy meal or snack, English muffins even easier and super kid-friendly. Subscribe to my YouTube channel while you're there and scroll down on this page to print the full naan recipe! No matter the crust - the technique is the same! 

 

[[ recipeID=recipe-2m906bkip, title=Oven: Indian Naan Masala Pizza ]]




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Oven: Indian Naan Masala Pizza

Recipe by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie

Servings: 1 pizza

Keywords: Masala, Punjabi, Indian Recipes

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 21 mins
  • Total Time: 31 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 large naan
  • 1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil
  • ¼ cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi masala
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons green bell pepper, diced or thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, or Mexican blend)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Garam masala or chaat masala, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Position your oven rack in the second-from-top position of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven.
  2. Drizzle the naan with olive oil or use a pastry brush to lightly coat with the ghee. Place it in the oven directly on the wire rack (or on the pizza stone) and cook for 6 minutes. Baking it first prevents the naan from becoming soggy later. 
  3. Remove the naan from the oven, cool slightly, and start topping. Start with the Punjabi masala and spread it to cover the surface entirely. Follow with the onion, the bell pepper, the cheese, and the salt. You can use paneer (Indian cheese), but it does not melt, so I sometimes combine paneer with a meltable cheese.
  4. Place the naan back in the oven and cook for another 12-15 minutes. I prefer mine crunchier, but you don’t want it to be too crunchy like a cracker.
  5. Remove the naan from the oven and sprinkle it with a generous pinch of garam masala, chaat masala, or a bit of both. You can also garnish it with chopped fresh cilantro, red chile flakes, and/or a drizzle of Indian As Apple Pie Tamarind Chutney.

Notes

This recipe is by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie. If you share or copy this recipe, we’d greatly appreciate it if you let others know where you found it!