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Pizza in everyday Indian life

Monica Bhide

By Monica Bhide
in India: Dining

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rkolluri

rkolluri

Posted
Posted

Seeing that sign with Chana Masala Pizza led me to do a quick google search to see what other inspired toppings are being offered in India. I found this article titled Domino's goes Indian in a big way from four years ago that talked of some interesting possibilities.

Here's a brief quote from the article.

Domino's had decided to launch different flavours in different parts of India. Thus, `Deluxe Chicken with Mustard Sauce' and `Sardines' remained confined to the east, `Mutton Ghongura' and `Chicken Chettinad' to the south, and `Chicken Pudina' and `Olives and Baby Corn' to the "more cosmopolitan" Mumbai area. The Punjabi types in north India got the rottenest deal: `Butter Chicken', `Makhani Paneer' and, oh my god, the `Chatpata Chana Masala'. There are politer ways of saying northerners are more gourmands than gourmets!

The article also talks about careful market research going into the choice of toppings.

The last time I was in India, I never considered eating at Dominos assuming that it was not going to be much different from Dominos in the US. However, the next time I am there, I am going to try and get to a Dominos just so I can say I had Mutton Ghongura Pizza. I wonder if it is still available.

I don't know why I find this so fascinating given that California Pizza Kitchen has been doing this for years with offerings like Barbecue Chicken Pizza and Thai Chicken Pizza. It may be because I never thought I would see the words Ghongura and Pizza so close together. Ghongura reminds me of my grandmother, not pizza!

rkolluri

Monica Bhide

Monica Bhide

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
Ghongura reminds me of my grandmother, not pizza!

:laugh::laugh:

Actually I was just like you.. kept thinking that it would be the same as the US. Not so. It really worth it..

Bague25 - the cheese used is very minimal and it really is worth a try.

In the same vein the thai food cooked in some local joints is outstanding. Its taste and flavors are much sharper and spicier.

Monica Bhide

A Life of Spice

Modern Day Hermit

Modern Day Hermit

Posted
Posted

Wow, great pics!

When my ILs were in town, I made pizza 'Indian style', they loved them. Since they are vegetarian, no meat was involved...I would make a tomato based sauce with spices and add veggies and such.

Some of my favorites included making a dry veggie of finely diced mushrooms, paneer and finely diced onions or using leftover paneer masala. With lots of paneer, I love paneer!

For the 'crust' I make a naan style bread with cracked pepper and then apply the pre-mentioned toppings.

--Jenn

Geetha

Geetha

Posted
Posted

I love all pizzas back in India I used to love the varieties, and here too I love all toppings.. gosh why do you make typos like me upperwalle..

Well my favourite is still in India which we prepared at home with store bought pizza base soft and medium cooked topped with home made toppings and grated amul cheese I loved it .. with the topping coming from an aunty well versed in british style cooking adapted to indian cuisine..

toppings made by sauteing mota zeera or somph, with onions and capsicum and tomatoes.. till medium rare with minced green chillis, added salt to taste.. loved this combination it is perfect with the correct pizza base.. from India

the pizza crust there was not like store bought ones here, they were plain white as if made from rice flour.. I don't know what it was. But it was the best...

Memories :wub:

Geetha

tryska

tryska

Posted
Posted

do they have a standard tomato pizza sauce on the crust?

mmm..baked beans....on pizza....(sounds wierd to me)

  • 3 weeks later...
maremosso

maremosso

Posted
Posted (edited)

As an Italian, I think Indian Pizza is tantamount to committing culinary murder... and the less said about Domino's, the better... anywhere on this planet!

To me this version is no better, for example, than putting coconut chutney on tandoori chicken, or making iddlis makhanwala.... or may be this can inspire some budding chef in India who's into "fusion" food.

Having said that, almost anyone with a slightly more sophisticated taste than one conditioned by fast food can make good and suitable pizza toppings.

The difficult part is the crust, and this takes years of learning and practice to make well.

In India, many are proud of their pizzas. I think it's invariably god-awful and enough to put me off for life.

Fortunately, there are some equivalent dishes in Indian food that are top knotch, like for example the Kurmi Naan at President Hotel in Delhi. Or the Tandoori Naan topped with cheese and green chilies.

P.S.

Edited this to add: Raddi Pizza is just about right.

Edited by maremosso (log)
  • 3 weeks later...
NoZen

NoZen

Posted
Posted
another completely WIERD combination:

haggis pakoras!

Not a joke. Even weirder, it's VEGETARIAN haggis pakoras (at Suruchi restaurant) which might be the shortest Zen koan ever devised. Or something.

The mind boggles, in any case.

-NoZen.-

jw46

jw46

Posted
Posted

Vegetarian Haggis?????

One fall, we had a lamb to butcher, decided to make Haggis the tradional way, since we had all the reqisite innards for the recipe.

The experience was akin to slamming your thumb in a car door.

Once done, one has no desire to ever do that again...

Perhaps I should have consumed a pint of Scotch to get in the proper mood.

Episure

Episure

Posted
Posted
Not a joke.  Even weirder, it's VEGETARIAN haggis pakoras (at  Suruchi restaurant) which might be the shortest Zen koan ever devised.  Or something.

The mind boggles, in any case.

That menu is hilarious, it sounds like Sean Connery and Santa Singh talking at the same time. :laugh:

I fry by the heat of my pans. ~ Suresh Hinduja

http://www.gourmetindia.com

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