Vegan Garam Masala Naan Pizza

Vegan Pizza Day is almost here! That's June 29th according to their event page! To celebrate, I decided to make an Indian inspired pizza dish. After visiting the Cosmic Cafe in Dallas and chowing down on their "Mandala Pizza," I had always intended to make my own at home.

I started with a batch of Terry Romero's griddle naan from her cookbook Vegan Eats World. I underutilize this cookbook, to be honest, but this recipe for naan is superb. If you don't have the book and would like to try another recipe for naan, this one looks pretty good.

For the sauce, I adapted a recipe I found on another cooking blog called Daily Garnish. The original recipe can be found right here.

Overall, I liked this recipe a lot. I'm not really one for recipes that require lots of steps, but this one was definitely worth it. It was a great way to spend my Friday night! I loved the flavor combination of the fresh cilantro, spices, and tomatoes. It was sweet, tangy, and just a bit spicy. Wonderful.

If you try it out, be sure to let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
2 large or 4 small naan (use recipe or buy a vegan brand)
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
Sun-dried tomatoes
Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds
2 large shallots, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 14.5 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons of organic tomato paste
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
To make the sauce, warm the olive oil over low to medium heat and then add the garlic and onions. Allow them to brown slightly, then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh cilantro, garam masala, sugar, and salt. Increase the temperature so the mixture begins to simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your naan on a baking sheet and top with the garam masala tomato sauce. Next, add the Daiya cheese. Place the pepper sticks and sun-dried tomatoes on top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has thoroughly melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Makes 2 10-inch pizzas or 4 6-inch ones. Approximately 4-6 servings depending on your appetite.

If you live here in Austin and would rather pick up a pie on Vegan Pizza Day instead of making your own, check out the Austin Vegan Pizza Guide compiled by the blog Lone Star Plate! You can also consult my post How to Celebrate Vegan Pizza Day In Austin for a list of known promotions. Or...