Vegan Pizza Mofo Post 9.
Gobi and Aloo Parathas(flatbreads stuffed with cauliflower or potato mixture), are a staple weekend meal in this house. However, its a bit of a process if I have to make the dough, roll each flat bread, stuff it, then roll again and cook on stove top. The dough is usually wheat dough and the gluten is essential for the way the authentic parathas are made.
So I decided to eliminate the flour from the picture, and since I was eliminating the gluten, I eliminated the grains and nuts as well. The crust is cauliflower and potato crust with spices. The potato helps keep it together along with a tiny amount of chickpea flour. It is basically the stuffing of the paratha made into a crust:) If you dont like the potato in it, you can use almond meal and chickpea flour. Use less or more flour to make the crust sturdier. Use any herbs or spices in the crust and any favorite toppings. Use thicker and less liquidy sauces.
Heres my mom’s Aloo Paratha recipe and heres a Video Gobi Paratha recipe
Parathas are typically eaten with pickles and yogurt raita. The Raita is savory and spiced and can have cucumbers and onions. Hence the fresh cucumbers and yogurt raita dip topping. You can use other veggies of choice. If using sauce, bake the crust for 20-30 minutes and then load with sauce and veggies and bake for another 15 minutes.
The crust is spicy and tastes absolutely delicious(because I am a sucker for hot parathas anyday) and the crunch and cool from the fresh cukes and yogurt work very well with it. The crust can be easily made into burger patties.
There are a bunch more glutenfree crusts posted this month already. See the October archive or posts under Pizza label.
Steps:
Grate the cauliflower and ginger. Add chopped chili, cilantro, salt and spices and mix. At this point, you can not leave the mixture sitting for long.
Add the mashed potato and chickpea flour and mix well.
Make a fat ball by pressing the mixture together.
Place ball on parchment lined sheet. Start the oven for preheating at 360 degrees F.
Drizzle evoo on top. Using your hand spread the oil, then start to press the ball onto the parchment.
The ball will crack, keep pressing it out until desired thickness. I kept mine to a bit thicker than 1/4 inch.
Seal the cracks by pressing the mixture inwards.
Bake in preheated 360 degrees F for 30-35 minutes on until the center feels dry and not squishy to touch.
Spray water on the edges at 15 minutes and turn the sheet around.
Take the crust out and Top with red onion and cucumber slices.
Drizzle yogurt raita on top. Sprinkle red chili powder or flakes and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Deconstructed Gobi Paratha Pizza with Cucumber and Raita
Grain, gluten, soy, nut, corn, dairy, egg, yeast free recipe. Can be made oil free. Makes 1 9 inch Pizza
Crust:
1/2 a head of cauliflower grated( medium size)
1/2 inch ginger grated (2-3 Tablespoons)
1 medium potato boiled and mashed well
1-2 green chili finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon carom seeds(optional)
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder/black pepper to taste(optional)
1-2 Tablespoons chickpea flour ( or wheat flour)
1-2 Tablespoons evoo
Toppings:
Red onion slices
Cucumber slices
Cilantro Chopped
Raita (recipe below)
Coconut milk yogurt Raita:
Mix the following and keep ready
2 Tablespoons of coconut milk yogurt (I used SoDelicious plain)
1 Tablespoon water
a pinch of salt, cumin powder, chili powder
Variations: Top with cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, baby radish slices, baby greens.
Method:
Grate the cauliflower and ginger. Use a processor or blender or grater.
Add chopped chili, cilantro, salt and spices and mix. At this point, you can not leave the mixture sitting for long.
Add the mashed potato and chickpea flour and mix well.
Make a fat ball by pressing the mixture together.
(See the pictures above for the consistency, add more mashed potato or chickpea flour for better binding if needed.)
Place ball on parchment lined sheet. Start the oven for preheating at 360 degrees F.
Drizzle evoo on top of the ball.
Using your hand spread the oil, then start to press the ball onto the parchment.
The ball will crack, keep pressing it out until desired thickness. I kept mine to a bit thicker than 1/4 inch.
Seal the cracks by pressing the mixture inwards.
Bake in preheated 360 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until the center feels dry and not squishy to touch.
(Time depends on the thickness of the crust and moisture content in the cauliflower. sometimes the moisture content is very high, so the crust takes longer to cook and might easily break near the center.)
Spray water on the edges after 15 minutes and turn the sheet around.
Take the crust out and Top with red onion and cucumber slices.
Drizzle yogurt Raita on top. Sprinkle red chili powder or flakes and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
If using other toppings, top the crust with sauce/tomato based or cheese based thick sauces), veggies and vegan cheese at the 30 minute mark and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese melts.
mmm yumm
vedgedout.com says
October 12, 2012 at 6:51 amThe spiciness of the crust would be perfectly offset by the cucumber and raita! So yummy Richa! Endlessly talented my friend!
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:33 pmThanks somer. It sure is!
Vimitha Anand says
October 12, 2012 at 9:01 amwat a healthy way to gorge in on pizza. Healthy and yum
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:33 pmThanks Vimitha!
Caitlin says
October 12, 2012 at 10:52 amwow, richa! i’m super impressed by this pizza crust- i love it! i’m going to put this on my meal plan for this weekend 😉
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:33 pmIts like cauli-tato hash, but sturdy enough to hold and seriously delicious!
Caitlin says
October 12, 2012 at 7:49 pmi’m eating this all by myself. no sharing with dayv!
Pongodhall says
June 23, 2015 at 1:53 amVery relieved Caitlin, I was thinking I was very greedy!
Richa says
October 13, 2012 at 4:24 amyeah!
Mihl says
October 12, 2012 at 11:35 amWhat an innovative recipe! I love gobi paratha, I love raita…perfect!
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:34 pmThanks Mihl!
Veganosaurus says
October 12, 2012 at 3:23 pmYet another brilliant fusion, Richa. It looks soooooo yum!!
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:37 pmIts is Sus It is!
GiGi says
October 12, 2012 at 3:39 pmHow did you know how to include all my favorite ingredients. A wee bit of drool on the screen.
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:36 pmi need to make this again and again too. coz i drool thinking of the taste!
Nupur says
October 12, 2012 at 3:41 pmhow innovative can this really be.. wonderful, marvellous job done .. hats off !!
Richa says
October 12, 2012 at 5:37 pmThanks Nupur!
Karen's Vegan Kitchen says
October 12, 2012 at 8:30 pmThat looks so good. I simply MUST get out of my regular whole wheat pizza crust rut! This looks like a great place to start.
Richa says
October 13, 2012 at 4:24 amI love switching up the crusts.. the non grain crusts are so satisfying some days. Its like a breadless burger 🙂
Veena Theagarajan says
October 13, 2012 at 12:02 amvery innovative and healthy
great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
Joey says
October 13, 2012 at 7:17 amI love parathas more than is strictly right for one individual – I love the idea of turning them into a pizza.
Can you point me in the direction of a good paratha recipe? I quite fancy giving making them a crack at home!
Richa says
October 13, 2012 at 6:07 pmThanks Joey! Heres a video recipe http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/06/21/gobhi-paratha/ 🙂
Do let me know how it turns out!
Mandee says
October 13, 2012 at 10:18 amWow! This week I got 1/2 a cauliflower in my veg box so you know what I will be making tomorrow? THIS PIZZA!
Richa says
October 13, 2012 at 6:07 pmAwesome!!:))
glutenfreehappytummy.com says
October 14, 2012 at 1:50 amoh my gosh YUM!!! what a great idea!
Gabby @ the veggie nook says
October 14, 2012 at 2:12 pmBeautiful Richa! I’ve been meaning to try out a cauliflower crust and I think this is the recipe that will get me to finally do it!
Hannah says
October 14, 2012 at 2:39 pmOh wow, now I am all over this! Only you would be brilliant enough to not only make an incredible crust out of cauliflower, but successfully link it back to an irresistible Indian cauliflower dish. You are an inspiration!
Richa says
October 15, 2012 at 4:23 amThanks Hannah. I loves this one so much:)
dassana says
October 14, 2012 at 3:19 pmyou are a genius girl. i could have never even imagined making a gobi paratha pizza. truly innovative and creative.
Lindsay says
October 15, 2012 at 2:30 amOooooohhhhhhh yum. I think this is my new favourite food and I haven’t even eaten it yet. Can’t wait to try it!
Richa says
October 15, 2012 at 4:24 amThanks Lindsay. do let me know when you do!
Hindy Garfinkel says
October 16, 2012 at 4:10 pmI love this idea! I made a cauliflower crust standard pizza, but I love this Indian inspired pizza!
Kristy says
October 17, 2012 at 10:23 amYour parathas were one of my first recipes of yours that I ever “pinned” to make later (before I even started the blog!)- they look and sound so amazing! I am equally taken by this pizza- It looks so light and healthy but perfect for indulging pizza cravings. 🙂
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes says
October 18, 2012 at 5:48 pmI love how you used potato and chickpea flower to bind the crust – I need to try this method!
Alaine @ My GF & DF Living says
October 19, 2012 at 3:03 pmThis looks incredible!! I am pinning this now!
Vicky says
October 25, 2012 at 12:35 amI could try this crust! Looks amazing! Though I might try sweet potato, don’t do well with potatoes either…
Richa says
October 29, 2012 at 8:23 pmthanks vicky! do let me know when you do:)
Marcella says
October 27, 2012 at 11:01 amWow. A-MA-ZING. This really looks fantastic. Must try this one.
Erin says
October 27, 2012 at 2:58 pmBrilliant! I have 1/2 a head of cauliflower that I can’t wait to use now. Thank you!
Corrin Radd says
October 29, 2012 at 2:33 amMy crust never got as firm as I’d hoped, but this was a lot of fun to make. I topped mine with tomato slices and a little daiya. Thanks for the unique idea.
Richa says
October 29, 2012 at 8:22 pmThanks for trying it out Corrin! I hope you enjoyed it:) the crispness depends on the cauliflower and the thickness, so the crust can range from easy slice pick up to fork and knife to eat it:)
jules! says
November 4, 2012 at 11:16 pmMy new favorite! Thank you for this!
Kyleigh says
February 14, 2013 at 6:35 amI made this for dinner tonight and it was seriously brilliant!!!! I love the idea of using cauliflower and potato as the base for the crust rather then have a flour or GF flour crust. So much healthier. This is the kind of pizza you can eat and feel good about! You are a culinary inspiration!!!
Anonymous says
August 15, 2013 at 1:30 pmVery creative recipe ! Is it possible to cook the crust on stove top instead of baking in an oven?
Richa says
August 19, 2013 at 5:52 pmIt will stick to the stove badly unless you use a good amount of oil. you can try another method like these chickpea flour pancakes on the stove top. Add more grated cauliflower and spread a thinner pancake. http://www.veganricha.com/2013/05/chickpea-flour-pancakes-with.html
Anonymous says
August 20, 2013 at 2:26 amThank you very much. I shall try as suggested by you. I really like your vegan recipes (all the recipes actually) very much. Thanks a lot.
Anonymous says
January 6, 2014 at 8:07 pmYum! I wanted a more traditional tasting crust- and I just use recipes and guidelines anyway :)- so I changed the spices to toasted fennel seeds, oregano and basil. Then topped with caramelized onions, sauteed kale, broccoli, red pepper and cashew “cheese” sauce. Really delicious crust and I like that it’s all veggies!
moomoo says
October 27, 2014 at 4:13 pmDo you think this would fly under the radar for cauliflower haters? Am definitely going to make this but wonder if I should try to serve it to my cauliflower-hating family. 🙂
Richa says
October 27, 2014 at 4:40 pm🙂 maybe add just a 1/4 cup of cauliflower and a lot more potato to see if they can detect it 🙂
moomoo says
October 31, 2014 at 12:57 pmI made it with the entire half cauliflower and it totally flew under the cauliflower haters’ radar, even after I let them know about the secret ingredient. I must have used more cauliflower (it was a large one, in retrospect) b/c my pizza ball was huge! I had to cook it a long time and brushed the edges w water twice to keep them from burning.
I adapted the spices a bit as my family is not a great fan of garam masala…maybe ours is not the nicest blend. And unfortunately we had no yogurt so we topped with red onions a few minutes before taking out of the oven and enjoyed with leftover indian food.
chewy says
October 12, 2015 at 12:42 pmCan you tell me about the texture of the crust? Is it crumbly? Does it hold up as a slice?
Richa says
October 12, 2015 at 3:13 pmit does hold as a slice if it was packed and cooked well. its like a potato cauliflower patty made thinner.
Kelly says
September 23, 2016 at 8:22 amHi Richa, I notice you do not squeeze excess water out of cauliflower florets. Does this dough still come out a crispy crust w/out too much moisture? Thanks! Kelly “The Colorful Vegan”. 🙂
Richa says
September 23, 2016 at 4:54 pmIt does turn out crisp because of the potato. Cauliflower has varying amounts of moisture so You can squeeze the cauliflower with a paper napkin lightly before using to be sure to get a crisp crust. I go by the feel of the grated cauliflower.
Narinderpal U Kaur says
July 31, 2018 at 10:12 pmDo you have vegan Dahi recipe?
Richa says
August 1, 2018 at 10:49 amI do. Its inmy first book Indian Kitchen. You cam easily make your own at home using a vegan yogurt as a starter just like regular dahi. Boil the milk,let it cool a bit, then add the starter and let sit. Some non dairy milks will set without any help. the thick ones like soy milk, cashew milk and full fat coconut milk. For other milks, you will have to thicken them slightly using cornstarch or adding some cashew cream while boiling.
Narinderpal U Kaur says
August 1, 2018 at 12:20 pmThanks for your reply. I tried this many time but they never came out good. I will try one more time. Thanks and best wishes for your success!!
Richa says
August 1, 2018 at 12:37 pmWhat was the problem? Did it not set? what non dairy milk did you use?
Amber says
August 4, 2019 at 8:48 pmHi – what is the calorie count for this recipe? Am I just missing it?
Thanks!
Richa says
August 11, 2019 at 3:01 pmoh this one is not added tothe widget. some old recipes are slowly gtting added to the widget which calculates the nutritioon