The Quarantine Recipe You Will Fall In Love With!

The world is in quarantine because of COVID-19, which has turned into a global pandemic. The one thing many of us are craving during these uncertain and testing times is all the delicious food we used to hog when things were normal. At least I do. Yes, homemade food has its own magic, but when you sit and think about all your favorite food chains and restaurants, the sadness is bound to creep in. One such thing that I (and I am sure most of you) miss is pizza. I mean, who doesn't miss the cheesy delicacy?

While we cannot just hop into Pizza Hut or Domino's for our favorite treat, nothing is going to stop us from creating this beauty at home. And no, it doesn't matter if you do not have pizza base, pizza sauce, or cheese. And before I forget, you do not even need an oven to bake this. Isn't it brilliant?

We will make everything from scratch, and believe me when I say that this pizza will become your new quarantine buddy.

Ingredients

For Pizza Base:

All Purpose Flour (or whole wheat flour for a healthier alternative) - 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons

Sugar - 1/2 tablespoon

Salt - As per taste (I usually eyeball it)

Baking Powder - 1/4 tablespoon

Baking Soda - 1/4 tablespoon

Melted Butter - 1 tablespoon

Yogurt - 1 Cup (If you do not have baking powder and baking soda, add an extra cup of yogurt)

For White Sauce (a replacement of cheese, but tastes just as good)

Butter - 2 tablespoons

All purpose flour - 1 tablespoon

Milk - 1/2 cup (you may need to increase or decrease based on the consistency of the sauce)

Salt - as per taste

For Pizza Sauce

Onion - 1 small

Tomato - 1 small

Garlic - 4 - 5 cloves

Ginger - 1 inch

Water - 1/2 cup

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Salt - as per taste

chilli flakes/ chilli powder - as required

Sugar - 1/2 tablespoon

For the topping

Choose the vegetables of your choice. Onion, Capsicum, Tomatoes, Corn, et al.

The Method

Now that you have all the ingredients at hand, it is time to start rolling.

Step 1 (Pizza Base):

Mix all the ingredients and knead it. Do not use water right at the beginning because the yogurt has water content. The yogurt will help you bring together the ingredients. Once you have kneaded it well, you may need to add water to form a nice dough. But take note that you would only need 1 - 2 tablespoons of water. Do not add a lot. It will take you about 5 - 7 minutes to get the perfect dough. Once done, cover it with a wet (not dripping with water) cloth and set aside for 1 hour.

Step 2 (Pizza Sauce)

Cut your onion and tomato into four pieces each. Peel the garlic and ginger. Take a pot and add all these into it. Next, add 1/2 cup water and cover it. Turn on the gas (low flame) and let it boil for 5 - 7 minutes.

After 5 - 7 minutes, take it off the gas and let it cool down completely. Once it has cooled down, transfer all of it (including the water) in a blender and blend it to create a paste.

Next, take a pan on a low heat and add oil to it. Once the oil has heated, add half of the paste to it. Add chilli powder or chilli flakes, salt, and sugar. Mix well and then add the remaining paste to it. If needed, you can add a little water. Keep the gas on low heat. Cover the pan and cook until you get a nice sauce-y consistency. When done, take if off and transfer the sauce into a bowl.

Step 3 (White Sauce)

If you do not have cheese, this alternative is next to perfect. And it is also quite simple to make.

Take a pan and add butter to it. Make sure that your gas is on low. Add 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour and make sure you keep stirring it so that no lumps are formed. Use a whisker to do this, and do not worry if you see lumps. Next, start adding milk slowly. Make sure to keep whisking it. Keep adding milk, a little at a time, while continuously whisking it. Once you have reached a creamy consistency that is neither too thick nor too runny, add salt. Mix well. You can taste it to check if the salt is done right.

When done, take it off and transfer to a bowl.

Step 4 (Preparing the Pizza)

Finally it is time to put together all our hard work. After an hour, take the dough and knead it again for a couple of minutes. After this, take a heavy-bottomed pot and add a cup of salt to it. Do not worry, you can store this salt for future baking purposes. Then take a cooking rack/trivet and keep in right on top of the salt. This will serve as a stand for our pizza. If you do not have a cooking rack or trivet, you can use a small steel bowl. Keep it on high flame and cover it. We are doing this to pre-heat the pot before we pop the pizza inside.

While that is heating, take your baking tray (or a steel bowl or plate). Personally, I think that a steel plate that is a little deep works really well. Make sure whatever you are using fits inside the pot and is covered well by the lid. Take a little oil and spread it inside the baking utensil. Be generous, you do not want your pizza sticking to it.

Next, take your dough and use your hands to make a little circle. Now there are two options: you can roll the dough using a rolling pin or you can take my route. I simply make a little circle using my hands and then keep it right in the middle of the plate. Then I use my fingers to slowly spread it all around the plate. Whatever method you choose, make sure that you do not make the base too thick.

Then, spread the pizza sauce and the white sauce. Next, add your choice of toppings. Top it off with some chilli flakes and oregano. The pizza is ready to go inside our pre-heated pot.

Turn the gas to low heat and plate the plate or tray on the cooking rack. Be careful not to burn your hands. Cover it.

Let it bake for at least 40 - 45 minutes on low heat. You can increase the time if your pizza is uncooked.

And there you have it! This homemade pizza tastes heavenly and will definitely be your saviour during these times.

Get your baking gloves on!