![cheesy masala corn pizza](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/D7KNZSW8Q7MX9fbomNRbKvfh7bI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/cheesy-masala-corn-pizza-FT-MAG-RECIPE-0324-401efbdb2d154a0c841159a8e3086e29.jpg)
Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Natalie Drobny / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
Indian pizza is a style of pizza where the toppings are inspired by the cuisine of India — think flavor-packed sauces, vegetables, and heavily spiced proteins. Indian pizza is thought to have been invented by San Francisco restaurateur Dalvinder “Tony” Multani in the late 1980s. Since then, Indian pizza concepts have opened across America. “There are few combinations that feel so equally Indian and American at the same time and that work so naturally without feeling forced,” says former Food & Wine Restaurant Editor Khushbu Shah, who loves an Indian pizza party, and has a whole chapter dedicated to Indian pizza in her cookbook, Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora.
Cheesy Masala Corn Pizza is an homage to masala corn, an Indian snack that combines charred corn kernels with butter, lemon juice, and chaat masala, a spice blend that includes cumin, coriander, and amchur (mango powder). Here, the tangy, sweet-hot corn is paired with a wonderfully gooey mozzarella cheese sauce.
The recipe calls for Shah’s Indian Pizza Dough, which includes cumin and nigella seeds in the dough for additional flavor in each bite. The dough is a simple recipe that doesn’t require an overnight rise, but this pizza will also work on your favorite store-bought pizza dough or ready-made crust, or even atop store-bought naan.
Frequently asked questions
What is chaat masala?
Chaat masala is a spice blend with spices like cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chile powder, and fennel. It also has amchur powder, a powder made from dried mangoes, which gives the blend fruity, sour notes. When using chaat masala, keep in mind it already contains salt. Check your seasoning level before adding additional salt.
How spicy is Kashmiri chile powder?
Kashmiri chile powder is very mild, similar to the heat level of hot paprika. It adds smoky and sweet flavor to the masala corn in this recipe and is fantastic on grilled meats or sprinkled into stews.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
If you have an Indian grocery store in your area, it should carry chaat masala and Kashmiri chile powder. You can also source them online from spicewalla.com. For extra heat, include the optional pickled jalapeños; omit them if you prefer a milder pizza.
The foundation of the cheese sauce that tops this pizza is a basic roux. When you whisk the flour into the butter over heat and slowly add in milk, the sauce thickens before you add in the cheese. This makes the cheese sauce extra velvety and helps it spread evenly on the pizza.
Suggested pairing
The sweetness from the fresh corn and dried fruit in the spice blend pairs well with a fruity wine, such as a raspberry-scented Oregon Pinot Noir. We recommend Brick House Vineyards Select.
Make ahead
Wrap leftover pizza slices in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in a ziplock plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also freeze leftover pizza, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, in a ziplock plastic freezer bag for up to 2 weeks. Pizza is best reheated on the stove or in an oven.
Ingredients
Masala corn
-
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
-
1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (from 2 ears)
-
1 tablespoon lemon juice
-
1 teaspoon chaat masala (such as Rani)
-
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
-
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-
Black pepper, to taste
Cheese sauce
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-
2/3 cup whole milk
-
1/2 ounce whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 tablespoons)
-
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-
Black pepper, to taste
Pizza
-
All-purpose flour, for dusting
-
8 ounces Basic Indian Pizza Dough or 8 ounces store-bought pizza dough
-
4 ounces low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
-
1/4 cup pickled jalapeños (optional)
-
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Directions
Make the masala corn
-
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium. Add corn kernels, lemon juice, chaat masala, Kashmiri chile powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until corn is well coated in spice mixture and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce
-
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium. Add flour, and whisk until mixture turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in whole-milk mozzarella until melted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, and season with black pepper to taste. Set aside.
Make the pizza
-
Preheat oven to 500°F with a pizza steel or pizza stone placed on rack in upper third of oven. Place dough on a floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Press dough with fingertips, rotating as you work to stretch it into a 9- to 10-inch circle. Spread cheese sauce evenly over dough; top with part-skim mozzarella and masala corn.
-
Slide pizza from pizza peel onto hot pizza steel, and bake in preheated oven until sides and bottom of crust are browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pizza from oven, and top with pickled jalapeños and cilantro, if using. Serve hot.
Recipe adapted from Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah. Copyright © 2024 by copyright holder. Used with permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. / Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, March 2024