Naan Bread Pizza 2 ways: Margherita and Fig with Caramelized Jalapeño Onion Relish
Naan Bread Pizza.
When I saw packages of naan in my local grocery store, I got excited about the possibilities. I love pita bread. It’s great as the base for individual pizzas. Naan bread has a softer texture and slightly different taste, so I was eager to try it out and see what if any difference it made as a pizza, both savory and sweet.
The word naan is Persian in origin and simply means “bread.” It’s a staple in every Indian restaurant, and until recently, was the only place I had eaten it. As it’s popularity has grown, naan is now much more readily available here in the United States.
Unlike pita bread, which is typically made with just a few ingredients: flour, yeast, water and salt, naan bread may contain yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), eggs, and even milk. While pitas have a neat little pocket which is perfect for stuffing with hummus or sandwich fillings, naan is eaten flat, either by itself, as a scoop for other foods, or wrapped around a filling of vegetables or meat.
Pita bread is easily cooked in a modern oven, but the shape and texture of traditional naan bread comes from cooking it in a special oven called a tandoor. Traditional tandoor ovens were made of clay with rounded sides, and look like a large, tall flower pot. There’s a hole in one side of the bottom where the fire is laid, and the open top of the tandoor acts as a chimney Clay retains heat for a long time, so it’s fairly fuel efficient, which is important in areas where fuel, either wood or charcoal, is in short supply. The naan bread dough is thrown, yea, you heard me right, thrown, against the side of the oven and the high heat cooks the bread quickly, creating bubbles, blisters, and lovely indentations. Pita bread is baked flat, and usually retains it’s round shape. Naan is typically oval due to the dough sliding slightly down the side of the tandoor oven as it bakes.
If I ever get the chance, I’d love to see a real tandoor oven in use. There are modern tandoor ovens for sale, but they’re extremely expensive, and take up a lot of real estate in your kitchen. Unless you plan to use it frequently, it’s probably best to get your naan from a local Indian restaurant or the grocery store.
Naan Bread Pizza with Fresh Figs and Caramelized Jalapeño Onion Relish
Modern kitchens can’t duplicate the taste and texture of traditional naan cooked in a tandoor oven, but I’ve read several articles which state you can use a cast iron skillet and get acceptable results. One day I’ll have to try that. For now, I’ll go with the store bought naan.
Margherita Naan Bread Pizza
Fresh Fig and Caramelized Jalapeño Onion Relish Naan Bread Pizza
Jalapeño Onion Relish
Naan Bread Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 Naan Bread
- 1/4 cup
Old St Augustine Fountain of Youth Datil Marinade - 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 6-8 fresh mozzarella balls, sliced in half or 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6-8 pitted kalamata olives, drained and sliced in half
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped or sliced into ribbons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice tomatoes in half and marinate in 1/4 cup of Old St Augustine Fountain of Youth Datil Marinade for 15-20 minutes – or more if desired. - Line baking pan with foil for easy clean up and place naan bread on top of foil.
Drain tomatoes, reserving about 1 teaspoon of Old St Augustine Fountain of Youth Datil Marinade. Brush the reserved teaspoon of marinade on the top of the naan bread. - Arrange tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and basil on top of naan.
- Bake in 350 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden and mozzarella is melting.
- Serve immediately.
Fresh Fig and Caramelized Jalapeño Onion Relish Naan Bread Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 naan bread
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (For a sweeter taste, you can use vanilla flavored yogurt or ricotta cheese would be good here too.)
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Old St Augustine Jalapeño Onion Relish
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (may substitute honey)
- 2 ripe figs, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Line baking pan with foil for easy clean up and place naan bread on top of foil.
- In small saucepan over low heat, saute Old St Augustine Jalapeño Onion Relish in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until onion start to turn golden brown, and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the maple syrup and stir to mix it into the onions completely and just warm the syrup. Remove from heat.
- Spread yogurt on top of naan bread, leaving a small section of crust on the outside edges.
- Sprinkle with the feta cheese.
- Top with the cooked onion relish and sliced figs.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melting and the figs are warm.
- Serve immediately.
