Aks Supreme Pizza Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat your oven to 250°C (480°F) or highest setting and place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven to heat for 30 minutes. Lightly flour a work surface with 2 tbs of flour.

Stretch or roll out the pizza dough to a 11–12 inch (28–30 cm) round about 3–5 mm thick. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper if using a baking sheet, or to a lightly floured pizza peel. Brush the outer 1/2" rim with 1 tbs olive oil to create a golden crust.

Marinate

In a bowl combine 120 g yogurt, 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp salt. Add the 400 g chicken cubes and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Cook the chicken

Heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer and sear for 3–4 minutes per side until lightly charred and cooked through (internal temperature 74°C / 165°F). Remove and set aside. If chicken releases liquid, cook until liquid evaporates to achieve a slightly caramelized exterior.

Once slightly cooled, roughly chop larger pieces so they are bite-sized for the pizza.

Build the sauce

Heat 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 6–8 minutes. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Add 200 g tomato puree, 1 tsp tikka masala powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar (if using). Simmer the mixture over low heat for 8–10 minutes until it thickens slightly and the raw tomato smell disappears.

Stir in 60 ml heavy cream, simmer 2–3 minutes more to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you want a smoother, pizza-friendly sauce, blend briefly with an immersion blender until smooth, then return to the pan and keep warm.

Reserve about 100–120 g (roughly 1/2 cup) of this tikka gravy for the pizza base; store the rest for serving or future use.

Assemble the pizza

Spread the reserved 100–120 g of warm tikka gravy evenly over the stretched dough leaving a 1/2" rim. Sprinkle a thin layer (about 100 g) of shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Scatter the cooked chicken tikka pieces evenly across the pizza. Add sliced red onion and the remaining mozzarella (about 150 g) and optional 50 g cheddar if using. Add thin slices of green chili if desired.

Lightly brush the exposed crust with garlic butter or garlic oil (1 tbs). Sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro over the cheese lightly (some can be added after baking). Finish with 1/2 tsp red chili flakes if you want extra heat.

Bake

Slide the pizza (on parchment or peel) onto the preheated stone or inverted sheet. Bake at the highest oven temperature for 7–10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and slightly browned in spots. Baking time will vary with oven and stone; rotate once halfway if necessary.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Let rest for 2 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining fresh cilantro over the pizza. Slice and serve hot.