Dalvinder “Tony” Multani, the proprietor of Zante Pizza and Indian Cuisine in San Francisco, founded Indian pizza. It all began in the 1980s when he creatively joined two different menus - pizza and North Indian - and birthed a unique culinary delight, Indian pizza. Presently, Indian pizza restaurants are mushrooming all over the United States.

Indian pizza, loaded with strikingly delicious sauces and seasoned vegetables or proteins, is a favorite party dish for former Food & Wine Restaurant Editor Khushbu Shah. Shah's cookbook, Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora, contains an entire chapter committed to this pizza, featuring the Achari Paneer Pizza recipe.

This pizza, richly flavored, showcases a topping of not just mozzarella but also chunks of paneer. Paneer is a mildly flavored, fresh Indian cheese, tossed in a fiery marinade of yogurt and achar (spicy pickles). This marinade gives the cheese a passionate, tangy taste that marries elegantly with the garlicky tomato sauce adorned with garam masala and Kashmiri chile powder. A thin layer of pickled jalapeños and red onions offers a sharpness that balances the dual cheese effect.

Shah's Indian Pizza Dough plays a key role in the recipe; cumin and nigella seeds incorporated in the dough create a burst of flavors. It's an effortless recipe and doesn't necessitate overnight rising. You can also adapt this recipe to your preferred store-bought crust or even atop store-bought naan.

Mentioning achar and paneer, paneer is a popular Indian cheese produced from cow or buffalo milk. It is a non-vegan ingredient and is not dairy-free. Achar, on the other hand, is a shorthand for a range of Indian pickled and spiced fruits and vegetables. Each variant of achar can provide distinct flavors – from sharp and tart to hot. You can get hold of achars at any Indian grocery store.

This recipe works best in a standard oven. To achieve a perfectly crisped crust, employing a baking steel or pizza stone is advisable as it evenly disperses the heat.

Enjoy this fragrant pizza with a glass of rich and fruity rosé, for instance, Las Jaras Superbloom. For leftovers, you can wrap the slices in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, store in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for up to three days. The pizza remains good to eat in the freezer for up to two weeks, ensuring it's wrapped right. On reheating, use a stove or oven for the best results.

Allow the tomato sauce to cool completely prior to storing in an airtight container. It can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days. To extend its shelf life, freeze the tomato sauce in an airtight container where it can remain good for up to a month. Remember to thaw it before use.

This recipe, an adaptation from Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah, first made its appearance in the Food & Wine magazine, March 2024 issue. It was reproduced with W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.'s, the publisher's, permission. All rights reserved.