This is such an easy, cheater recipe, and y’all– it’s so stinkin’ good. It’s a quick-assembly pizza with just a bit of an Indian-fusion twist. You could go the from-scratch route, but I didn’t because I was short on time, and it was still juuuust fine! Try it – you’ll like it! I made it as an appetizer for a multi-course meal I catered as a favor to a friend several months ago, and hoo boy was it a hit.

The goods:

Pre-made Naan flatbreads (can be found near the bakery section in most supermarkets)

Pre-made tikka masala simmer sauce (I like Patak’s but get whatever looks good to you)

Mushrooms, sliced and cooked (optional; you could also grab some cooked chicken and dice it up. Or both! Or skip this entirely!)

Shredded Mozzarella

Paneer Cheese (optional, you can find this in the cheese section in many supermarkets.  If you can’t find paneer, any sort of fresh/farmer’s cheese will do)

cucumber

plain yogurt (get a good thick one – either whole-milk/full-fat or greek would be fine)

garlic

cumin

The method:

Turn on your oven to somewhere in the 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit range.

Put the naan on a baking sheet. Spread the tikka masala sauce on the naan. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Add mushrooms and chicken, if using.  Crumble/cube the paneer and add that, if using.

Heat until cheese is melty and gorgeous!

For the yogurt sauce:

Shred or finely dice the cucumber.  If you want a less watery dip, I heartily recommend shredding the cucumber and squeezing out the excess liquid.  That cucumber water is awfully refreshing mixed into some seltzer or water, pro tip!

Add the cucumber and some amount of finely minced garlic to your desired amount of yogurt. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin to taste.  If you want a bit more zing, splash in some lemon juice.  If you want more of an allium kick, a bit of finely diced red onion or shallot won’t steer you wrong.

See? Super easy, and everyone think’s your a super fancy and imaginative chef, when all you did was tweak a standard pizza method.  Happy fusion feasting!