What if you could have a pizza that pairs the freshest flavours of India and Italy while supporting ethical consumption and an independent, women-owned business? This recipe does just that, with soft paneer (an Indian cheese made) marinated in a tasty Tandoori Masala spice blend and put on top of a pizza dough base. Made in partnership with Diaspora Co. –– a queer and woman-of-colour-owned company that sources spices from India and Sri Lanka –– it's an unexpected, saucy take on paneer tikka, the popular tandoor (clay oven) grilled appetizer. 

Diaspora Co.'s farmers work directly with them and are paid a living wage. That direct connection means fresher spices. While traditional dried spices often take 2 to 7 years to reach your pantry, at Diaspora Co., it only takes between 6 to 12 months. The Tandoor Masala blend combines 15 of their single-origin spices for a flavour that's spicy, sour, sweet, earthy and umami all at once. With everything from cumin and green cardamom to saffron and turmeric, it's as interesting as it is satisfying. Since it was designed with tandoor cooking in mind, it works exceptionally well in Ooni's ovens, which have a stone base and can get up to high heat, which makes them similar to a tandoor.

Traditionally, paneer tikka is made by marinating planks of paneer and vegetables in yogurt and spices and then cooking them in a tandoor. Asha Loupy, Diaspora Co.'s recipe editor, created this pizza recipe to mimic some of the flavours of the skewered appetizer. First, the Tandoori Masala blend is added to crushed tomatoes with a splash of cream, to create a spicy, luscious sauce. Then it's whisked together with neutral oil and covers the paneer, making for sumptuous slices of cheese. Then, the pizza is layered with the sauce, marinated paneer, mozzarella, red onion, green bell pepper and cherry tomatoes before being baked to a blistered, bubbling perfection.