This ayurvedic naan pizza recipe is going to rock your world. Why?
Because not only is the flatbread recipe is a total keeper (trust me, you’re going to be making it again and again!), but you can switch up the toppings with whatever vegetables are in season: roast them in winter, keep them raw in summer. You can also swap the vegan avocado spread (aka guacamole, lol!) with my vegan cashew cream, or even just readymade hummus. You get the gist: this ayurvedic naan pizza will be whatever you want it to be. Dress it up, dress it down, eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s your new best friend, and best friends never judge!
Why is this recipe ayurvedic?
You’d be surprised to learn that in Ayurveda, whole grains and whole wheat should be avoided since they’re thought to be very hard to digest. This flatbread is made with a few simple ingredients: butter, milk, and all-purpose flour. The topping is mashed avocado with lots of lime and garlic, and the vegetables are roasted with warming Indian spices like cumin, paprika, and garam masala.
Another recommendation in Ayurveda is, depending on your dosha, to not eat raw vegetables as they can slow down your digestion. If your dosha type recommends raw vegetables instead, feel free to include them by slicing up some raw vegetables on top: thinly sliced beets and carrots could be a great addition for winter, or you could try tomatoes and zucchinis in summer.
This recipe was inspired by a book called Ayurveda Food by Sandra Salmandjee. I adapted her recipe to use my own flatbread recipe since her book just called for a readymade naan. I also roasted the vegetables with my own mix of spices and omitted the Greek yogurt from the avocado spread in order to reduce the dairy and make it even more Ayurvedic.
It’s all about the toppings!
If you know me then you know I’m all about the toppings! I firmly believe that toppings are what make the difference between a good dish and a great dish. So here I added lots of lime, chopped fresh coriander, sliced red onion, and fresh red chilies, of course! You can also swap the red onion with spring onions or chives, add parsley or mint, omit the chili…you get the idea: this ayurvedic naan pizza is your blank canvas and you, my friend, are Picasso.
How to make my ayurvedic naan pizza:
- Start by making the easy naan flatbread.
- While the dough sits, prepare and roast your vegetables.
- While you’re cooking the naan, chop your toppings and prepare the avocado spread.
- When the naans are cooked and the vegetables are roasted, assemble and enjoy!
Easy naan flatbread recipe
Ingredients
- 300g flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 50 g butter
- 185 ml milk
Preparation
- Warm butter and milk together in the microwave.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour and salt together.
- Add the warmed milk and butter mixture and knead for 2 minutes. Add extra flour if the dough is too sticky to form a ball.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap or in a dish cloth and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Roll out 4 or 5 balls of dough into thin circles on a floured surface.
- Heat a large, non-stick pan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, then one circle of dough. Cook until golden brown with a lid on, then flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Note: this dough keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge, so feel free to make a double batch! You can also reheat any extra flatbread the next day directly in a hot pan.
Ayurvedic naan pizza recipe
Ayurvedic naan pizza
Ingredients
- 4 naan flatbreads see above for recipe
- 2 avocados
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 400 g chickpeas canned and rinsed
- 200 g cauliflower
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp cumin
Toppings:
- fresh coriander
- thinly sliced red onions
- fresh lime juice
- thinly sliced chili peppers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C (fan oven)
- Melt the ghee in a large glass bowl in the microwave. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, then add the cauliflower and chickpeas to the bowl with the melted ghee and mix. Top with the cumin, garam masala and paprika, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well to coat.
- Spread the vegetables out on a big baking tray so that they're not too crowded (which will prevent them from roasting properly). Bake for aprx. 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to look a bit charred and the chickpeas are looking a bit brown and crunchy.
- While the vegetables roast, prepare the avocado spread by combining the avocados, cumin, garlic powder, and lime juice in a big bowl and mashing it all with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Once the vegetables are looking golden brown and wonderfully roasted, it's time to assemble your naan pizza! Start with a flatbread, spread it with the avocado mixture, and top it with loads of warm, spiced roasted vegetables. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Recipe note: You’ll notice that in the picture with the roasted veggies, my spices look really purple. For testing purposes, I added 2 teaspoons of a purple hibiscus curry powder from Rimoco, a German spice brand, to my roasted veggies. I really loved the beautiful purple color that it gave the roasted veggies, but in terms of flavor, it didn’t change much except add extra tang (that you’ll get when you add the lime juice to the avocado and the finished naan pizza). I decided not to include this spice in the recipe, in case you can’t get your hands on it. But boy was it a fun spice to play with! 🙂
