The holy month of Sawan is finally here. The month is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Many observe the ritualistic vrat, which is a special kind of fasting, wherein people consume lots of fruits, milk and water. They also have to abstain from meat, fish, eggs and alcohol. Even grains, cereals, pulses and legumes are not permitted. The whole idea behind fasting is to give your body a break to understand the season. That’s right, as per Ayurveda, this particular period when the season is transitioning, the digestive fire or agni has a tough time acclimatizing, which impacts your immunity, digestion etc. Eating light, seasonal, vegetarian food helps your tummy stay cool.
Now sabudana papad, makhanas and farali namkeen are common suspects when it comes to Navratri snacking, but did you know you can have pizza while fasting too? That’s right. Obviously, it wouldn’t be your standard pizza with sauces, smears, cheeses, herbs, meat etc. Even the base, would not be made with maida or whole wheat. But it will be worth your time.
This Navratri-special pizza is yeast-free and the base of the pizza is made with Kuttu flour, lukewarm water, oil and mashed potatoes. The buckwheat flour is mixed with potatoes to make a pliant dough. This dough is then rolled out and topped with ‘satvik’ ingredients like Farali chutney. Processed cheese is replaced by grated cottage cheese, if you want to add other kinds of cheese, the choice is completely yours. Among the vegetable toppings, are freshly sliced tomatoes, green chillies and fresh coriander. You can, of course, add or omit the toppings as per your liking. Bake till it is ready, and serve hot with chutney.
Here’s the complete recipe for the pizza, and the list of ingredients required. Try this recipe soon and let us know how you liked it. You can have it during the evening with a cup of chai too. Do share the pictures with us when you make it at home.