Vegan Pizza Mofo Post 17!
Only three more posts to go. It was a grey, rainy day while I edited photos and wrestled with the blogger editor, but it was worth the effort — this Samosa Onion Bhajji (fritter) Pizza is fantastic. Imagine an Indian snack platter transformed into a pizza: spiced potato samosa filling, crispy onion fritters, and a few jalapeño fritters for heat.
The crust blends whole wheat, chickpea flour, semolina and carom seeds — similar flavors to a traditional samosa pastry. I bake it a touch longer to get a crunchy texture that echoes a fried samosa shell. Once the pizza is baked, it gets a finishing drizzle of fresh cilantro chutney, the same vibrant sauce usually served with samosas and pakoras.
This Samosa Pizza is a must-try!
I tucked some greens under the potato topping — chopped spinach from our small urban garden (optional). My husband loved this pizza. It’s simpler than making individual samosas or pakoras because there’s no deep frying or shaping small pastries.
The potato filling also works well in sandwiches or as a side. The onion fritters crisp up nicely at the pizza’s high bake temperature, so there’s no need to pre-fry them. A cilantro chutney drizzle brings it all together.
If you love samosas, make this pizza. You can use any sturdy wheat crust, or swap in a gluten-free crust such as oat, teff, or a millet-chickpea crust to suit dietary needs.
For context: samosas are deep-fried pastries filled with spiced potatoes and served with chutneys. Bhajji or pakoras are vegetables dipped in a spiced chickpea batter and fried — both are classic Indian snacks that inspire this pizza.
Steps (overview):
After the dough’s first rise, roll it out into a thin crust using some bread flour.
Place the crust on a parchment-lined sheet and mist with water.
Layer chopped spinach, then spread the spiced potato mixture evenly over the crust.
Dip onion rings lightly in the chickpea batter and arrange them over the potato layer.
Add jalapeño slices or other vegetable fritters in a single layer as desired.
Bake in a preheated oven at 410°F (210°C) for 15–16 minutes.
Finish under the broiler on high for about 30 seconds.
Let the pizza rest in the oven for 30 seconds, then remove and drizzle with cilantro chutney.
Slice and serve.
Delicious!
Samosa, Onion Bhajji/Pakora Pizza with Wheat-Semolina-Chickpea Crust
Dairy-, egg-, corn-, soy- and nut-free
Makes one 12–13 inch pizza
Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup warm water
1.5 teaspoons active yeast
2 teaspoons raw sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup semolina (cream of wheat)
1/4 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (or cumin seeds)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Toppings:
One batch of spiced samosa potato filling — about 2 large or 3 medium potatoes makes enough for a 12-inch pizza.
White or red onion, sliced into rings
Jalapeño slices (optional)
Chickpea batter for fritters (recipe below)
Cilantro chutney (recipe below)
Chickpea batter for pakora-style fritters:
Blend into a thick paste:
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon semolina (omit for gluten-free)
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons neutral oil (canola or similar)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch garlic powder
Generous pinch cumin powder
Generous pinch chili powder (to taste)
Easy cilantro chutney: (add 1/2 cup mint for a mint-cilantro chutney)
Gluten- and sugar-free
Blend the following:
1/2 cup packed cilantro
1/4 cup chopped apple
1–2 tablespoons water
Salt, chili powder and cumin powder to taste (a pinch each)
Method:
Crust:
In a bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
Add the flours, semolina, salt and oil. Knead briefly until a smooth dough forms.
Cover, mist the top with water, and let rise 1.5–2 hours.
Oil your hands, dust with a little bread flour and shape the dough into a ball. Roll into a thin 12–14 inch crust.
Place on a parchment-lined sheet and mist the top with water.
Assemble: layer chopped spinach (optional), spread the potato filling, arrange batter-coated onion rings and jalapeño slices on top in a single layer.
Bake at 410°F for 15–16 minutes, then broil for about 30 seconds. Let rest briefly in the oven before removing.
Drizzle with cilantro chutney and, if you like, top with vegan cheese shreds either before or immediately after baking (optional).
Slice and serve.
This pizza was shared for community events and themed weeks celebrating healthy vegan recipes.