CURRY CAULIFLOWER PIZZA

Curry Cauliflower Pizza image

I have studied and worked with amazing cheeses all over Switzerland. I came up with this pizza when I was doing a pizza pop-up tour and one of the stops was at Maneet Chauhan's restaurant in Nashville. I had put curry roasted cauliflower and Gruyere on a Cauliflower Croque Monsieur sandwich before, and I decided it would be great on naan pizza. The quick apricot chutney and fried curry leaves make this dish sing!

Provided by Next Iron Chef All Star: Elizabeth Falkner

Time 1h40m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

1/4 cup apricot jam or orange marmalade
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh turmeric, grated, or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch ground cloves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ounce cornstarch or all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere, plus more for topping pizzas
1/2 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
Kosher salt
1 head cauliflower
1/4 cup canola or coconut oil, plus more for frying
2 teaspoons kosher salt
A few cranks freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 red chile (Fresno or red jalapeno), thinly sliced
1 lime
1 cup curry leaves
4 pieces naan, homemade or store-bought

Steps:

To make a quick version of chutney, aka "jack up your jam," mix the apricot jam with the ginger, lime juice, turmeric, vinegar, cayenne, cloves, a pinch salt and a few cranks of ground pepper.
For the Swiss fondue sauce: Add the butter and cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and whisk until melted and bubbling. Add the milk a little at a time and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Add the cheese, nutmeg and pinch of salt and whisk until melted. Cool until ready to use.
For the curry cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice the cauliflower in half, and then quarters. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. (There will be smaller florets that fall or crumble off but keep those with the slices.) Set the cauliflower on a wide pan or baking sheet.
Drizzle oil all over the cauliflower and make sure to get it on both sides. Sprinkle salt all over on both sides. Add pepper on top of each slice. Sprinkle cumin and fennel seeds all over.
Cover with a lid or foil.
Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, then sprinkle the curry powder over the cauliflower and add the chile, gently tossing to combine. Bake, uncovered, until the cauliflower is tender but not too soft, another 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze lime juice over the top and set aside to cool.
Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F. Line a plate with a paper towel.
Add the curry leaves to the oil and fry, in batches if needed, until crispy, about 15 seconds. Drain on the paper towel.
Spread some of the cooled Swiss fondue sauce over each naan. Spoon some of the curry cauliflower over each pizza and top each piece with about 1 tablespoon grated Gruyere. Place on a sheet pan. Warm in the oven until the cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drop about 4 to 5 spoonfuls of chutney around each piece of naan pizza and top with the fried curry leaves.