Deconstructed Gobi Paratha (Cauliflower Crust) Pizza with Cucumber and Yogurt Raita. vegan glutenfree grainfree recipe

Vegan Pizza Mofo Post 9.
Gobi and Aloo Parathas(flatbreads stuffed with cauliflower or potato mixture), are a staple weekend meal in this house. However, its a bit of a process if I have to make the dough, roll each flat bread, stuff it, then roll again and cook on stove top. The dough is usually wheat dough and the gluten is essential for the way the authentic parathas are made.

So I decided to eliminate the flour from the picture, and since I was eliminating the gluten, I eliminated the grains and nuts as well. The crust is cauliflower and potato crust with spices. The potato helps keep it together along with a tiny amount of chickpea flour. It is basically the stuffing of the paratha made into a crust:) If you dont like the potato in it, you can use almond meal and chickpea flour. Use less or more flour to make the crust sturdier. Use any herbs or spices in the crust and any favorite toppings. Use thicker and less liquidy sauces. 

Heres my mom's Aloo Paratha recipe and heres a Video Gobi Paratha recipe




Parathas are typically eaten with  pickles and yogurt raita. The Raita is savory and spiced and can have cucumbers and onions. Hence the fresh cucumbers and yogurt raita dip topping. You can use other veggies of choice. If using sauce, bake the crust for 20-30 minutes and then load with sauce and veggies and bake for another 15 minutes.

The crust is spicy and tastes absolutely delicious(because I am a sucker for hot parathas anyday) and the crunch and cool from the fresh cukes and yogurt work very well with it. The crust can be easily made into burger patties.

There are a bunch more glutenfree crusts posted this month already. See the October archive or posts under Pizza label.



Steps:


Grate the cauliflower and ginger. Add chopped chili, cilantro, salt and spices and mix. At this point, you can not leave the mixture sitting for long.



Add the mashed potato and chickpea flour and mix well.



Make a fat ball by pressing the mixture together.



Place ball on parchment lined sheet. Start the oven for preheating at 360 degrees F.
Drizzle evoo on top. Using your hand spread the oil, then start to press the ball onto the parchment.
The ball will crack, keep pressing it out until desired thickness. I kept mine to a bit thicker than 1/4 inch.



Seal the cracks by pressing the mixture inwards.
Bake in preheated 360 degrees F for 30-35 minutes on until the center feels dry and not squishy to touch.
Spray water on the edges at 15 minutes and turn the sheet around.
Take the crust out and Top with red onion and cucumber slices.
Drizzle yogurt raita on top. Sprinkle red chili powder or flakes and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.





Deconstructed Gobi Paratha Pizza with Cucumber and Raita
Grain, gluten, soy, nut, corn, dairy, egg, yeast free recipe. Can be made oil free. Makes 1 9 inch Pizza

Crust:
1/2 a head of cauliflower grated( medium size)
1/2 inch ginger grated (2-3 Tablespoons)
1 medium potato boiled and mashed well
1-2 green chili finely chopped 
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon carom seeds(optional)
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder/black pepper to taste(optional)
1-2 Tablespoons chickpea flour ( or wheat flour)
1-2 Tablespoons evoo

Toppings:
Red onion slices
Cucumber slices
Cilantro Chopped
Raita (recipe below)

Coconut milk yogurt Raita:
Mix the following and keep ready
2 Tablespoons of coconut milk yogurt (I used SoDelicious plain)
1 Tablespoon water
a pinch of salt, cumin powder, chili powder

Variations: Top with cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, baby radish slices, baby greens.

Method:
Grate the cauliflower and ginger. Use a processor or blender or grater.
Add chopped chili, cilantro, salt and spices and mix. At this point, you can not leave the mixture sitting for long.
Add the mashed potato and chickpea flour and mix well.
Make a fat ball by pressing the mixture together.
(See the pictures above for the consistency, add more mashed potato or chickpea flour for better binding if needed.)
Place ball on parchment lined sheet. Start the oven for preheating at 360 degrees F.
Drizzle evoo on top of the ball.
Using your hand spread the oil, then start to press the ball onto the parchment.
The ball will crack, keep pressing it out until desired thickness. I kept mine to a bit thicker than 1/4 inch.
Seal the cracks by pressing the mixture inwards.
Bake in preheated 360 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until the center feels dry and not squishy to touch.
(Time depends on the thickness of the crust and moisture content in the cauliflower. sometimes the moisture content is very high, so the crust takes longer to cook and might easily break near the center.)
Spray water on the edges after 15 minutes and turn the sheet around.
Take the crust out and Top with red onion and cucumber slices.
Drizzle yogurt Raita on top. Sprinkle red chili powder or flakes and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
If using other toppings, top the crust with sauce/tomato based or cheese based thick sauces), veggies and vegan cheese at the 30 minute mark and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese melts. 



mmm yumm