The “African Bird’s Eye” chili pepper is hot pepper from Africa that is becoming popular in North America as we continue to discover delicious African cuisine. Peri Peri Paneer Pizza is our vegetarian adoption of this fantastic dish in (of course) pizza form!
(If you’re interested in a meat-version, we also have a Peri Peri Chicken Pizza recipe)
Peri Peri Pizza Seasoning
According to Chili Pepper Madness, our pizza today is based on a traditional South African sauce made by Portuguese settlers using the local Peri Peri (African Bird’s Eye) chili peppers. It also goes by the name Piri Piri. Our source discusses how the African chilies differ from North American counterparts due to the soil conditions.
Peri Peri chilis are quite hot – between 50,000 and 175,000 Scoville units. You’ll want to take that into consideration when you’re portioning it out.
While Peri Peri seasoning is probably not something you’ll find on the shelf at your local grocery store, a healthy 3.5 ounces can be had on Amazon for about $10 (at time of posting).
You can also buy a nice variety pack of Peri Peri sauces from Nando on Amazon for about $30 (at time of posting). Nando’s is a restaurant chain in the US that many feel defines Peri Peri for those who’ve had it, so you’re likely not going wrong with one of their sauces for today’s pizza!
What About the Cheese?
Of course, we’re adapting this Peri Peri recipe from chicken to a vegetarian form using paneer. Paneer isn’t going to melt, which is why we are using it as a substitute for chicken.
And we’re still going to top our pizza with cheese as well. Since this dish is from South African origin, why not consider a topping cheese common to the region?
South Africa is a new comer to cheese production, at least according to Cheesehouse.com; they identified cheddar and gouda as making up about half of the cheese consumption when they posted the article in 2017. Kwaito is a South African gouda-style – which appears to be pretty hard to find domestically. Cheddar cheese is delicious but can make for a more oily pizza topping.
Goat cheese is also popular in South Africa. There is even a goat cheese version of Gouda. Today, we’re using feta but you might want to consider Chevin or Chèvre.
How to Make Peri Peri Paneer Pizza
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 teaspoons of Peri Peri/African Bird’s Eye seasoning powder, separated (dried )
- 7 ounces of Paneer cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground salt
- Pinch of Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1x 16 ounces of pizza dough – either store bought, our Easy Peasy Pizza dough, or perhaps a sourdough whole wheat pizza dough?
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 2 ounces of roasted red pepper
- 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil, separated
- 6 ounces of Gouda (or Kwaito, if you can find it) or mozzarella, grated
- 2 ounces of goat cheese: feta, Chevin, or Chèvre cheese
How Hot Do You Like Your Pizza?
This Peri Peri Paneer pizza recipe doesn’t use traditional tomato sauce but instead relies on the Peri Peri flavors in olive oil. This recipe is about as spicy as Buffalo hot wings. However, not everyone has the same level of tolerance for spice. You may need to reduce the amount of Peri Peri powder you use if the African Bird’s Eye is a little too much. Alternatively, you may want more.
To get your own “right” balance, first take an ounce of olive oil and add the Peri Peri seasoning a pinch at a time, mix it, and taste it to make sure you find the spice level good for your own personal preference.
Peri Peri Paneer
Today’s recipe is a three step process – we need to make the dough, make peri peri paneer, and then cook the pizza.
We’re using dried seasoning in today’s recipe, but you can purchase premade sauce.
Fresh Pepper Variation: Thai Chili (Bird’s Eye)
Do you want to try to make this with fresh peppers instead of powder? Well, African Birdseye is not going to be something you find in a store in North America – so you’re going to need a substitute. Probably the closest will be Thai chilis – also known as Bird’s Eye (Thai chilis are similar in their Scoville range). To recreate this recipe, you’ll want 2 Thai chilis chopped very fine; 1 for the marinade and 1 for the topping.
Making Peri Peri Paneer
Marinate the Paneer
To infuse the paneer with the vibrant flavors of peri-peri, you’ll need to marinate it before cooking. Because African Birds Eye doesn’t grow here, we’re using Peri Peri powder from Roots & Blessing. This powder is 100% dried Bird’s Eye.
Follow these steps to create our spicy, mouthwatering marinade:
- Slice the paneer into small pieces – I prefer about 1/2″ x 1/4″ or so. I like that more of the surface area of the paneer is exposed to the marinade.
- In a bowl, combine the peri-peri seasoning, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well to create a uniform marinade.
- Place the paneer pieces in a container and pour the marinade over them, ensuring they are fully coated.
- Use tongs and a basting brush to cover the paneer with the marinade. Do not use your hands, especially if you use a lot of seasoning!*
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least two hours or even overnight, in order for the flavors to seep into the paneer. I suggest that about halfway through that you rotate the paneer inside the dish.
* Because of how potent this chili pepper is, I recommend not touching the pepper at all – especially once it is wet. I’d recommend wearing gloves. If you touch your face or eyes or even have a cut on your finger, you can really injure yourself. I had a tiny scratch on my finger and dipped it in the oil to taste it and it stung pretty good!
Cooking the Peri Peri Paneer
Because the cut paneer can be tricky to work with on a grill, I recommend frying the paneer in a skillet with oil to cook the marinade flavors in.
Pan Fry the Paneer:
- Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a skillet and heat to medium.
- Add the marinated paneer to the skillet.
- Pour in the extra marinade onto the paneer.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes until golden brown, turning with tongs as needed.
- Once cooked, remove the paneer from the skillet and let it rest.
Pizza Dough
If you’re going all out making this dish, you may want to make your pizza dough from scratch. You might try our Easy Peasy Pizza dough, which is great for the extra weight of a pizza with a lot of toppings.
However, I have found this pizza pairs best with our whole red wheat sourdough pizza dough! The complexity of the whole wheat and sourdough starter makes for a very delicious crust – and it pairs amazingly with this pizza recipe – both for texture and for flavor. Of course you can also use a store bought dough.
Or, because you’re making this with Indian Paneer, you might want to use Naan bread!
Stretching the Dough
Begin hand stretching the dough out before moving on to the rolling pin. As you work the dough, it will begin to get sticky. So start by lightly flouring your work area and lightly flour the dough before you start. You may need to add more flour during the process.
Flip the dough frequently as you work it. You’ll probably find using a rolling pin will help make the dough flat and uniform with less chance of a tear, but not everyone agrees with doing this!
Start from the center of the dough and stretch/roll outward. Regularly lift, turn, and flip the dough. Continue adding small amounts of flour to keep it from sticking to the work area or your rolling pin. Be patient to avoid creating folds or tearing the dough. Don’t fret too much if the pizza isn’t round. Getting a consistently thin crust while keeping it perfectly round is no easy feat, so let the pizza be the shape it needs to be if you can get the thickness right.
Continue to stretch out your dough until it’s 14” in diameter and then transfer to a pizza pan (or cookie sheet). Do this before you add the sauce and toppings to avoid a mess!
Add the Toppings
Apply a liberal coating of oil to your pizza pan and on your hands. Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to the pan and press the dough into a circle on the pizza pan. It is easier to transport the dough onto the pan before it is topped.
Sprinkle 3/4 of a teaspoon of Peri Peri seasoning on the pizza dough. Then add the olive oil. Use a sauce brush to distribute the sauce and seasoning across the entire pizza dough leaving about 1″ at the edges.
Top the pizza with each of the toppings distributing them evenly. Put the paneer on first followed by your other toppings. Add the Gouda last.
How to Cook the Pizza
Cooking Time: Peri Peri Paneer Pizza in an Indoor Oven
- Cook at 450°F on a pizza pan or cookie sheet
- 7 minutes, then rotate
- Cook an additional 7 minutes
- The top of the pizza should already be browning, in which case turn the oven off.
- Leave in oven for 5 extra minutes
- Remove and rest for 5 minutes before cutting and eat immediately.
(If you are cooking Peri Peri Panneer Pizza, the instructions are the same.)
Time to Eat
Remove your Peri Peri Paneer pizza and let it stand for three to five minutes before cutting (this will allow it to firm up). Cutting too soon will allow the fluids on top to trickle down and make the crust soggy.
How to Store It
Let the pizza cool before placing it in a container but put it in the fridge within two hours. There are specific pizza storage containers, but you can use any container that will fit the pizza. I like to “double wrap” to maintain freshness. I wrap it in tin foil or place it in a plastic bag. Then I put that inside my container. Store in the fridge and eat it within 4 days. You can also place it in the freezer for up to 60 days.
How to Reheat It
If the pizza is from the fridge: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once it reaches temp, place it on a pan or the pizza stone for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can heat the slices in a skillet on the stovetop – no need to preheat the pan! Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, place the pizza in, and let heat for 6-8 minutes.
Peri Peri Paneer Pizza
Ingredients
Peri Peri Marinade
- 1 teaspoon Peri Peri (African Bird’s Eye) dried seasoning powder
- 7 ounces Paneer
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground salt
- Pinch Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Pizza and Toppings
- 1 x 16 ounces of pizza dough – either store bought or try our Whole Red Wheat Sourdough pizza dough! https://satisfyingslice.com/whole-red-wheat-sourdough-pizza-dough/
- 2 teaspoon flour for stretching the dough
- ¾ teaspoon Peri Peri (African Bird’s Eye) dried seasoning powder
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1.5 ounces roasted red pepper sliced
- 6 ounces Gouda or Kwaito, if you can find it, grated
- 2 ounces Goat cheese (Chevin, Chèvre or Feta)
Instructions
Marinade the Paneer
- Cut the paneer into small pieces about 1/4" by 1". Smaller pieces will expose more of the paneer to the marinade.
- In a bowl, combine the peri-peri seasoning, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Mix well to create a uniform marinade.
- Place the paneer pieces in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over them, ensuring they are fully coated.
- Use tongs and a basting brush to cover the paneer with the marinade. Do not use your hands, especially if you use a lot of seasoning!
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least two hours (or even overnight) in order for the flavors to seep into the meat (paneer).
Paneer Cooking Method:
- Lightly oil a skillet with olive oil.
- Preheat your skillet on your stove-top for 1-2 minutes at medium heat.
- Remove the paneer from the marinade and place in the skillet. Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes until golden brown, then flip the pieces.
- Brush the paneer with the remaining marinade right after the first flip to enhance the flavor.Cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until golden brown.
- Once cooked, remove the Paneer from the pan and let it rest.
Dough Prep and Pizza Assembly
- Start from the center of the dough and stretch/roll outward. Regularly lift, turn, and flip the dough. Continue adding small amounts of flour to keep it from sticking to the work area or your rolling pin. Be patient to avoid creating folds or tearing the dough.
- Apply a coating of oil to your pizza pan and on your hands. Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to the pan and press the dough into a circle on the pizza pan. It is easier to transport the dough onto the pan before it is topped.
- Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoons of Peri Peri seasoning on the pizza dough. Then add the olive oil. Use a sauce brush to distribute the sauce and seasoning across the entire pizza dough leaving about 1″ at the edges.
- Top the pizza with each of the toppings distributing them evenly. Put the paneer on first, then the other toppings including the feta cheese. Distribute the gouda cheese evenly. Finally add the roasted red pepper and tomato last (mostly for color, but also so the wet ingredients can dry on top).
Pizza Cooking Instructions
- Cook at 450°F on a pizza pan or cookie sheet.
- 7 minutes, then rotate.
- Cook an additional 7 minutes.
- The top of the pizza should already be browning, in which case turn the oven off.
- Leave in oven for 5 extra minutes with the oven off.
- Remove and rest for 5 minutes before cutting and eat immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.