Pizza Passion

From gourmet pizzas to dial-a-pizza, this Italian 'bread' is fast gaining popularity in India

From the exotic to the regular ones, pizzas are now de rigeur for Indians looking for something different to eat. And to cater to different tastes and budgets, there is a range of take-aways and restaurants that offer a variety of different pizzas.

According to Ravi Saxena, executive sous chef at San Gimignano, the Italian restaurant at The Imperial, Delhi, "Both Indians and Italians come here to enjoy fine Italian food including pizzas as they are authentically prepared."

It is the quality of the dough, the type of cheese used and the toppings which come together to make this favourite. "We use imported olive oil and cheese sourced from around the world to get just the right taste", adds Saxena. His Pizza Quattro Formaggi sports four kinds of exotic cheese - mascarpone, paramesan, bocconcini and gorgonzola. San Gimignano also offers Pizza Margherita, which is a basic pizza with mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato salsa. "It is a take-off from the colours of the Italian flag - white, green and red. For all the other pizzas, you play around with the toppings."

Besides the standard Pizza Margherita, other popular pizzas at San Gimignano are Pizza Con Salamino Piccante with tomato salsa, mozzarella, spicy salami and oregano and Pizza tonno e cipolla with a topping of tuna, capers, olives and anchovies. And then there is the Calzone, a quaint folded pizza filled with tomato salsa, mozzarella, eggs, mushrooms, olives, salami and tomatoes.

If San Gimignano's USP is authentic Italian flavour, then for Domino's it's the punctual delivery system. This take-away promises to deliver your pizza within 30 minutes, or else it is free. "The pizzas that we offer in India are as per international regulations for all Domino's outlets across the world. It is the seasoning, the tomato sauce, which gives the distinct flavour to a Domino's pizza", says Kirat Toor, district manager, Domino's Chandigarh. Toor is currently in the US to participate in the 'fastest pizza maker' contest, where he is the Asia-Pacific representative.

Says Toor, "At Domino's, we take just one minute to make the base, add the seasoning and the toppings, before it is put in the oven to bake for six minutes. That leaves about two minutes for packing and the delivery boy gets 20 minutes to deliver the pizza to the customer."

According to Toor, making the base, which involves stretching and increasing the size of the dough to the standard sizes of 7, 10 and 14 inches, requires skill and speed. "The consistency of the dough and how it is flattened determines the final flavour", he says.

Pizzas have been around long enough to acquire an Indian flavour as well. Takeaways like Domino's and Pizza Hut offer a range of pizzas to suit the Indian palate in spicy and tangy flavours - teekha chicken pizza, paneer pizza, spicy korma pizza, to name a few. While gourmet pizza and pizza pepperoni are the popular international flavours, we offer the tandoori chicken pizza in India only," concludes Toor.