![\"Spicy](\"https:\/\/beckykeepshouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spicy-Pizza-with-Chicken-Fajita-Topping-2088.jpg\")
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I\u2019m from Brooklyn, NY, where pizza was perfected into an art form. \u00a0Growing up, I\u2019ve eaten so much pizza that it\u2019s practically in my blood. \u00a0Consequently, when I feel sad or homesick, I crave spicy pizza. \u00a0Then again, when I\u2019m happy and want to celebrate, I also crave spicy pizza. \u00a0Come to think of it, I pretty much always crave spicy pizza. \u00a0Pregnancy cravings and my emotions (most likely magnified by pregnancy hormones) were making me crave spicy pizza with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns.<\/span><\/p>\n The problem? \u00a0It was Ramadan. \u00a0And while Ramadan in New York doesn\u2019t mean much change in the day-to-day routine of business, I was beginning to discover that Ramadan in a Muslim country is drastically different. \u00a0For one thing, EVERYONE is fasting. \u00a0And that means, restaurants and fast-food joints don\u2019t open until the evening, after iftar (when we break our fast).<\/span><\/p>\n We couldn\u2019t go out for spicy pizza because shortly after iftar were the nightly long Taraweeh prayers, which, back then, didn\u2019t end until after 10 p.m. \u00a0By that point, it felt much too late to be eating a heavy dinner, considering that we had to wake up early to prepare the sehri (pre-fast meal) within a few hours. <\/span><\/p>\n So order delivery, you might say. \u00a0Well, I couldn\u2019t order delivery because I didn\u2019t want my in-laws to know that I was ordering pizza. \u00a0My husband had just been laid off his job, and while we had enough to get by until we left for America, spending over 1,000 PKR (Pakistani Rupees) on a one-time meal would make me look really frivolous. \u00a0(Approval seeking? \u00a0Yes, guilty as charged.)<\/span><\/p>\n So I thought, okay, no big deal, I\u2019ll just make one myself. \u00a0People do it all the time, how hard can it be? \u00a0So I printed out a recipe from the internet and got to work. \u00a0Turns out, for someone who has never baked anything before, it\u2019s not as easy as it seems. \u00a0I made a total rookie mistake of using VERY hot water for the yeast. \u00a0And since I\u2019d never worked with yeast before, I had no idea how to tell if it was working or not. \u00a0(In retrospect, perhaps the dough NOT rising should have been a tip-off, but maybe I really WAS that clueless back then.) \u00a0I was also working with our very dodgy old oven, which was missing temperature indicators for preheating the oven, so I had to play a guessing game to figure out how far to turn the knob to get the right temperature. \u00a0I spent hours making the recipe, only to get a very sad, flat looking pizza that looked seriously undercooked in the middle. \u00a0When it came time to slice the pizza, I may have cut it ten or twelve (thousand) more times than I strictly needed to (angry much?).<\/span><\/p>\n But I would not be deterred. \u00a0After all, when you fall off a horse, you have to get back on, right? \u00a0This time, I thought I was ahead of the game because I had a store bought crust. \u00a0YOU WOULD THINK that it\u2019d turn out better this time but no\u2026This time I overloaded it with wayyyy too much sauce. \u00a0It was so soaking wet that it stuck to the aluminium foil I put underneath it (I know, I KNOW) and fell apart in the middle. \u00a0I then proceeded to cry and tear the rest of it apart with my bare hands (which, by the way, not a good idea when a pizza is JUST OUT OF THE OVEN. \u00a0OW, HOT!)<\/span><\/p>\n The third time, however, was finally a charm. \u00a0After coming back from almost a year in the States, I approached the task again, this time with a bit more baking and cooking experience under my belt and, thank Allah, a new oven. \u00a0The results were DELICIOUS and instantly devoured by my family with a demand for more. \u00a0Over the years, I worked on the recipe and my technique, until I found something that tastes close to home. \u00a0I\u2019ve tried MANY pizza places here in Islamabad, and I have to say, this recipe blows them all out of the water.<\/span><\/p>\n This recipe makes two 12-inch round pizzas or three 8-inch round pizzas. \u00a0The photo above is one of the 8-inch ones. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We’re Desi, so we like very spicy pizza. \u00a0This is hot enough for the adults but mild enough that Desi children don’t have an issue with it. \u00a0You can dial up or down the spiciness by adjusting the red chili powder and green chilies.<\/p>\n The most efficient way to make this if working entirely from scratch is to marinate the chicken, then prepare the pizza dough and set it aside to rise. \u00a0While you are waiting for it to rise, work on the tomato sauce and chicken fajita topping. \u00a0By the time they are done, the dough should be ready to work with.<\/span><\/p>\n For the tomato sauce, you can find celery at the fruit and vegetable store (Farm’s Fresh<\/a>) in Kohsar market. \u00a0If you can\u2019t get it there, substitute with coriander leaves instead, but add them in after the tomatoes.<\/span><\/p>\n You do not need to use ALL of the chicken and the sauce on your pizza. \u00a0Use as much as you like and freeze the leftovers for later.<\/span><\/p>\n Hint: If you’re looking for a great appetizer to pair with this spicy pizza, try my sweet and spicy chicken sticky fingers<\/a> or my chilli cheese toast<\/a>.<\/p>\nNo<\/del><\/span> Only two pizzas were harmed in the making of this recipe.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Spicy](\"https:\/\/beckykeepshouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spicy-Pizza-with-Chicken-Fajita-Topping-H-2076.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSpicy Pizza with Chicken Fajita Topping Recipe Notes<\/h2>\n
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