Samosa Pijja
At Pijja Palace, Chef Miles Shorey makes a South Asian staple becomes a potato and pea-laden pie.
photo: will blunt
Tavern-Style Crust
“Our pizza is East Coast tavern-style,” says Chef Miles Shorey of Pijja Palace, the Indian-inspired sports bar in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood. Drawing on his experience at Roberta’s in Culver City, Shorey was inspired by the Star Tavern and Colony Grill for his dough recipe, as well as Pizza Hut’s thin crust pizzas, which he used to eat as a kid.
White Korma Sauce
Made with sweet onions and roasted cashews, the gravy-like sauce acts as the base of the pizza, and is seasoned with caraway seeds, cardamom, ginger-garlic paste, and serrano chile.
Cheese
Mozzarella and parmesan cheese provide creaminess and tang, and soften the heat of the spices.
Sweet Peas
Blanched sweet peas bring textural pop and a flash of color to the pizza.
Samosa-Spiced Roasted Potatoes
The pizza evokes its inspiration with the addition of marble gold potatoes, which are roasted and seasoned with ajwain seeds, ginger, cumin, garam masala, red chile flakes, fennel seeds, and coriander powder.
Tandoori Onions
“Samosas are commonly paired with tamarind and mint chutneys,” says Shorey, who tops his pizza with onions that are dressed in a tamarind-forward chutney and a tandoori spice mix that incorporates coriander, cardamom, mace, Kashmiri chile, cinnamon, cumin, clove, fenugreek, and ginger.
Mint Chutney
The vibrant, green chutney made of cilantro, mint, ginger-garlic paste, and serrano chiles brightens up the dish through both its color and its sharp, cooling flavor.
Miles Masala
In one final homage to classic East Coast pizza joints, Shorey serves the pizza with his “Miles Masala,” a Pijja Palace take on the red chile flakes and parmesan you might find on a slice shop counter. For the topping, he mixes cheese, chile, fenugreek, and citric acid to add one last playful touch of flavor to the pie.
