A Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking.It somewhat resembles a Masonry oven popularly used in all over Europe and Italy in particular in the pizzerias.
The Indian Barbeque style dates back to times when the rest of the world was still learning the art of cooking……
Some gastronomes say that the Tandoor originated in Afghanistan and was introduced by the ruling Mughals in the Indian Subcontinent.
But the oldest examples of a Tandoor were found in Harappa and Mohenjo Daro settlements of ancient Indus Valley civilisation. It was born more than 5000 years ago, another era - but with similarly harried housewives racing against time and techniques to provide tasty and healthy food their family. Some things never change.
The geography of tandoor using cultures can be ascertained from archeological evidence found across a number of Asian countries that today cover Middle East, Mongolia, the Soviet countries, and of course India and Pakistan.
The Chinese use porcelain ovens, very much like the tandoor, to make their famous Peking Duck. This porcelain is made with clay that is found only in that region. In Iran, the oven is called Tanoor and is even today, used to bake breads, the popular ones being called berbery, sangak and lavash..almost as regularly used as flour bread in the rest of the world. In other Arab countries too, makeshift tandoors are made wherever clay and twigs are available , and breads are baked sticking to the sides of the oven. Sometimes, a pot of meat curry or meats is also cooked inside the same oven along with the breads…a most primitive, yet efficient method of getting a meal ready.
The origin of the word "Tandoor" probably came from the Sanskrit word "Kandu", meaning a large bowl shaped vessel.Over the period of time the K was replaced by T. Another theory says that the word is derived from the Pushtu (a local language spoken in Afghanistan, India & Pakistan) "Tata"- hot "Andar"-inside.. To Tandar , and Tandoor followed.
The first proper mention of the tandoor as a cooking implement is found in a medical treatise of the ancient Vedic era, by an ancient physician who is regarded as the father of surgery in India, Sushrut. The treatise is called Sushrut Samhita Sursthanam. He has listed out the varieties of meat preparations, and also specified that meat cooked on open charcoal fire (dry roasted), are easy on the digestion…..obviously meaning tandoor cooking is healthy as well as tasty.
With the passage of time and invasions from the west and the North West increased and gradually the culture of Vedic India was not limited in its geography. Scriptures in ancient Indian languages found along the silk route also describe similar cooking methods. Another famous physician of the BC era, Charvak, describes healthy ways of cooking meats on sit fires, the right marinades as well as the healthy smearing and tenderizers that could impart maximum flavor to the meats.
By the fifteenth century, the tandoor was firmly in position as the baker’s kitchen in every marketplace having at least one. In addition, often village community had community tandoors for baking their daily bread.... The Mughals came, and went, so did the colonizers…but the tandoor flourished. Today it occupies a place of pride in the Five Star cuisines of Indian hotels, in the taste buds of Indian youth..and in the psyche of the countries that wish to taste that delectable , rich and distinctive cuisine, Indian food.
It is very probable that an average British today consumes almost as much tandoor cooked food a does an average Indian…for in countries like England, tandoori food finds great patronage…whether identified as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi or Middle Eastern. After all, tandoor is a tandoor by any other name…and as delightful.
So, this was a short history of the Tandoor. Now lets look at the functioning of a Tandoor...
Basically, the tandoor works on the same principle as the oven. The biggest advantage it has, and this is over the oven also, is that it provide completely wrap around heat, because of its construction. By controlling the draught and the fuel, it can be heated to up to 400 degrees centigrade, a feat that no other traditional coking oven can achieve.
It uses chopped dry timber as fuel and is made from clay free of any silica content (or mud), some grasses for pliability, along with some binders. The drum shaped oven is open at the top and has an opening about 10 cms across at the bottom to remove the ashes and also allow circulation of air.
The oven itself is either built in sections; wherein cylinders of a certain width and height are put together in layers and then gelled into each other to get the whole oven, or a coil is used to make the whole cylinder in one go. Either ways, it takes a lot of smoothing and then internal curing to make sure that it doesn’t crack on drying, and also that no breads or meats stick to its internal surface while cooking.
Traditionally the tandoor uses non-smoky, non-resinous wood. In modern times, charcoal is the easiest to use fuel. Coke though, is never used inside the tandoor since it has high sulphur content. While cooking, sometimes twigs of aromatic herbs are added to the fuel during cooking, and these impart subtle flavors to the food inside. Charcoal heat inside itself adds to the flavor of the meats and breads cooking inside, and these herbs make the whole thing even better.
To bake breads, the dough is fashioned into round flats and stuck to the sides with a hooked stick or even bare hands. When it is ready, if falls off and can be collected. Meat is usually skewered and stuck into the oven, periodically tested for tenderness, and then the skewers or long sticks are taken out. Sauces and gravies are usually served separately.
While baking various types of breads in the tandoor as been done since time immemorial, meats can be cooked in the tandoor only after tenderizing. Only tender meats can be fully cooked in it, since there is no provision for braising, sautéing or broiling. Traditionally, in India at least, meats were not cooked in the tandoor. The only exception that history throws up is the meat of the still born lamb of the variety burrah karakul, which was possible because it was so tender. The regular flesh needs tenderizing for at least 6-8 hours before plunging it in the tandoor. Fortunately, the Indian spice tradition has the solution for this and the result is there for the entire world to see, taste and admire.
Some of the best traditional tenderizers used in tandoori cooking are souring media like lemon and pomegranate juice, curds, pungent condiments like ground mustard. This information can be found in the medical treatise of an ancient Indian physician, Sushruta, dating back to the fourth century AD. He lists out these tenderizers for cooking meats, thereby making them a wholesome diet with tissue building properties.
Today we know that some of the best tenderizers are raw papaya, yoghurt, raw pineapple, and sometimes, even vinegar. Of course, the one to use will depend on what flavor the dish is planned to be, for in Indian cuisine, there are no hard and fast rules, the personality of the dish almost always reflects the expression of the person cooking it.
Now..its recipe time...I have taken this recipe from one of famous Indian Food writers Madhur Jaffrey..
Its a pretty simple recipe and the best thing about this recipe is that you actually dont need a tandoor at home!! Just an oven will do..after the marinade is the crucial thing which gives the distinct taste..
Basically, the tandoor works on the same principle as the oven. The biggest advantage it has, and this is over the oven also, is that it provide completely wrap around heat, because of its construction. By controlling the draught and the fuel, it can be heated to up to 400 degrees centigrade, a feat that no other traditional coking oven can achieve.
It uses chopped dry timber as fuel and is made from clay free of any silica content (or mud), some grasses for pliability, along with some binders. The drum shaped oven is open at the top and has an opening about 10 cms across at the bottom to remove the ashes and also allow circulation of air.
The oven itself is either built in sections; wherein cylinders of a certain width and height are put together in layers and then gelled into each other to get the whole oven, or a coil is used to make the whole cylinder in one go. Either ways, it takes a lot of smoothing and then internal curing to make sure that it doesn’t crack on drying, and also that no breads or meats stick to its internal surface while cooking.
Traditionally the tandoor uses non-smoky, non-resinous wood. In modern times, charcoal is the easiest to use fuel. Coke though, is never used inside the tandoor since it has high sulphur content. While cooking, sometimes twigs of aromatic herbs are added to the fuel during cooking, and these impart subtle flavors to the food inside. Charcoal heat inside itself adds to the flavor of the meats and breads cooking inside, and these herbs make the whole thing even better.
To bake breads, the dough is fashioned into round flats and stuck to the sides with a hooked stick or even bare hands. When it is ready, if falls off and can be collected. Meat is usually skewered and stuck into the oven, periodically tested for tenderness, and then the skewers or long sticks are taken out. Sauces and gravies are usually served separately.
While baking various types of breads in the tandoor as been done since time immemorial, meats can be cooked in the tandoor only after tenderizing. Only tender meats can be fully cooked in it, since there is no provision for braising, sautéing or broiling. Traditionally, in India at least, meats were not cooked in the tandoor. The only exception that history throws up is the meat of the still born lamb of the variety burrah karakul, which was possible because it was so tender. The regular flesh needs tenderizing for at least 6-8 hours before plunging it in the tandoor. Fortunately, the Indian spice tradition has the solution for this and the result is there for the entire world to see, taste and admire.
Some of the best traditional tenderizers used in tandoori cooking are souring media like lemon and pomegranate juice, curds, pungent condiments like ground mustard. This information can be found in the medical treatise of an ancient Indian physician, Sushruta, dating back to the fourth century AD. He lists out these tenderizers for cooking meats, thereby making them a wholesome diet with tissue building properties.
Today we know that some of the best tenderizers are raw papaya, yoghurt, raw pineapple, and sometimes, even vinegar. Of course, the one to use will depend on what flavor the dish is planned to be, for in Indian cuisine, there are no hard and fast rules, the personality of the dish almost always reflects the expression of the person cooking it.
Now..its recipe time...I have taken this recipe from one of famous Indian Food writers Madhur Jaffrey..
Its a pretty simple recipe and the best thing about this recipe is that you actually dont need a tandoor at home!! Just an oven will do..after the marinade is the crucial thing which gives the distinct taste..
Tandoori-Style Chicken
=================
Preparation time: Overnight
Cooking Time: 10-30 mins
Ingredients
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- 1.25kg/2½lb chicken pieces (legs and/or breasts) skinned
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
For the marinade:
- 450ml/¾pt plain yoghurt
- ½ onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, chopped
- 1-2 hot green chillies, roughly sliced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- lime or lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1. Cut each chicken leg into two pieces and each breast into four pieces. Make two deep slits crossways on the meaty parts of each leg and breast piece. The slits should not start at an edge and should be deep enough to reach the bone. Spread the chicken pieces out on two large platters. Sprinkle one side with half the salt and half the lemon juice and rub them in. Turn the pieces over and repeat on the second side. Set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the marinade: combine the yoghurt, onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and garam masala in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the paste through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing through as much liquid as you can.
3. Put the chicken and all its accumulated juices into the bowl with the marinade. Rub the marinade into the slits in the meat, then cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature and set a shelf in the top third of the oven where it is hottest. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and spread them out in a single layer on a large, shallow, baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Lift the chicken pieces out of their juices and serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Bon apetit!!
(Source: Wikipedia, BBC Food, Madhur Jaffrey recipes)
