Learning the art of the Tandoor

I am sure that you must have heard the word “Tandoor” and must have relished some Tandoori food delicacies as well. A Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used for roasting and baking. Tandoori is the adjective, meaning “pertaining to Tandoor,” and is used to describe a dish cooked in Tandoor.
Have you ever wondered where does this word come from?  One theory relates that Tandoor originated in Persia and was brought to India via Afghanistan by Arabs. Another story relates that there is evidence that Tandoor may have been native to India dating as far back as 3000 BC.
The word “Tandoor” is derived from the Persian word “Tanur”, meaning “Fire”, In Turkey “Tannur” became “Tandur”. In Afghanistan, the Tandoor was built in the ground and was (and still is) used to serve bread to the entire communities.
Jahangir, the Mughal emperor in India, is credited for making the Tandoor mobile and portable. He instructed his cooks to take the Tandoor along wherever he travelled. Thus Tandoor was made portable in steel drums, insulated with glass wool and the cylindrical clay drum in the centre. Tandoor was used to make naans, roast game birds and lamb chunks.
Tandoori Chicken also originated during the reign of Jahangir. One of the oldest Tandoor installed in restaurants in India was at The Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in 1948. Earlier Tandoors were fuelled with charcoal but due to the increasing price and environmental concerns regarding this fossil fuel, more and more Tandoors are being fired by petroleum gas/natural gas. Most of the Tandoors in the United States use natural gas as their fuel.
Tandoor is commonly used in India, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle Eastern countries and Bangladesh as the common kitchen oven. The Tandoor is an integral and important fixture in any Indian kitchen. Working on a Tandoor requires a special skill and is a highly skilled trade in the industry. The trick is to quickly slap the bread to the super-hot clay walls with bare hands. It also requires years of practice to master the art of making succulent meat chunks on skewers and serving them smoking hot. Controlling the heat in a charcoal fired Tandoor is the key to a perfectly cooked bread/ tikka. The internal heat is controlled with a small air vent in the base of the Tandoor and takes a lot of practice and patience to master.
The internal temperature in a Tandoor can reach up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit and it is designed to be lit for long periods of time and maintain the high cooking temperature. The design of a Tandoor is a combination of makeshift earth oven and horizontal round masonry oven. Some modern day even also use electricity to attain high temperatures. The popularity of Tandoori cuisine is so much that electric Tandoors have been installed on latest luxury cruise liners in America.
The basic design of Tandoor makes it very efficient and contemporary ovens cannot match the quality of Tandoor cooked foods. The products cooked in a Tandoor have a typical distinct aroma, taste and texture and this makes Tandoori cuisine so popular and unique worldwide.
One dish that is synonymous with Tandoor is “Tandoori Chicken” and today I will share my on recipe so that you can enjoy it with friends and family over a get-together.

Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken, whole 900gm

First marination
Deggi mirch powder 1 tsp
Mustard oil 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp

Second marination
Yoghurt 1 cups
Ginger paste 1/2 tbsp
Garlic paste 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice 1/2 tsp
Deggi Mirch powder 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil 1 tbsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1/3 tsp
Salt to taste
Chat masala 1 tsp
Unsalted butter 1 tbsp

Garnish
Red onion rings to garnish
Lemon wedge 4-5 nos

Method
Place the yoghurt in a fine strainer and leave it overnight in the refrigerator to drain the water and get thick yoghurt.
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and keep aside.
Combine the first marinade ingredients in a zip lock bag and place the chicken into the bag and refrigerate overnight.
In a separate mixing bowl prepare the second marinade by combining  yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, red chilli powder, mustard oil, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and whisk to get a smooth paste.
Marinate the chicken in the prepared marinade for 1-2 hours.
Skewer the chicken and place a drip tray underneath or place the chicken in a roasting tray lined with aluminium foil.
Roast in a preheated oven at 425 degree Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or till the internal temperature of chicken is over 165 degree Fahrenheit in the thickest part.
Baste the chicken with clarified butter and serve hot, dusted with chat masala and onion rings and lemon wedges on the side.
Note: Deggi mirch is a special chilli which is added in the recipe for the bright red colour. You can replace it with cayenne pepper. You can replace chicken with your choice of meat or vegetables like mushroom, broccoli, pineapple to make an assorted Tandoori platter.