Tandoor

A kind of oven that seems to have originated in Central Asia; the word is also sometimes written tandur or tandir. Tandoor ovens were introduced to the Subcontinent with the Moghul invasion and are associated with Moghul cuisine and traditions. They are commonly found in Pakistan and northern India, as well as in restaurants all over India that cater to tourists or truck drivers. The ovens are usually made of coarse clay that is sunbaked (see “My First Tandoor”) and are barrel shaped, with an open top. A fire is built at the bottom of the oven (or the oven may be gas fired); when the walls are very hot, the fire is damped or lowered, and flattened pieces of bread dough, either leavened or unleavened, are slapped onto the inside oven walls, where they bake very quickly. Regular North American gas or electric ovens can be used for baking these breads, and we’ve given instructions in the recipes (see Home-Style Tandoor Naan, for example). Tandoors are also used for cooking meat, fish, and chicken; the meat is marinated or rubbed with flavorings, then threaded onto skewers and lowered into the oven.