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Tandoor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in Transcaucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, in which food is cooked over a hot charcoal fire. Temperatures in a tandoor can approach 480°C (900°F). It is common for tandoor ovens to remain lit for long periods of time to maintain the high cooking temperature.
Tandoor is used for cooking certain types of Irani, Indian and Pakistani food, such as tandoori chicken and bread varieties like tandoori roti and naan. (The word tandoori is the adjective form.) It is also known as a tonir in Armenian which is a widely used method of cooking barbecue and lavash bread. In Georgia it is called a tone and is used for bread and kebab.
The tandoor is also known by another name of 'Bhatti' in India. The Bhatti tribe of the Thar Desert of Northwestern India and Eastern Pakistan developed the Bhatti in their desert abode, and thus it gained the name of Bhatti. It is thought to have travelled to Central Asia and the Middle East along with the Roma, who originated amongst the Thar Desert tribes.
The tandoor is currently a very important fixture in many Indian restaurants around the world. Food cooked in a tandoor retains all the juices and taste inside and hence is considered very healthy[citation needed]. Many people have installed a tandoor in their homes for making bread and kababs. Some modern day tandoors use electricity or gas instead of charcoal.
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The oldest example of a tandoor was found in the Harappa and Mohenjo Daro settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. In Sanskrit, the tandoor was referred to as kandu. The word tandoor comes from the Urdu words tandūr and tannūr; these are derived from very similar terms, viz. Persian tanūr (تنور), Arabic tandūr, Turkish Tandır and Azeri word təndir (which all have the same meaning as explained in the article). According to Dehkhoda Persian Dictionary the word has originated from Akkadian tinûru, Avestan tanûra and Pahlavi tanûr and as such, the term might be neither of Semitic nor Iranian origin and dates back to periods before migration of Aryan and Semitic people to Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia when they had been populated by their original native inhabitants.
- see main article, Chicken Tikka
Chicken tikka (Hindi: मुर्ग़ टिक्का / murgh tikka ) is a Northern Indian & Bangladeshi dish made by grilling small pieces of chicken which have been marinated in spices and yogurt. It is traditionally made on skewers in a tandoor (Indian clay oven) and is usually boneless. It is normally served and eaten with a green coriander chutney, or used in a preparing the curry Chicken Tikka Masala.
- see main article, Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori Chicken is a Punjabi dish dating back to the time of the Mughal Empire in Central and Southern Asia, it is still popular throughout that area. The chicken is marinated in a yogurt seasoned with garam masala, garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, and other spices depending on the recipe. Cayenne, red chili powder, or other spices give it its red color. Turmeric produces a yellow-orange color. In some modern versions red and yellow food coloring is used instead. It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in an earthen oven (i.e. tandoor), but can also be prepared on a traditional grill.
In many Indian restaurants they serve the red Tandoori chicken with sliced onions. It is India's version of barbecued chicken and being one of the most popular delicacies stemming from the North of India it has survived years of perfection. The Tandoori chicken when served should be accompanied by freshly cut onions, and wedges of fresh lemon or lime.