Tandoor cooking offers unique flavor benefits:

• Distinct Smoky Flavor: The high heat and smoke generated in a tandoor oven impart a unique smoky taste to the food, which is difficult to replicate with other cooking methods. The use of charcoal or wood as fuel adds a deep, rich aroma, enhancing the overall flavor profile and giving dishes a traditional touch.
• Enhanced Moisture and Tenderness: The intense heat inside the tandoor quickly sears the surface of the food, locking in its natural juices and creating a moist, tender texture. This rapid cooking process helps prevent the food from drying out, resulting in exceptionally juicy and flavorful dishes.
• Concentrated Flavors: The enclosed design of the tandoor allows the heat to surround the food evenly, intensifying its flavors as it cooks. This concentrated cooking environment enhances the taste of marinades and spices, making each bite more flavorful and aromatic.
• Unique Char and Texture: The high temperatures, which can reach up to 900°F (480°C), create a distinctive charred exterior on the food while keeping the inside tender. This contrast between the crispy, slightly charred outside and the moist, succulent interior adds a satisfying texture to meats, vegetables, and breads.
• Minimal Oil Needed: Tandoor cooking requires little to no added oil, allowing the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine through. The food cooks in its own juices, making dishes healthier without sacrificing taste.
• Retention of Nutrients: Because food cooks quickly at high temperatures, essential vitamins and minerals are better preserved compared to slower cooking methods. This makes tandoor-cooked meals not only flavorful but also nutritious.
• Versatility: The tandoor is highly versatile, capable of cooking a variety of dishes including meats, vegetables, and traditional breads like naan and roti. Its ability to accommodate different types of foods makes it suitable for diverse culinary applications.

These characteristics make tandoor cooking a cherished tradition, known for producing dishes that are both flavorful and wholesome.

Tandoori cooking has unique qualities that set it apart from barbecue grilling:

• High Heat Cooking: Tandoori cooking can reach temperatures as high as 900°F (480°C), significantly higher than barbecue grilling, which usually tops out at around 550°F (288°C). This intense heat allows tandoori ovens to cook food much faster while sealing in juices and flavors, resulting in tender, juicy dishes with a perfectly charred exterior.
• Vertical Cooking Method: In tandoori cooking, food is often skewered and placed vertically inside the tandoor. This arrangement lets excess fats naturally drip away, making the dishes leaner and healthier. In contrast, barbecue grilling usually involves placing food on a horizontal grill grate, where fat drips onto the heat source, producing smoke and adding flavor.
• Multifunctionality: A tandoor serves multiple functions by acting as a grill, a convection oven, and even a smoker. The clay walls retain heat and circulate it evenly, mimicking the qualities of a convection oven while still providing the char and smokiness typical of barbecue grilling. This combination makes tandoori cooking versatile for different types of dishes.
• Unique Flavor Profile: The clay walls in tandoori cooking contribute to a smoky flavor that's hard to achieve with standard barbecue grilling. As juices drip onto the hot walls, they create flavorful steam that infuses the food, giving it a distinct taste that is characteristic of tandoor-cooked dishes.
• Nutrient Retention: The quick cooking process in a tandoor helps lock in essential vitamins and minerals. Unlike some barbecue grilling methods that expose food to prolonged heat, potentially leading to nutrient loss, tandoori cooking preserves the nutritional value of ingredients.
• Versatility: Tandoori cooking is highly versatile and can be used to prepare various types of foods, including meats, vegetables, traditional breads like naan, and even desserts. Barbecue grilling is also versatile but may not achieve the same level of consistent high heat or smoky flavor that a tandoor can deliver.

The smoky flavor in tandoor-cooked food comes from:

• Clay Oven Construction: The porous clay absorbs heat and enhances flavor.
• Fuel Source: Charcoal or wood fuel produces smoke that infuses the food.
• Vertical Cooking Method: As food cooks, juices drip onto the hot coals, creating smoke.

These factors give tandoor-cooked dishes their distinctive taste.

To create an authentic tandoori paste, use these key spices:

• Garam Masala: Adds warmth and depth.
• Turmeric: Provides a rich color and earthy flavor.
• Cumin and Coriander: Offer nutty and citrusy notes.
• Paprika and Red Chili Powder: Add heat and color.
• Ginger and Garlic: Enhance pungency and depth.
• Black Pepper and Fenugreek: Add extra flavor.

Additional ingredients like yogurt, lemon juice, and oil help tenderize meat and blend spices.

Popular vegetarian alternatives to tandoori chicken include:

• Grilled Tofu in a Tandoor: Marinated tofu cooked in a traditional tandoor to achieve a perfectly charred exterior.
• Smoky Paneer Tikka: Indian cheese marinated and roasted in a clay oven, giving it a deep, smoky flavor.
• Spiced Tandoor-Roasted Chickpeas: Chickpeas seasoned with spices and roasted in a tandoor for a crunchy, flavorful snack.
• Charred Cauliflower from the Tandoor: Marinated cauliflower florets roasted in the tandoor to bring out a sweet and smoky taste.
• Tandoor-Grilled Vegetable Skewers: A mix of marinated vegetables grilled to perfection in a traditional clay oven.
• Crispy Tandoor-Baked Potatoes: Spiced potato wedges roasted in the tandoor until they are crispy on the outside.

These options offer diverse flavors and textures for a variety of dishes.

When using your tandoori grill for the first time, gradually increase the temperature to help bake and harden the clay walls. Start with low heat and slowly raise it over a few hours. This process is important for ensuring the grill's longevity.

It’s normal to see some hairline cracks appear during this curing phase, and they won’t affect the grill's performance. The slower you increase the temperature, the fewer cracks will form. Make sure the clay walls are fully baked and hardened before cooking, such as slapping naan on the sides. For more details on curing, Please refer to our detailed Video on how to Cure your Tandoor.

After cooking, close the side and top lids and allow the tandoori oven to cool down naturally over a few hours. If you’re using a Charcoal Tandoori Oven(Any residential), avoid adding water inside, as it can crack and damage the clay walls.

For a Gas Tandoori Oven, simply turn off the yellow gas valve. Only turn off the pilot if there's a gas leak.

BTU measures the heat output in your Commercial Gas Tandoor. For commercial use, high BTU is essential to cook tandoori dishes and naan quickly, especially during busy hours. High heat prevents delays and ensures fast service, reducing the risk of customer complaints.

When choosing between a Charcoal Clay Oven and a Gas Clay Oven for a restaurant, check your local city bylaws to see what is permitted in your kitchen. Most Commercial Clay Ovens are NSF-Certified. If you're considering buying a domestic tandoor, the gas option may be more expensive but is cleaner and easier to use. Charcoal Clay Ovens, on the other hand, deliver a more traditional flavor and can recreate the feel of a backyard bonfire.