As you might have tried our grilled items, you most probably have felt it is different from what you have eaten before. Our key and open secret is using Tandoori ovens.
One of the keys behind the wonderful flavor of our grilled chicken comes from the tandoor, which refers to the particular type of oven in which this dish – and many other Indian dishes – is cooked.
A tandoor is a clay oven, it fact it is basically almost like a very large clay pit, large enough to hold a small fire created by slow burning wood charcoal or gas cylinder. The heat is controlled by the amount of oxygen that is let in or out of the pit. The direct heat of the charcoal fire is reflected by the ceramic walls of the tandoor intensifying the heat and creating a cooking environment that easily reaches 350 Celsius. Our marinated meats are lowered into the oven on long metal skewers and cooked in this smoky and extremely hot “pit” until they are grilled to perfection.
The marinade used in almost any tandoori dish starts with yogurt. While this might sound a little strange this is actually perfect for marinating meats because it has a natural acidity and it is thick so it surrounds and holds to the meat well and keeps the herbs and spices in place. The flavor of the yogurt (always plain) is so mild you typically don’t even taste it, but does an amazing job of penetrating the meat and holding the flavors of each spice in.
In addition to the colors provided by the spices, our tandoori marinades are also flavored traditionally with ginger, garlic, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Garam masala is a combination of roasted and ground cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper.
So, after combining the spices and yogurt, and having the right color and spiciness, we immerse the meat. We marinade the chicken for several hours to absorb the flavors. Tandoori is cooked at very high temperatures.
Tandoori cooking can be a very healthy and easy way of preparing foods. The trick to using a tandoor or charcoal heat is to make sure the heat hits the meat immediately. The combination of the yogurt, the natural juices of the meat and the intense heat created by the fire, ensures that the natural fats of the meat are sealed within the meat immediately. This creates a nice flavor without having to use or add external fats such as butter.
What Are The Benefits Of Tandoor Cooking?
What are the benefits of cooking using a tandoor, compared to grilling, cooking on a stove, or using a traditional oven?
- Enhanced flavor, smokiness – Most meats are cooked in a tandoor by skewering them and resting one end on the floor of the tandoor. This means that all of the juices and fats of these meats drip to the bottom of the tandoor – and then disintegrate into smoke, which helps season the meat, vegetables, bread, and any other food that may be in the tandoor. This, in turn, gives food cooked in a tandoor oven a very distinctive flavor.
- Extremely fast cooking times – Tandoors can cook food extremely quickly. Naan, roti, and other flatbread slapped against the side and cooked in just a few seconds, and meat and vegetables usually only take a few minutes. This is not just because of the high heat of a tandoor, but because the food is exposed to four different kinds of cooking at once. The coals and wood (or natural gas, in a modern tandoor) expose the food to live fire. The heat of the coals or gas gives off radiant heat. The shape of the tandoor encourages convection (the moving of hot air). Finally, the juices and fat that drips onto the floor of the tandoor smoke the food. Because of this, the tandoor is an extremely fast and effective method of cooking food, making it ideal for quick-serve restaurants.
- Sears meat to seal juices – The high heat and convection of a tandoor helps to quickly cook meat and seal the outside with a caramelized layer of sugars, and creates a crunchy layer of fat and protein. This, in turn, helps “seal” a lot of the juices into the meat. Despite the high heat of a tandoor, the meat cooked in the oven remains extremely juicy and delicious.
