Tandoor device

An Asian oven for cooking various foods in the heat emanating from heated walls is called tandoor. Today its popularity has gone far beyond the borders of indigenous peoples. If you are thinking about purchasing a tandoor, we hasten to tell you about the principles of operation.

Tandoor: structure and principle of operation

Today there are various modifications of the stove, which once upon a time required only a hole in the ground and a small air duct. It was designed by nomads and used for their own needs. But such braziers were short-lived.

Soon, stationary devices began to appear - huge above-ground ovens that were difficult to heat.

Currently, manufacturers offer a wide range of portable and stationary fryers of different sizes. They are heated not only with wood, as in ancient times, but also with electricity and even gas. Which one to choose is entirely your decision. We will talk about traditional devices that burn wood.

Tandoor device

The structure is simple and can even be built with your own hands. The main thing is to know how to do it correctly.

The classic tandoor consists of:

• Directly a bowl or large hole covered with kaolin or fireclay clay.
• Thermal filler - use expanded clay, sand or salt.
• A layer of bricks for decorative display, which increases the heat capacity inside the bowl.
• The grate is located at the bottom and separates the main compartment of the roaster from the part where the firewood is stored.
• A blower is a hole that allows you to regulate the heating temperature. The remaining coals are also raked out through it.
• Foundation. The structure must be installed at a certain height from the ground - at least one meter.
• Facing.

If you purchase a portable tandoor in the shape of a jug, it is usually made of fireclay clay with decorative metal parts, on high legs. It is good if the clay is covered with a fireproof and moisture-resistant material so that it does not crack due to temperature changes.

Principle of operation

Cooking does not require special skills. First, firewood is laid to a third of the total volume. They are allowed to burn completely. The waiting time is one and a half hours.

Cooking begins after the walls inside the tandoor are cleared of soot/soot and become white.

Depending on the dish, the products are placed in a certain order. Close the lid and wait for it to be ready. Vegetables and cereals take no more than five minutes, poultry and shish kebab - 20-30 minutes, beef or complex dishes - up to one hour.

The walls of the tandoor warm up to 350 degrees. When near the stove, you should be extremely careful not to get burned.

The beauty of the brazier lies in the uniform heating of the walls as the wood burns. Once heated, they retain heat for a long time and accumulate it inside the container. The products inside are baked in their own juices, without adding oil. It's healthy and tasty.