Let’s Review!
Let us time travel by 5,000 years to Harappan and Indus valley civilizations to learn the history of Tandoor. There were traces discovered from the digs of these historical sites. However, the use of tandoor is not restricted just to the Indian subcontinent. The people of West and Central Asia use tandoor as well. The traces have been discovered even in Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. Nonetheless, the tandoor we use now was introduced in India by the Mughals. Portable tandoors were created later during the rule of Jahangir. Some say that portable tandoors used to be carried by a team of cooks when the ruler traveled.
Modern India
In spite of the rich history of tandoor, people were not aware of tandoori cooking till 1947 in Delhi. It is said that the Punjabi refugees brought this cooking style to the capital of India. That was where tandoor cuisine took its route, and now there is almost no one who would not start drooling on hearing about tandoori roti, tandoori chicken, tikka, etc.
In the early years, tandoors used to be set into the ground and were fired by wood. These types of tandoors are still found in India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Other types of tandoors are cylindrical cray or metal ovens and are above the ground.
Traditionally, heat is generated by charcoal or wood in tandoors as they burn slowly within the tandoor. The heat is managed by the amount of oxygen you allow into the pit. Tandoors usually have a small window at the bottom that is closed or opened to handle the flow of oxygen and air. The tandoor walls reflect the heat generated by burning wood and improve the temperature further, which may reach up to 900F. People usually keep these ovens lit to maintain high cooking temperatures if they use them often.
In modern tandoors, gas is used for heating them instead of charcoal. Now, you can also find portable electric tandoors in many homes. These are, in a way, electric overs and are made of metal instead of clay. All these alterations have made tandoori cooking easier. However, many people still prefer the earthy flavors that can only be achieved by clay tandoors.
Tandoori Cooking At Banjara Restaurant
Marination is an essential part of tandoori cooking. We use a variety of herbs and spices to add exclusive flavors to our dishes. The natural acidity of yogurt cuts through the meat, thereby tenderizing it and allowing the flavors to penetrate. We leave the meat to sit in the marination for hours before putting it in tandoor.
Our tandoori delicacies like Murgh Tandoor, Tandoori Lamb Chops, Lamb Seekh Kebab, Tandoori Salmon Tikka, Murgh Malai Tikka, and Paneer Tikka, among others, are prepared only to satiate your hunger and cravings for delicious tandoori cuisine. At Banjara Restaurant, you are sure to find the most drooling dishes and delicacies that have traveled for miles from India, thereby adding spices to the United States of America.