Tandoor

{{short description|Cylindrical clay oven used in South Asian cooking}} {{For|the web series|Tandoor (web series)}} {{Distinguish|Tabun oven}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} upright=1.2|thumb|Modern ceramic wood-fired tandoors

A '''tandoor''' ({{IPAc-en|t|æ|n|ˈ|d|ʊər}} or {{IPAc-en|t|ɑ:|n|ˈ|d|ʊər}}) is a large vase-shaped oven, usually made of clay. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti and traditional lavash, as well as leavened ones, such as naan and tandoor bread or matnakash. It is also used to roast meat and vegetables. Tandoors are predominantly used in South Asia, Western Asia, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa.

The standard heating element of a tandoor is an internal charcoal or wood fire, which cooks food with direct heat and smoke. Tandoors can be fully above ground, or partially buried below ground, often reaching over a meter in height/depth. Temperatures in a tandoor can reach {{convert|480|C|F K|-1}}, and they are routinely kept lit for extended periods. Therefore, traditional tandoors are usually found in restaurant kitchens. Modern tandoors are often made of metal. Variations, such as tandoors with gas or electric heating elements, are more common for at-home use.

==Etymology==

The English word comes from the Hindustani ''tandūr'', which came from Persian {{transliteration|fa|tanūr}} ({{Wikt-lang|fa|تنور}}) and ultimately from the Akkadian word {{transliteration|akk|tinūru}} (𒋾𒂟), which consists of the parts {{transliteration|akk|tin}} {{gloss|mud}} and {{transliteration|akk|nuro}}/{{transliteration|akk|nura}} {{gloss|fire}} and is mentioned as early as in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', cf. or Avestan {{transliteration|ae|tanûra}} and Middle Persian {{transliteration|pal|tanûr}}. In Sanskrit, the tandoor was named {{transliteration|sa|kandu}}.<ref name="AutoO0-1"/><ref name="AutoO0-2"/>

== Operation ==

The first time a tandoor is used, the temperature must be gradually increased to condition the oven's interior. This step is crucial in ensuring the longevity of the tandoor. Conditioning can be done by starting a very small fire and slowly adding fuel to increase the amount of heat inside the tandoor gradually. Hairline cracks might form during conditioning; this is normal and will not interfere with the performance of the tandoor oven. When the oven cools off, the hairline cracks may barely be noticeable. They are essential in allowing the clay body of the tandoor to breathe (i.e. thermal expansion and contraction). The slower the temperature inside the tandoor increases during its first use, the fewer hairline cracks it will develop.<ref name="AutoO0-4"/>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180 caption="Modern tandoors"> File:Charcoal Fired S.Steel Body Tandoor, with ash tray & temp. meter.JPG|Charcoal-fired stainless-steel tandoor, with ash tray and thermometer File:Coal fired Drum Tandoor.jpg|A coal-fired tandoor with a mild steel drum File:200612 Yemen-212 (354275379).jpg|Yemeni modern ''tannour'' making ''Mulawah'' flatbread </gallery>

==Types==

===Arab world: tannour / tannur===

{{further|Clay oven#Tannour / Tannur|tabun oven}}

===West Asia and South Asia===

====Armenian tonir====

thumb|Armenian ''tonir'' oven

In Armenia, the oven is called ''tonir'' ({{Langx|hy|Թոնիր}}). In ancient times, it was worshipped by the Armenians as a symbol of the sun in the ground. Pagan Armenians made ''tonirs'' resembling the setting sun "going into the ground" (the Sun being the main deity). The underground ''tonir'', made of clay and stone, is one of the first tools in Armenian cuisine as an oven and thermal treatment tool. Therefore, the ''tonir'' used to be placed in the middle of most ancient Armenian households. Armenians are said to have invented underground ''tonirs''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Armenian Tonir BBQ: The Sun in the Ground |url=https://phoenixtour.org/blog/armenian-tonir-bbq/ |website=Phoenix Tour}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Armenian tonir as the symbol of the sun |url=https://www.arevogi.com/post/armenian-tonir-as-a-symbol-of-the-sun |website=Arevogi}}</ref>

Multiple Armenian dishes are prepared using the ''tonir''. Most of the dishes prepared by using a ''tonir'' are either breads, meats, or vegetables. The most popular bread dishes to be cooked by using a ''tonir'' are lavash, matnakash and tonir bread, also known as ''tonri hats'' ({{Langx|hy|թոնիր հաց}}). Lavash is a very thin flatbread used for wrapping meat, vegetables and other ingredients, while matnakash is thicker and used on the side. Matnakash is said to have a focaccia-like texture. ''Tonri hats'' is similar to matnakash, but what differentiates it from matnakash is its round shape and soft texture that resembles bhatura in a way. Some also use the ''tonir'' to bake filled sweet breads, like gata. The bread is baked by sticking it on the walls of the ''tonir'', where it is evenly cooked. Armenian bread (especially ''tonri hats'') is mainly flavored with black pepper, mahleb, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, cumin, and sometimes cinnamon, or anise.<ref name="unesco">{{cite web |title=Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia, ''Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity''. Country(ies): Armenia |url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317141436/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/decisions/9.COM/10.3 |archive-date=March 17, 2016 |access-date=16 March 2016 |website=unesco.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bread in the life of Armenians |url=https://www.armgeo.am/en/armenian-lavash/ |website=Armenian Geographic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Demystifying the Breads of Armenia |url=https://www.saveur.com/story/food/demystifying-breads-of-armenia/ |website=Saveur}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gata making master class |url=https://hyurservice.com/de/attractions-activities-armenia/gata-making-master-class |website=Hyur Service}}</ref>

''Khorovats'', ''khashlama'', fish like the sevan trout, and ''khash'' are the most popular meat-dishes that are prepared by using a ''tonir''. ''Khorovats'' is made by stacking seasoned meat (traditionally pork, but lamb and chicken are also common) and other ingredients like potatoes and onions on a skewer, before cooking them inside the ''tonir''. Wet cloth is put on the opening of the ''tonir'' to cook the meat more efficiently and to create a smoky flavor. Armenian "tonir meats" are mostly spiced with black pepper, paprika, garlic, sumac, onions and in some regions, fenugreek.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Armenian khorovats in tonir |url=https://artisantandoors.com.au/armenian-khorovats/ |website=Artisan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Khashlama: Armenian Stew |url=https://www.jidlonacestach.cz/en/khashlama/ |website=Food on the Move}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Traditional Armenian Dishes You Must Try When Visiting Armenia |url=https://halaarmenia.com/en/traditional-armenian-dishes-food-cuisine-en/ |website=Hala Armenia}}</ref><ref name="Armenian Food">{{cite book |last1=Petrosian |first1=Irina |title=Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore |last2=Underwood |first2=David |publisher=Yerkir Publishing |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-4116-9865-9 |location=Bloomington, Indiana |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=0oXYX9Qzx9oC&dq=Khorovats&pg=PA74 76]}}</ref>

Sometimes, Armenians only use vegetables to be cooked inside ''tonirs''. In that case eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, potatoes and other local Armenian vegetables, just like meat, are cooked inside ''tonirs''.<ref name=":0"/>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180 caption="Baking in the Armenian ''tonir''"> File:20160604 025 Zwischenstopps-Armenien-011a.jpg|Armenian ''tonri'' hats File:Ավանդական հացի պատրաստումը 03.jpg|''Lavash'' flatbread File:Tonir Zuchau 1.jpg|''Khorovats'' kebabs File:Թոնրի բանջարեղէն.jpg|Baked vegetables </gallery>

====Turkmen ''tamdyr''====

The baking of a traditional, white bread called {{lang|tk|çörek}} in Turkmen is a medieval practice in Turkmenistan, using a clay {{lang|tk|tamdyr}} oven.<ref name="Nuriev">{{cite journal |last1=Nuriev |first1=Ahmetjan |title=Bread baking is an ancient ritual in Turkmenistan |journal=Turkmenistan, the Analytic Illustrated Magazine |date=2005 |pages=80–83}}</ref>

Most Turkmen families living in the rural area have tamdyrs in their households. Occasionally, housewives get together and bake {{lang|tk|çörek}} for several families. One of the most famous kinds of {{lang|tk|çörek}} baked in the Turkmen tamdyr is {{lang|tk|etli çörek}} (bread with meat), made during holidays in Turkmenistan. Turkmens bake not only bread in the tamdyr but also several dishes, the most famous of which is ''somsa'', a folded pie like a samosa or pasty with a filling, usually beef. Various spices can be added to the Turkmen bread: cumin, cinnamon, olives, mustard seeds, sunflower seeds, and other flavoring ingredients.<ref name="orient.tm">{{cite web |last1=Zarembo |first1=Vladimir |title=Tamdyr in the yard - peace on Earth (in Russian) |url=https://orient.tm/tamdyr-vo-dvore-mir-na-zemle/ |website=Orient |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=2 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102054048/https://orient.tm/tamdyr-vo-dvore-mir-na-zemle/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> To prepare the ''tamdyr'' for baking; first the fire is made directly inside the ''tamdyr'', usually using dried cotton stalks. The bread maker then watches the color of the ''tamdyr''{{'s}} inner walls. When they turn white, the ashes are shoveled into the center of the oven, and the lower ash-pit is closed.<ref name="Nuriev"/> The bread must be thrown into the oven carefully but deftly so that it does not lose shape and neatly sticks to the wall.<ref name="orient.tm"/>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180 caption="Baking in the Turkmen tamdyr"> File:Turkmenistan bread baking.jpg|Baking çörek and somsa File:Tamdyr6.jpg|Baking {{lang|tk|çörek}} in a Turkmen tamdyr </gallery>

====Punjabi tandoor====

[[File:Tandoori Chicken with oven.jpg|thumb|Tandoori chicken cooked inside a tandoor]]

The Punjabi tandoor from South Asia is traditionally made of clay and is a bell-shaped oven, which can either be set into the earth or rest above the ground and is fired with wood or charcoal, reaching temperatures of about {{convert|480|C|F K|-1}}.<ref name="AutoO0-5"/> Tandoor cooking is a traditional aspect of Punjabi cuisine in undivided Punjab.<ref name="apnaorg.com"/>

In India and Pakistan, tandoori cooking was traditionally associated with the Punjab,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jacobs |first=Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IcAGtDUWtYEC&dq=tandoor+rajasthan&pg=PA47 |title=The Rough Guide to Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra |last2=Thomas |first2=Gavin |date=October 2010 |publisher=Rough Guides Limited |isbn=978-1-84836-555-1 |language=en}}</ref> as Punjabis embraced the tandoor on a regional level,<ref name="AutoO0-7"/> and became popular in the mainstream after the 1947 partition when Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus resettled in places such as Delhi.<ref name="AutoO0-8"/> In rural Punjab, it was common to have communal tandoors.<ref name="apnaorg.com"/> Some villages<ref name="AutoO0-9"/> still have a communal tandoor, a common sight before 1947.<ref name="AutoO0-10"/>

====Azerbaijani tandir====

thumb|Azerbaijani tandir

In medieval times, the people that used to live where Azerbaijan is situated today (lezgins, Tat Iranians and later Turks) used to cook bread and other dishes inside the tandir.<ref name="AutoO0-13"/>

Tandir bread (təndir çörəyi) is a widespread bread type in Azerbaijan. Tandir bread is baked from the heat of the tandir's walls, which ensures very fast baking.<ref name="AutoO0-14"/><ref name="AutoO0-15"/>

One of the world's biggest tandoors was built in Azerbaijan's southern city of Astara in 2015. The height of the tandoor is {{convert|6.5|m|ft|abbr=in}} and the diameter is {{convert|12|m|ft|abbr=in}}. The tandoor consists of 3 parts.<ref name="AutoO0-16"/>

====Georgian tone====

The outside of the Georgian ''tone'' is made of a mixture of clay and quartz sand which is wrapped in linen and eventually hardens into a hard fireproof surface. Georgian bakers stick bread to the interior walls of the tone to let it bake, which is lined with fireproof bricks.<ref name="AutoO0-11"/>

== Dishes == {{further|Tandoor bread|Tandoori chicken}}

[[File:Թոնրի խորոված 3.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Chicken khorovats, onions and potato slices with pork fat, roasted in an Armenian ''tonir'' ]]

A tandoor may be used to bake many types of flatbread. Some of the most common are lavash, tandoori roti, tandoori naan, tandoori laccha paratha, missi roti, laffa, and tandoori kulcha. Armenian dishes prepared using a ''tonir'' are varied. There are bread dishes like tonri hats, matnakash and a sweet filled bread named gata, while there also are meat dishes like khorovats, khashlama, the meat of khash and fish like sevan trout, as well as vegetables that are cooked using a ''tonir''.<ref name="Armenian Food"/>

Tandoori chicken is a roasted chicken delicacy that originated in Punjab region of South Asia.<ref name="AutoO0-17"/><ref name="AutoO0-18"/> The chicken is marinated in yogurt seasoned with garam masala, garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, and other spices depending on the recipe. In hot versions of the dish, cayenne, red chili powder, or other spices give the typical red color; in milder versions, food coloring is used.<ref name="AutoO0-19"/>

Chicken tikka is a dish that originated in the Punjab region. It is made by grilling small pieces of boneless chicken which have been marinateed in spices and yogurt. It is traditionally cooked on skewers in a tandoor and is usually boneless.<ref name=Curryclub>{{cite book |last=Chapman |first=Pat |author-link=Pat Chapman (food writer) |title=Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes |year=1993 |publisher=Piatkus |location=London |isbn=0-7499-1283-9 |pages= }}</ref> It is used in preparing the British curry chicken tikka masala.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/videos/food-dining/chicken-tikka-recipes.html |title=Chicken Tikka Recipes |date=12 January 2019 |website=Deccan Chronicle |access-date=24 January 2019 |archive-date=24 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124102333/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/videos/food-dining/chicken-tikka-recipes.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A samosa is a fried or baked pastry shell with a savory filling, which may include spiced potatoes and vegetables, or ground lamb or chicken. In Central Asia, samosas are typically baked in a tandoor, while they are usually fried elsewhere.<ref name="Davidson">{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |year=2014 |chapter=Samosa |pages=709–710 |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-211579-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA709 |access-date=29 February 2020 |archive-date=4 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904032000/https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA709#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==

* {{annotated link|Kamado}} * {{annotated link|List of cooking appliances}} * {{annotated link|Masonry oven}} * {{annotated link|Primitive clay oven}} * {{annotated link|Tabun oven}}

== References ==

{{reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="AutoO0-1">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/1872sanskriten00moniuoft|page=[https://archive.org/details/1872sanskriten00moniuoft/page/201 201]|title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: ...with Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon...|last=Monier-Williams|first=Monier|date=1872|publisher=Clarendon}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-cFcH2ZHWLcC|title=Indian Food Tradition A Historical Companion|author=Achaya K. T.|year=1994|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-562845-6|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-4">{{cite web|url=https://luxury-tandoors.com/customer-care/user-guide/|title=User Guide|work=luxury-tandoors.com}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-5">{{cite web|url=http://www.vahrehvah.com/indianfood/tandoori-chicken/|title=Tandoori Chicken|work=vahrehvah.com}}</ref> <ref name="apnaorg.com">{{Cite web|url=http://apnaorg.com/books/gurmukhi/kehal-1/book.php?fldr=book|title=Gurmukhi Book - Alop Ho Reha Virsa; Pure|website=apnaorg.com}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-7">{{cite web|url=http://www.indiacurry.com/faqhistory/mughalcuisine.htm|title=What is Mughalai Cuisine?|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010004646/http://www.indiacurry.com/faqhistory/mughalcuisine.htm|archive-date=10 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-8">{{cite news|last=Raichlen|first=Steven|title=A Tandoor Oven Brings India's Heat to the Backyard|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/dining/a-tandoor-oven-brings-indias-heat-to-the-backyard.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|access-date=17 January 2015|work=The New York Times|date=10 May 2011}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-9">Pind Diyan Gallian PTC Channel - Bilga (Jalandhar) has a communal Tandoor also known as tadoor in Punjabi</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-10">{{cite web|url=http://www.shvoong.com/medicine-and-health/nutrition/1866706-specialities-punjabi-cuisine/|title=specialities Punjabi cuisine|work=shvoong.com|access-date=18 July 2015|archive-date=14 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914172944/http://www.shvoong.com/medicine-and-health/nutrition/1866706-specialities-punjabi-cuisine|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-11">{{cite web|url=https://georgiaabout.com/2012/06/07/about-food-georgian-bread-part-1/|title=About Food – Georgian Bread (Part 1)|work=Georgia About}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-13">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170620-life-on-earths-biggest-pressure-cooker|title=Life on Earth's biggest pressure cooker|date=25 February 2022 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-14">{{cite web|url=http://www.travelphotoreport.com/2012/03/27/tandyr-bake-bread-baku-azerbaijan/|title=What is Tandyr or how traditional bread is baked in Baku|date=27 March 2012|work=travelphotoreport.com|access-date=20 September 2017|archive-date=3 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203144338/http://www.travelphotoreport.com/2012/03/27/tandyr-bake-bread-baku-azerbaijan/|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-15">{{cite web|url=http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/tendir-choreyi-azerbaijan-471885|title=Tendir Choreyi Azerbaijan Recipe|work=geniuskitchen.com}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-16">{{Cite web|url=https://en.azvision.az/news/16919/news.html|title=Azerbaijan to build the world's biggest tandoor|website=en.azvision.az|language=en|access-date=2 September 2019}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-17">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/11/24/stories/2008112450160200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629015351/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/11/24/stories/2008112450160200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2011 |title=Metro Plus Delhi / Food : A plateful of grain |date=24 November 2008 |access-date=7 May 2009 |work=The Hindu |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-18">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-hotels/2009/02/01/where-does-biryani-come-from/|title=Where does biryani come from?|work=Hindustan Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624141257/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-hotels/2009/02/01/where-does-biryani-come-from/|archive-date=24 June 2016}}</ref> <ref name="AutoO0-19">For instance, see the recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's ''Indian Cookery'' pp66-69</ref> }}

== Further reading ==

{{commons category}}

{{refbegin}} * ''Curry Club Tandoori and Tikka Dishes'', Piatkus, London — {{ISBN|0-7499-1283-9}} (1993) * ''Curry Club 100 Favourite Tandoori Recipes'', Piatkus, London — {{ISBN|0-7499-1491-2}} & {{ISBN|0-7499-1741-5}} (1995) * ''India: Food & Cooking'', New Holland, London — {{ISBN|978-1-84537-619-2}} (2007) {{refend}}

{{Cooking Techniques}} {{Cuisine of India}} {{Curry in the United Kingdom}} {{Armenian cuisine}}

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