Appliances & Heat

Tandoor

Searing clay oven for naan and char-kissed tandoori meats

A cylindrical clay oven that reaches blistering temperatures, slapping naan against its walls and roasting skewered meats over the coals below. The intense, smoky heat gives tandoori its signature char. Marinate meats in yogurt to keep them tender at that heat.

A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven, traditionally sunk in the ground or built into a thick clay-and-brick body, that reaches ferocious temperatures — often 350–480 °C — from a charcoal or wood fire burning at its base. That blistering, enveloping heat is what gives tandoori cooking its signature character: naan slapped onto the searing inner walls puffs and chars in seconds, and skewers of yogurt-marinated chicken, lamb, and paneer roast over the live coals below, picking up smoke and a charred edge while staying juicy within. It's central to North Indian, Punjabi, and Central Asian kitchens, and its results are genuinely hard to replicate by any other means.

The extreme heat is both the appeal and the challenge. Meats are marinated in yogurt and spices not just for flavor but because the yogurt's proteins and acid help them stay tender at temperatures that would otherwise dry them out. Bread cooks against the wall in under a minute. Home cooks chase the effect with a very hot oven, grill, or a small dedicated home tandoor, but nothing quite matches the radiant clay heat of the real thing.

Types & varieties

Traditional clay tandoor

The classic sunken or freestanding clay oven, charcoal- or wood-fired. Unmatched radiant heat and flavor; heavy, hot, and built to last.

Home / garden tandoor

A smaller insulated, often metal-clad clay oven for patios and backyards. Brings genuine tandoor cooking to home use at a manageable size.

Gas / electric tandoor

Commercial restaurant versions fired by gas or electricity for consistent heat and easier control, common in busy kitchens.

Improvised approaches

A ripping-hot oven, a charcoal grill, or a pizza oven can approximate tandoori char — useful, but short of true clay-wall heat.

How to use it

Get it screaming hot, marinate well, and cook fast. The tandoor's speed is the point — food spends moments, not minutes, at this heat.

Fire it until the walls are intensely hot and the smoke has cleared before cooking
Marinate meats in yogurt, ginger-garlic, and spices so they tenderize and cling through the fierce heat
Stretch naan and press the wet underside firmly onto the hot wall; peel it off as it puffs and chars
Thread meats and paneer on long skewers and lower them over the coals; they cook in minutes

Heat, fuel, and care

A tandoor is a serious heat source — slow to warm, slow to cool, and demanding of caution. Treat the clay and the fire with respect.

Use lump charcoal or hardwood, not resinous softwood, and let the fire settle to clean, even heat
Cure a new clay tandoor gradually (seasoning fires) so the body doesn't crack from thermal shock
The exterior and opening get blazing hot — keep children clear and use long tools and gloves
Let it cool slowly, keep it dry and covered, and clear ash between uses

Common uses

Baking naan, roti, and kulcha on the wallsTandoori chicken and chicken tikkaSeekh kebabs and lamb skewersPaneer tikka and grilled vegetablesTandoori fish and prawnsCharring marinated meats for curriesRoasting whole spiced birdsHigh-heat flatbreads and stuffed breads

Tips & pitfalls

Yogurt marinades aren't optional — they're what keep meat tender and let spices and char cling at tandoor heat.
No tandoor? A pizza oven, a very hot grill, or your oven's hottest setting plus the broiler gets you partway there.
Wait for the smoke to clear and the walls to glow with heat before the first naan — too early and bread won't stick or char.
Long skewers and a long bread cloth (gaddi) keep your hands out of the brutal heat.
Cure a new clay tandoor slowly over several gentle fires, or the body can crack.