Tandoori cooking is a very old method of cooking and in India this tradition has been developed to a fine art. This is a very quick and healthy method of preparing food as very little fat or oil is used. The tandoor is shaped like a barrel, has a small mouth and is quite wide from the middle to the bottom unlike the grill used for barbeque. At Thali of India, we prepare the Tandoori items, the authentic way in a tandoor that was hand picked and imported from India.
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Traditionally, the tandoor was used for making various kinds of breads, but it was discovered that even rnarinated meats and vegetables cooked perfectly well. For best results, tandoori food is cooked in two stages, especially in the case of meats.
The time gap between the two stages is called the 'carry-over' cooking period. In the first stage, the marinated meats are half-cooked and then taken off the fire.
This actually regulates the cooking time, otherwise the food would get too dry and become unpalatable.
In the second stage, the half-cooked meats are basted with fat or flavoured juice such as that of pomegranate, ginger, garlic etc., and then put back in the tandoor. The result is that the excess fat is drained off, leaving behind a crisp texture and imparting a smoky aroma and special taste to the food. |
