Tandoori Wood

[scott123]

Is there a favorite wood for tandoori cooking? And, if so, what is it?

[jaypm51]

Whatever wood could be found, scrounged or scavenged, was typically the best wood to use for tandoori. The wood, or fuel source is not nearly as important as the shape of the oven and temperature range. Smoke or other strong flavors imparted by the fuel source are not desirable in tandoori dishes.

If authenticity is what you're after, preparation of the marinade and its application is what's important followed by cooking at the proper temps.

[BBhasin]

Charcoal is traditionally used as fuel in tandoors. Even though in modern times natural gas and electric tandoors are also available and most cities in the US are mandating only gas tandoors in restaurants ( steel and cement tandoors are also available). In the US I have found ' natural lump charcoal' to be the best. And just like a regular charcoal grill you need to burn off the ' raw' fumes before you start grilling or shall we say ' tandooring' ?

Sorry for the muddled up post but you get the drift

Edited June 16, 2004 by BBhasin (log)

[Monica Bhide]

In all the kitchens I have seen and in the home tandoor cousins have back in India.. they use charcoal. i have not seen woodburing in them.. although I know that for every truism in India there is another truism that is directly the opposite

[scott123]

Charcoal is traditionally used as fuel in tandoors. Even though in modern times natural gas and electric tandoors are also available and most cities in the US are mandating only gas tandoors in restaurants (  steel and cement tandoors are also available). In the US I have found ' natural lump charcoal' to be the best. And just like a regular charcoal grill you need to burn off the ' raw' fumes before you start grilling or shall we say ' tandooring' ?

Sorry for the muddled up post but you get the drift

Hmmmm, so the smokiness in my favorite restaurant's chicken tikka (New Jersey, USA) most probably stems from the burning of the chicken fat on the gas burner as opposed to smoke from a wood fuel source?

[rajsuman]

A friend recently made tandoori chicken on a wood fire. Although it was nice in its own way, it wasn't tandoori chicken as I know it or as is served in restaurants. I would vote for a charcoal-fired chicken anyday over that cooked over a wood fire.

Suman

[Pompollo]

Speaking of tandoori and wood and charcoal. Can I ask a dumb question that's kind of relative? (Maybe it's been brought up elsewhere, but...)

Is there a technique to making "tandoori" taste good/close to authentic by using just a home oven or stove-top grill?

Can't fire the charcoal grill or burn those stacks of wood in the kitchen.

Any suggestions?

[scott123]

In all the kitchens I have seen and in the home tandoor cousins have back in India.. they use charcoal. i have not seen woodburing in them.. although I know that for every truism in India there is another truism that is directly the opposite

In your experience has this charcoal been the natural lump kind or do they use the pressed/filler kind you find here in the U.S.? Also, does India have a version of the notoriously disgusting lighter fluid laced 'easy light' charcoal?

[bong]

Is there a technique to making "tandoori" taste good/close to authentic by using just a home oven or stove-top grill?

I have tried this, with some amount of success. The trick is to get your oven to go at the hottest setting. Preheat oven for one hour, use the broiler if you have to, etc. etc.

Your kitchen will be full of smoke by the time you are done with the chicjen, but the result will be pretty good. Depending on the size of the chicken, it takes me about 20-40 mins for the chicken to cook.

Obviously, I get a better result if I use my charcoal grill (with lump charcoal).

[bong]

Also, does India have a version of the notoriously disgusting lighter fluid laced 'easy light' charcoal?

You get lump charcoal in India.

You get a kind of hand-made charcoal briquettes as well (wet coal powder, form lumps with hand, dry them).

Never seen anything pre-laced with kerosene.

[Monica Bhide]

Also, does India have a version of the notoriously disgusting lighter fluid laced 'easy light' charcoal?

You get lump charcoal in India.

You get a kind of hand-made charcoal briquettes as well (wet coal powder, form lumps with hand, dry them).

Never seen anything pre-laced with kerosene.

I dont know Scott what they were using as fuel. I can find out. Like Bong I have not seen anything prelaced with kerosene or if it was there I have not noticed it