Tandoori cooking is one of the world’s favorites. Although most of us think of Tandoori foods as being Indian (think Tandoori Chicken with the freshest of Naan bread), it’s a style used from the Causcas, down through Turkey and the Middle East right through to South Asia.
The secret to Tandoors is the very high temperatures achieved. Using charcoal or wood, burning inside the tandoor, temperatures can reach 450C (850F)! The food is directly exposed to the flames and heat resulting in simultaneous radiant heat cooking, hot-air, convection cooking, and smoking from the oils, fats, and food juices that drip down on to the charcoal. This type of oven, powered by charcoal or wood, cooks food through radiant heat produced within the oven itself. If built properly, your tandoori oven can cook at 480 degrees Celsius or higher. What’s great about this outdoor cooker is that you can maintain the desired cooking temperature even when you have some strong wind blowing.
You can make a dolly for your tandoori oven so it is easier to move around when needed. And you can choose to buy smaller pots for when you plan to use it while traveling by land in a trailer or wagon. It is mobile like a grill and conserves its heat and fire like your typical oven.
You’ll need these materials:
- 1 pc 15cm Flower Pot
- 2 pcs 30cm Flower Pot
- 1 pc 43cm Flower Pot
- 1 set of Pot Stands
- 1 bag of General Purpose Gravel
- Grill
- Marker/Tape
And this tool:
- Old All-purpose Saw
Click on any image to start lightbox display. Use your Esc key to close the lightbox. You can also view the images as a slideshow if you prefer 
This video will be a great help when you start making your tandoor!
Now start gathering the needed materials and cook some delicious Indian food!
Thanks to Nick Collins for this great project. You can get step-by-step instructions here…
Footnote – member Philip Searle made his tandoor the day we first posted this. He reports:
I have used this a lot and I LOVE cooking this way, you get the best flavor! It does take some getting used to, however. Tonight I cooked Cajun chicken drumsticks, turned out great. Thanks for the tips.
Here are a couple of pics of his results. Hungry?
We’re trying to get Philip to write a post for us on his make and cooking experiences :)
