Barbecue Styles: The Tandoor
Probably the most universal method of cooking, the barbecue is found in regional variations all over the world. In India, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Balkans, Central Asia, Burma, and Bangladesh, it flourishes in the form of the tandoor. In these parts of the world, the tandoor is the accepted form of grilling. The term “tandoor” is used to describe both the cylindrical clay oven used for cooking and baking and the method of cooking itself.
The tandoor is said to have traveled to Central Asia and the Middle East along with the Roma or Romani people, also known to the Western world as Gypsies. Archaeological evidence points to the existence of the tandoor in the ancient sites of Harappa and Mohenjo daro dating as far back as 3000 B.C. The popularity of the tandoor in India continued through the periods of Muslim rule in South Asia till date when the chicken tikka masala reigns supreme in restaurants over the world.
The heat for the tandoor is traditionally generated by a charcoal or wooden fire burning within the tandoor itself. Temperatures within the tandoor can approach up to 480
