Central Asian origin — present across the Indian subcontinent, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia; the Indian tandoor tradition is most associated with Punjabi and Mughal court cuisine
The tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven fired from below, reaching temperatures of 400–480°C at its walls. The heat management within the tandoor involves three distinct cooking zones: the bottom (hottest — near the fire, for naan adhesion and for lowering marinated meats on skewers), the middle (primary cooking zone for tikka and kebabs), and the upper area (moderate heat, for finishing and for delicate proteins). The tandoor is lit 45–60 minutes before service — attempting to cook in an underheated tandoor produces steamed rather than charred results. The tandoor's heat retention is exceptional: a properly fired clay tandoor maintains cooking temperature for hours with minimal fuel input.
Every tandoor-cooked preparation (naan, tikka, kebab, tandoori vegetables) depends on the clay wall's far-infrared radiation and the smoke from the wood/charcoal fire beneath.
{"Fire the tandoor 45–60 minutes before cooking — the clay walls must be uniformly heated to radiate correctly","The coals should be white (not red) before cooking begins — red coals indicate under-heated walls and excess smoke","Naan is applied to the upper-middle wall — below that, the naan would char before baking","Marinated meats on skewers hang from the top — they cook from radiant wall heat and convection simultaneously","Never close the tandoor completely — the fire needs air; full closure kills the fire"}
The coal type is significant: restaurant tandoors in India use coconut shell charcoal or hard wood charcoal (not briquettes) — the former burns hotter and cleaner. The test of a properly heated tandoor: a small piece of dough thrown against the wall should adhere immediately and develop char spots within 30 seconds.
{"Cooking in an under-heated tandoor — food steams from the moisture and produces pale, soft results","Marinated meats touching the walls — the marinade chars immediately and the meat sticks","Over-loading with protein — reduces the internal temperature and causes uneven cooking"}