The tandoor oven, a simple yet ingenious clay cooking vessel, has been a staple in kitchens across the world for centuries. While many associate it with Indian cuisine, the tandoor has been embraced by various cultures, each adding their own unique twist to the way they cook with it. Let’s take a flavourful journey across the globe to discover how different countries use the tandoor to create some of their most beloved dishes.
India: The Birthplace of the Tandoor
India is often credited with popularising the tandoor, where it’s used to cook everything from tender tandoori chicken to buttery naan bread. Traditionally fuelled by charcoal or wood, the intense heat of the tandoor quickly seals in flavours, creating a perfect balance of smokiness and spice. The iconic tandoori dishes are marinated in yogurt and a blend of spices such as cumin, coriander, and garam masala before being skewered and cooked to perfection.
Pakistan: A Shared Culinary Heritage
Much like its neighbour, Pakistan embraces the tandoor for cooking richly spiced meats and breads. Chicken tikka, seekh kebabs, and fluffy tandoori roti are some of the country’s staple dishes. Many roadside eateries and high-end restaurants alike feature a tandoor, ensuring that this traditional cooking method remains a central part of Pakistani cuisine.
Afghanistan: The Home of Exquisite Bread
In Afghanistan, the tandoor is widely used for baking delicious bread varieties such as naan and lavash, a thin unleavened bread. These naan breads are often thicker than their Indian counterparts and have a wonderful chewiness, making them perfect for scooping up stews and curries. The smoky flavour from the clay oven gives Afghan bread a distinctive taste that pairs well with rich meat dishes and yoghurt-based dips.
Iran: The Art of Sangak Bread
Iranian cuisine features the tandoor prominently in the making of sangak, a wholewheat flatbread baked on hot stones inside the oven. This method results in a crispy yet soft texture, making it a favourite accompaniment for grilled meats and hearty stews. The Iranian tandoor, called a "tanour," has been used for centuries to create breads that are a vital part of Persian culinary traditions.
Central Asia: The Land of Samarkand Non
Countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan all have their own version of "non"—a round, slightly thick bread often decorated with intricate patterns. The dough is pressed against the tandoor walls, where it bakes until golden brown. This bread is a daily staple in many Central Asian households and is often enjoyed with tea or kebabs.
China: Xinjiang’s Tandoori Delights
In China’s Xinjiang province, home to the Uyghur people, the tandoor is known as a "nang kang" and is primarily used for baking naan-style bread. Uyghur cuisine also features delicious lamb skewers, which are seasoned with cumin, salt, and chili flakes before being cooked in the tandoor. The result is a succulent and flavourful dish with a perfect char.
Armenia: Tonir Cooking Tradition
In Armenia, the tandoor, or "tonir," is an essential part of traditional cooking. It is used to bake lavash, a thin and flexible flatbread that accompanies almost every meal. The tonir is also used for slow-cooking meats, yielding incredibly tender and flavourful dishes that reflect Armenia’s deep culinary history.
The tandoor is more than just an oven—it’s a window into the culinary soul of many cultures around the world. From spiced meats to rustic breads, the way each country has adapted the tandoor showcases their unique flavours and traditions. Next time you bite into a piece of tandoori-roasted food, take a moment to appreciate the centuries of history and craftsmanship that have gone into perfecting this incredible cooking method.
