September 16, 2019
The construction of a full, traditional tandoor oven is a serious financial commitment. Not to mention you also need the space to build it, the time to deal with the construction, and the demand for using it. Not many people in the UK are going to have a full tandoor oven except Indian and Pakistani restaurants, purely because they are too expensive to fuel for a single household.
But you can create traditional tandoor oven dishes at home without having to settle for using a typical kitchen oven which can’t create that unique tandoor flavour. You will need a few tools at the ready and a little DIY know-how, but here is our guide to building your own tandoor oven so you can have a unique BBQ with your very own tandoor oven.
To construct your tandoor oven you will need three clay plant pots in ascending order of size. Pot A should be the biggest; Pot B should be smaller than Pot A; and Pot C should be the smallest of the three and should fit inside Pot A without touching the sides.
Drill 2-3 large holes in the bottom of Pot A and Pot C and cut the bottom off Pot B using a ceramic saw or angle grinder with ceramic blades. Keep the separated base for later.
Place 3 bricks on the floor to create your base. Pot A should sit on top of this platform with the mouth facing upwards and the holes at the bottom. Inside of Pot A place more smaller bricks to create another base. Place Pot C inside Pot A on the base and make sure it doesn’t touch any of the sides. Turn Pot B upside down and place over the top of Pot C to create a funnel-like tunnel.
Fill the empty spaces around Pot B with lava rocks; an insulation material available from all good hardware stores. Place the base of Pot B back on top – this will act like a lid to your oven.
Place your coals or charcoal inside of Pot C and light. Once the oven is at the required temperature you can stick breads to the inside or cook skewered meats by placing them inside.
If you want some delicious Pakistani and Indian cuisine but don’t fancy constructing your own tandoor oven at home, come visit us at Royal Nawaab’s restaurant in London and let us do the cooking for you.
