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Pammi Randhawa
28th April 2005, 10:15 AM
[tscii:f3848819e0]TANDOOR
"The Clay Oven"
THE GREAT INDIAN BARBEQUE

The TANDOOR, which means a Clay Oven, is of great antiquity; a cooking appliance that, either by accident or by design, is extremely efficient and yet simple to make.

HISTORY
Tandoors have been found in excavations of Harappan and pre-Harrapan sites. Where and when the first tandoors existed is still a matter of continuing research. But, generally speaking and because of the generic term `Tandoor´, it is said to have originated in ancient India.
Guru Nanak (AD 1469 - 1539) founded a new religion in Punjab called Sikhism. An important step he took was to bring all people together under the concept of langer. Here, people of all castes sat and ate together. The tandoor was used to its full potential and was able to serve hot, freshly baked bread to many people at a time. The Guru urged people to have common tandoors in their lanes. This not only did away with the concept of high and low caste, it was a great fuel saver. The sanjha chulha or common oven as it was called, proved extremely popular with the womenfolk. It was economical and gave them a common platform to exchange ideas and daily news.
The concept took root quickly and spread all over Punjab and the North-West Frontier Provinces. In many places, the tandoor was lit for all to bake their bread. People of every tone came - caste, creed and color were forgotten. The goal was common: to bake fresh bread for a hungry stomach.
The tandoor held its own just as it had done down the ages. During the Second World War one could get delicious mince-meat seekh kebabs made in the tandoor at Nisbat Road in Lahore. In the frontier areas and Punjab, preparations of meat and fowl like teetar, bater, chicken, all made in the tandoor, were popular.

Tandoori chicken and roti are now world famous. When one stops to think that the appliance we have today is a form of what primitive man might have used, the historic ethos of the tandoor becomes quite amazing.

CONSTRUCTION
The tandoor works on the same princple as the oven. However, it is the only kind of oven that provides complete wrap-around heat. No modern oven has that capability, making the tandoor one of the most scientific and versatile of all cooking apparatus. By controlling the draught and quality of fuel, we are able to produce temperatures up to 400 degrees C. It can be built on site from good clay and uses chopped, dry timber as fuel. Counter sunk and mud plastered, it can be ready for heating in three days. If built of clay, however, it needs six to seven days to dry. The fact remains that you do not have to go anywhere special to make a tandoor, and you can make one wherever you are.


TANDOOR TODAY
In India we have basically two types of tandoors. The small home tandoor and the larger, commercial tandoor. The home clay tandoor is small in size and can accommodate eight to ten rotis at a time. The last few years have seen a major change in the home tandoor. In a major improvisation, the tandoor is now enclosed in a metalic drum. This prevents it from cracking and it can be carried from place to place. Sizes vary from the little ones with a capacity of six to eight rotis to the largest ones that can bake twenty to twenty-five rotis at a time.
Other places where forms of tandoors were and are still used are
Afghanistan, Egypt, China, Iran, Arab Countries, Caucasus and Europe.

Excerpts from "Tandoor - The Great Indian Barbeque" by Ranjit Rai
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tomato
28th April 2005, 10:34 AM
Hello Pammi,
Thanx for the info. Read on some other thread that you r from Punjab. Pls post some recipes of simple home cooked food from Punjab. I really enjoy all the rich punjabi dishes we get in the restruants like daal makhani, paneer makhani, palak paneer, malai kofta ect. But what I'm looking fwd to is some simple recipes cooked at home for everyday meals. Something that U have learnt from your mom, aunts, granny ...
Would really appreciate it if u could spare the time to post such recipes, coz these recipes r not available to me thru cook books or the net.

Pammi Randhawa
28th April 2005, 10:38 AM
In this thread, I would be posting recipes, critisism, howlers from net ,some pujabi da humour but all connected with kitchen.

Early mornings in Karamjeet's Dhaba would be the time for Tea.
The truck drivers need something to get over their hangover of "Lalpari "or the "Desi "which they might have drunk with great food the previous night.

In punjab, we call tea call as CHHAY-SHAY ho jaay.
Someone had requested about Kadak Chaay of Dhaba .
So get the recipe which you will not like to use to prepare tea.

KADAK CHAAY of dhabas is a concoction of Tea (Usually dust tea) boiled in water along with either some Poppy Pods or with a dash of Opium.The boiling goes over ten minutes to extract resins from poppy pod. The decoction is added to equal amount of milk. Please use your own measure if you want.

The dhaba man may add a dash of Ginger or Elaichi .

This is known as,
MARDON WALI CHAY or TANATAN CHAY.
This is strictly Truck driver's delight.

The usual Punjabi Chay is not so strong and mainly Elaichi is used to add aroma to tea made from milk and water using both in 75:25 ratio. Milk is Buffalo milk and water of Punjab. Tea from Assam/Dajeeling or Timbaktoo it does not matter. LOL.

Pammi Randhawa
28th April 2005, 10:45 AM
Hi Tomato,

That wus quick !

Ur name suggests that u2 are a foodie like me.
Ya, I know people need real stuff and I would try and get recipes of our kitchens .
Any preference?
If I have the recipe, I'll post it or else will get it 4 u.

Sadde naal rahoge to aish karoge... :lol:

pammi

tomato
28th April 2005, 10:47 AM
Gosh Pammi, mine was a humble request for some home cooked food. And u r plannig to kill us opium tea :shock: :shock:
Now I understand why poppy seeds r banned in singapore. I had no idea boiling poppy pods for ten mins brings out harmful resins out of it.

tomato
28th April 2005, 10:50 AM
I'm mainly looking for recipes of veggies, daal, lentils that go well with phulka. I would prefer it to be quick and simple as I have to make it in the morning and pack it into lunck boxes. Chicken and egg recipes r also welcome, I can try them for dinner.

Pammi Randhawa
28th April 2005, 10:53 AM
Hi Tomato,

can u pl repost ur postsw in corrected spelling thread ?
If u notice, I had made a mistake in spelling of punjab.Please check and repost .Willya friend?
I'll repost Tea posting again.
The fault is not mine. The new keyboard is hard.Sorry

Mrs.Mano
28th April 2005, 12:00 PM
[tscii:97b56d4452]Dear Pammi!
Hearty congratulations for yr new thread which is going to give delicious Punjab delights. I wish you all the success.
Once, when I happened to live in a village near Pune, I was fortunate enough to taste the sweet pulao of Maharashtrians, Bihari’s chicken, aappams of keralites, Orissa’s fish curry and of course, yr punjab’s chappathis around my home. I couldn’t taste that originality anywhere else even after having spent 25 years of my life in a nation which has so many Indians of different states. Like the Chinese food we get in every restaurant which is very different from the original recipes. I wish and hope that you will post the original and delicious recipes of Punjab
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NOV
28th April 2005, 12:58 PM
Please continue here:
http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?t=3208