Cooking on the Cob Tandoor

Cooking on the cob tandoor is magical!

Of all of our outdoor ovens, the gas bbq included, we use the tandoor by far the most often. In the summer we cook on it near nightly as it is quick to light and quick to cook. We also use it throughout the winter when we can tolerate standing outside. It is reliable enough to leave unattended allowing us to keep working on whatever project we have on the go while dinner cooks for us. It is also versatile enough that we routinely have people come for potlucks where everyone brings a little something to skewer up and throw in the oven. Some delicious discoveries have been made this way!

Here is how we have come to use our tandoor based on countless trials, many successes, and a few devastating errors:

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Building the Cob and Tadelakt Tandoor Oven

Tandoor 26a_watermark

As many will know, tandoor ovens are traditional clay ovens that have been used for millennia in much of the world. They are cylindrical in shape, often tapering and/or curving inward at the top to promote maximal heating. Food is cooked on metal skewers which dangle over the open wood fire built at the bottom of the cylinder. A hole at the bottom acts as an air intake, allowing the tandoor to behave like a giant chimney. The heat of the tandoor is absorbed and radiated by the clay,  creating an even cooking heat and searing in juices while the hot metal skewers cook food from the inside out. Juices and fats drip on to the fire to create a uniquely delicious smokey taste.

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