Have you ever been for an Indian meal and wondered how easy it would be to re-create those Tikka's, Naan's, and Tandoori chicken flavours, then wonder no more. The answer is in the "Tandoor," a simple clay oven. Without the use of a tandoor your not going to re-create those wonderful tastes the way a typical restaurant can. Gas operated tandoors can be purchased but why pay through the nose when all you need to know is right here in the pages of the Curryholics Cult.

The distinct flavours of food cooked in a tandoor is a result from the oils and fats dripping from the marinated meats onto the hot charcoal producing the smoky flavours we all enjoy. As I explained at the beginning that the tandoor is a simple clay oven, this is true but when I began building my own tandoor, obtaining suitable clay was far from simple. The truth is any fire resistant earthenware is quite okay, after numerous failed attempts at obtaining clay I finally used fire cement.

In the tandoor the meat cooks by a combination of convected and radiated heat while the Naan is pressed against the sides of the pot with the use of a small pillow and is cooked by conducted heat. (Incidentally, the familiar tear shape of Naan bread comes from the dough dripping down the sides of the tandoor). The meat is threaded onto skewers and placed into the hot oven then sit back with a cold kingfisher beer and wait.