Tandoori masala
Encyclopedia
Tandoori masala is a mixture of spices specifically for use with a tandoor
, or clay oven, in traditional north Indian
, Pakistani and Afghan
cooking. The specific spices vary somewhat from one region to another, but typically include garam masala
, garlic
, ginger
, onion
, cayenne pepper
, and other spices and additives (e.g. lemon juice ...). The spices are often ground together with a pestle and mortar.
Tandoori masala is used extensively with dishes as tandoori chicken
. In this dish, the chicken is covered with a mixture of plain yogurt and tandoori masala. The chicken is then roasted in the tandoor
at very high heat. The chicken prepared in this fashion has a pink-colored exterior and a savory flavor.
Other chicken dishes, in addition to tandoori chicken, use this masala, such as tikka
or butter chicken
, most of them Punjabi dishes. Meat other than chicken can be used, for example, in tandoori fish or paneer tikka.
If freshly prepared, the masala can be stored in airtight jars for up to two months. Now, though, packets or canisters of tandoori masala are also readily available at larger supermarkets and specialty Asian stores, with varying tastes depending on the brand. This convenience has led to many tandoori enthusiasts buying the masala rather than making it at home.
Tandoor
A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as Burma and Bangladesh.The heat for a tandoor was...
, or clay oven, in traditional north Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
, Pakistani and Afghan
Culture of Afghanistan
The culture of Afghanistan has been around for over two millenniums, tracing record to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE. Afghanistan translates to the "place of Afghans" or "land of the Afghans" in the nation's official languages, Pashto and Dari...
cooking. The specific spices vary somewhat from one region to another, but typically include garam masala
Garam masala
Garam masala is a blend of ground spices common in North Indian and other South Asian cuisines. It is used alone or with other seasonings. The word garam refers to intensity of the spices rather than capsaicin content...
, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
, cayenne pepper
Cayenne pepper
The cayenne pepper—also known as the Guinea spice,cow-horn pepper, aleva, bird pepper,or, especially in its powdered form, red pepper—is a red, hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes and for medicinal purposes. Named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum...
, and other spices and additives (e.g. lemon juice ...). The spices are often ground together with a pestle and mortar.
Tandoori masala is used extensively with dishes as tandoori chicken
Tandoori chicken
Tandoori chicken is highly popular Indian and Pakistani dish consisting of roasted chicken, yogurt, and spices.-Preparation:The chicken is marinated in Yoghurt and seasoned with tandoori masala. It is moderately piquant in India and Pakistan, but the heat is reduced in most Western nations...
. In this dish, the chicken is covered with a mixture of plain yogurt and tandoori masala. The chicken is then roasted in the tandoor
Tandoor
A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as Burma and Bangladesh.The heat for a tandoor was...
at very high heat. The chicken prepared in this fashion has a pink-colored exterior and a savory flavor.
Other chicken dishes, in addition to tandoori chicken, use this masala, such as tikka
Tikka (food)
Tikka is a type of Indian and Pakistani food.-Food:The word that is pronounced in Hindi and Urdu refers to a piece of meat, such as a cutlet, and the popular dish chicken tikka is made of chicken cutlets in a marinade. A westernised version, chicken tikka masala, a curry, is a widely popular...
or butter chicken
Butter chicken
Butter chicken is part of the Indian cuisine, popular in countries all over the world. The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to Kundan Lal Gujral, a Hindu Punjabi, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Delhi. Butter Chicken is regarded to have been first introduced by Moti Mahal in...
, most of them Punjabi dishes. Meat other than chicken can be used, for example, in tandoori fish or paneer tikka.
If freshly prepared, the masala can be stored in airtight jars for up to two months. Now, though, packets or canisters of tandoori masala are also readily available at larger supermarkets and specialty Asian stores, with varying tastes depending on the brand. This convenience has led to many tandoori enthusiasts buying the masala rather than making it at home.