The Tandoori Thread

zaphod · January 26

recipes, techniques, equipment, and lots of pictures of all of the above.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

Yes! I’ll start posting tomorrow. This thread is going to be epic.

lkapigian · January 26

Bombdiggity!

caliking · January 26

some "stream of consciousness" thoughts (which I, and others), will surely contribute to):
- for veggies, you want thin skewers. When grilling vertically, rotation of the item on the skewer is less of an issue, but when grilling horizontally, a narrow flat skewer helps. Try skewering the veg on 2 narrow skewers to solve the rotation problem.

- mayo in the marinade is your friend. Adds some fat for that self basting element, some sugar to get a level of char/caramelization, won't thin out the marinade too much etc.

- you MUST make paneer tikka, or something similar. Store bought paneer (Gopi brand is pretty good, available at Costco) stands up somewhat better to grilling than homemade. If the store brand is too firm, you can try soaking in warm water for 30 mins or so, prior to marination. Cut the chunks big. Extra firm tofu also works, but paneer is moar good.

- any recipe that calls for more than 1 tsp of garam masala should be examined closely.

- the acid (yogurt, citrus juice) in the marinade is primarily meant to tenderize the meat (4-6 hrs; overnight marination will turn the meat into mush). For veg, add some yogurt/citrus juice, but add lemon/lime zest for great flavor

- there aren't really any lemons in India/Pakistan. Use limes whenever possible. Lemons don't destroy the recipe, but some people are purists (maybe me

)

- @The Cen-Tex Smoker has a great AR setup for tandoori style grilling. I'm sure he will post it.

- for long tandoor skewers check=
https://www.nishienterprise.com/search?type=article,page,product&q=skewer*

- threading skewers through the top vent of the BGE is painful. Set foil wrapped bricks on the the grid, so the skewers lay across them, and the veg/protein is up off the grid. Flip a few times during the cook, for that self basting effect.

- own stock in Lipitor? As in Chicago, baste with ghee... early, and often.

And, thanks for starting this thread. More to come.

caliking · January 26

if grilling vertically, an unpeeled raw potato (half) should be at the end. Rub with salt and turmeric before placement on the end of the skewer which faces the fire, 6"-8" from the coals. The fat and juices from the protein baste the potato bit... it shields the groceries, and gets so crispy and flavorful.

JohnInCarolina · January 26

Oh boy, this thread is going to be a gold mine of useful info.

Legume · January 26

Might as well link or bump the naan thread while you're at it.

JohnInCarolina · January 26

Legume said:

Might as well link or bump the naan thread while you're at it.

Along those lines, this naan recipe @caliking shared with me is my standard go-to:

https://www.tandoors.com/2018/06/25/in-tandoor-recipe-delicious-garlic-naan/

I tend to cook the pieces in my Roccbox, but a very hot BGE probably works too.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

When we got in to Indian cooking, like most other things we do, I was (willingly) relegated to grill duty while TFJ (wife lady) does most of the heavy lifting with the real stars of the show (veggie sides and paneer).

Since all I had to do was “tandoor” I got nerdy about it. I tried hanging skewers from the chimney/dome. It worked but was kind of a pain in the arse. If you are into that, I recommend putting the meat on skewers and then putting a half of an onion or potato on the end of the skewer to keep the meat closest to the tip
from burning. In the end- this way is unnecessarily complicated and more for show than functional.

The one thing I figured out was that most of the meat we cook is wet marinated (yogurt based) and a tandoor does not have grill grates for the marinade to stick to. When I was trying to figure out the best way to replicate that while also cooking the meat evenly. After much trial and error, I realized that my Adjustable Rig fit the my skewers perfectly and I didn’t need a grate.

Here is that setup:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/qz/9js37przkwh1.jpeg

I use this setup for a lot of different cooks. The dark red skewers are Al Pastor chicken thigh.

Tandoori Masala

Recipe By: Shefaly Ravula

Yield: 1 cup

Summary:

For Tandoori Paneer, marinate in spice, yogurt, ginger, garlic & salt

For Tandoori Chicken, marinate in spice, yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt and lemon juice

Ingredients:

- 4 tbsp. whole coriander seeds

- 3 tbsp. cumin seeds

- 2 tbsp. black peppercorns

- 1 tbsp. whole cloves

- 6 whole Kashmiri chilies

- 2 tbsp. whole green cardamom pods

- 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds

- 3 two inch pieces cinnamon

- 1 teaspoon bishops weed (ajwain seeds)

- 1 tsp. ground turmeric

- 3 tbsp. paprika

- 1 tsp. nutmeg, fresh grated

Directions:

1. Heat large cast iron over medium heat and add whole spices. Toast for just a few minutes, stirring frequently. When the aroma of the spice is released, it is time to remove the pan form the heat. 2. Move spices to a cool plate. When completely cool, grind. 3. Add rest of spices and continue grinding to blend well

More to come

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

It’s also a great setup for souvlaki and halal cart style chicken.

JohnInCarolina · January 26

I now know what I’ll be cooking next weekend.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

Souvlaki thread with same setup

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1233397/chicken-thigh-souvlaki?utm_source=community-search&utm_medium=organic-search&utm_term=souvlaki

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

Now for the real stuff:

the Chloe Masala. this is my favorite Indian food and and my favorite brown person on this forum said ‘you would not know a brown person didn't make this’” when we served in to their home.

Chloe Masala

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds

- 6 whole red chilies

- 2 tsp. whole fenugreek seeds

- 2 tsp. cumin seeds

- 3 tejpatta (Indian bay leaves)

- 3 inch cinnamon stick

- 8 whole green cardamom pods

- 2 whole black cardamoms (seeds only)

- 1/2 tsp. whole cloves

- 1 1/2 tsp. amchoor powder

- 2 tsp. kasoori methhi (optional)

- 3/4 tsp. black salt

- 1 tsp. ground turmeric

Directions:

1. Heat large cast iron over medium heat and add whole spices. Toast for just a few minutes, stirring frequently. When the aroma of the spice is released, it is time to remove the pan form the heat. 2. Move spices to a cool plate. When completely cool, grind. 3. Add rest of spices and continue grinding to blend well.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

Chickpea Curry (Chloe Masala)

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp. grape seed oil

- 2 tbsp. ghee

- 6 whole cloves

- 2 dry red chilies

- 1-2 Indian bay leaves (tej patta)

- 2 inch cinnamon stick

- 1/2 tsp. cumin seed

- 1 large onion, diced

- 1/4 tsp. turmeric

- 1 tbsp. garlic paste (equivalent to 5 cloves)

- 1 tbsp. ginger paste

- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 tbsp. chhole masala

- 1 1/2 cans Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed

- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

- Garnish with lime and tomato wedges

Directions:

1. Heat oil and ghee in a large pot over high heat. Add next 4 ingredients and fry for a few minutes. Add cumin seeds and lower heat if necessary to avoid burning. Fry 1-2 minutes more, stirring constantly.

2. Add onions and turmeric. Onions should sizzle until lightly brown.

3. Add garlic and ginger, mashing into onions and cooking until it forms a paste, about 5 min. Lower heat if necessary to avoid further browning.

4. Add tomatoes and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and let cook 30 minutes, mashing the tomatoes a bit. You will begin to see the oil separate from the tomato/onion paste.

5. Add the chhole masala and cook 5-10 minutes

6. Add the chickpeas and 1-1 1/2 cups of water. Stir well, partially cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Remove cinnamon stick, chilies and cloves if desired, adjust salt & sprinkle with cilantro

Notes:

If using store bought masala: omit salt, add 1-2 tsp. Reshampatti chili powder and 2 tsp. ground coriander

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 26

Saag Paneer

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp. ghee

- 1/2 tsp. cumin seed

- 1 small onion, finely chopped

- 1 tbsp. garlic paste

- 1 tbsp. ginger paste

- 1/2 tsp. turmeric

- 1 tsp. kosher salt

- 1 tbsp. ground coriander

- 1/2 tsp. cayenne

- 1 tomato, diced

- 1 lb baby spinach

- 1 recipe paneer

- 1 tsp. garam masala

- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

- 1 cup half and half (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat ghee over medium heat. Add cumin seeds (they should sizzle) and then chopped onion. Let cook 5 min, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned.

2. Add garlic, ginger and turmeric. Stir well and continue to cook onion mixture another 10 minutes.

3. Add next 3 spices and cook a few minutes until aromatic.

4. Add tomatoes, stir cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Oil should separate.

5. Add spinach a few handfuls at a time, allowing spinach to cook down and make room for more spinach in the pot. Cook 10 minutes after all the spinach is incorporated. Add water 1/2 cup at a time (up to 11/2 cups) as needed too keep from sticking or browning.

6. Purée sauce to desire consistency. Stir in sautéed paneer cubes, garam masala and fenugreek leaves. Cook 5 min. Stir in cream, warm through and serve.

caliking · January 27

I am the said brown person referenced above, and yes everything @The Cen-Tex Smoker said is true.

But... It's chhole masala

( some say chana masala)

caliking · January 27

Extra credit for mentioning the Hindi/Desi names of spices!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 27

caliking said:

I am the said brown person referenced above, and yes everything @The Cen-Tex Smoker said is true.

But... It's chhole masala ( some say chana masala)

i thought I had saved with the incorrect spelling (who tf has 2 “hh” in words). Haha.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 27

And I refer to it as chana masala but TFJ makes it and sent me the recipe.

zaphod · January 27

this thread is just great. Lots of questions coming to mind. I'd love to have a zoom session where we can discuss and learn and get inspired.

caliking · January 27

Let me just add , that CT and TFJ are two people (of maybe 5 total that I know ) who aren't brown aunties, but most definitely cook like them.

caliking · January 27

zaphod said:

this thread is just great. Lots of questions coming to mind. I'd love to have a zoom session where we can discuss and learn and get inspired.

Ask away! Feel free to PM anyone here. A lot of us chat off the forum, too.

zaphod · January 27

i've tried PM'ing a few people, but I always end up with "This user's profile is private" so I gave up. Much more success with postings.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 27

I just pm’d you my cell and email. I dont think im
set to private on here but I don’t check in here as much as unused to. Text me or email me if you have any questions or want to talk something through.

zaphod · January 27

emailed you back, glad to make contact.

JohnInCarolina · January 27

zaphod said:

i've tried PM'ing a few people, but I always end up with "This user's profile is private" so I gave up. Much more success with postings.

You can send a PM to anyone here, even if their account is private. You just click on messages and then the button to type a new one, which should bring you to a page that looks like this:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/og/ahbt3c4u8fj3.png

Type their handle into the recipients box, and it'll work fine, regardless of whether or not their account is set to private.

Canugghead · January 27

+1 ^^^ type their handle without the @ sign

lkapigian · January 27

To clarify, messages within your mailbox click new ?

lousubcap · January 27

If you aren't "private" you get up to 50 recipients. So, there's that

.

Canugghead · January 27

lkapigian said:

To clarify, messages within your mailbox click new ?

Yes, scroll to the bottom in your inbox...

You can also click on the envelope at the top right, then click on the pen...

lkapigian · January 27

lousubcap said:

If you aren't "private" you get up to 50 recipients. So, there's that .

I don’t know 50 people

The Tandoori Thread

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