Tandoori Chicken with oven.jpg

A tandoor ( or ) is a large urn-shaped oven, usually made of clay, originating from the Indian Subcontinent. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti and naan, as well as to roast meat. The tandoor is predominantly used in Western Asian, Central Asian, South Asian and Horn of African cuisines.

The roots of the tandoor can be traced back over 5000 years, to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, one of the oldest known civilizations. The standard heating element of a tandoor is an internal charcoal or wood fire, which cooks food with direct heat and smoke. Tandoors can be fully above ground, or partially buried below ground, often reaching over a meter in height/depth. Temperatures in a tandoor can reach , and they are routinely kept lit for extended periods. Therefore, traditional tandoors are usually found in restaurant kitchens. Modern tandoors are often made of metal. Variations, such as tandoors with gas or electric heating elements, are more common for at-home use.

Etymology

The English word comes from Urdu ''tandūr'', which came from Persian ''tanūr'' () or () from Arabic ''tannūr'' () and ultimately came from the Akkadian word ''tinūru'' (𒋾𒂟), which consists of the parts ''tin'' "mud" and ''nuro/nura'' "fire" and is mentioned as early as in the Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh, c.f. also Avestan ''tanûra'' and Middle Persian ''tanûr''. In Sanskrit, the tandoor was referred to as ''kandu''.

Words related and similar to ''tandoor'' are used in various languages, for example the Dari Persian words ''tandūr'' and ''tanūr'', Arabic ''tannūr'' (تنّور), Armenian ''t’onir'' (Թոնիր), Assyrian ''tanūra'' (ܬܢܘܪܐ), Azerbaijani ''təndir'', Georgian ''tone'' (თონე), Hebrew ''tanúr'' (תנור), Kyrgyz ''tandyr'' (тандыр), Kazakh ''tandyr'' (тандыр), Kurdish ''tenûr'', Tat ''tənur'', Tajik ''tanur'' (танур), Turkish ''tandır'', Turkmen ''tamdyr'', Uzbek ''tandir,'' Luganda ''ttanuulu, and Somali Tinaar.''

Operation

The first time a tandoor is used, the temperature must be gradually increased to condition the interior of the oven. This step is crucial in ensuring the longevity of the tandoor. Conditioning can be done by starting a very small fire and slowly adding fuel to gradually increase the amount of heat inside the tandoor.
Hairline cracks might form during conditioning; this is normal and will not interfere with the performance of the tandoor oven. When the oven cools off, the hairline cracks will barely be noticeable. They are essential in allowing the clay body of the tandoor to breathe ( thermal expansion and contraction).
The slower the temperature inside the tandoor is increased during its first use, the fewer hairline cracks will develop.

Types

Arab world: tannour / tannur

Persianate world and Southern Asia

Afghan tandoor

The Afghan tandoor sits above the ground and is made of bricks.

Punjabi tandoor

The Punjabi tandoor from South Asia is traditionally made of clay and is a bell-shaped oven, which can either be set into the earth or rest above the ground and is fired with wood or charcoal reaching temperatures of about . Tandoor cooking is a traditional aspect of Punjabi cuisine in undivided Punjab.

In India and Pakistan, tandoori cooking was traditionally associated with the Punjab, as Punjabis embraced the tandoor on a regional level, and became popular in the mainstream after the 1947 partition when Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus resettled in places such as Delhi. In rural Punjab, it was common to have communal tandoors.
Some villages still have a communal tandoor, which was a common sight prior to 1947.

Armenian tonir

In ancient times, the ''tonir'' was worshiped by the Armenians as a symbol of the sun in the ground. Armenians made tonirs in resemblance with the setting sun "going into the ground" (the Sun being the main deity). The underground tonir, made of clay, is one of the first tools in Armenian cuisine, as an oven and as a thermal treatment tool. Armenians are said to have originated underground tonirs.

Azerbaijani tandir

In ancient times people used it to cook bread and various dishes.

Tandir bread (''təndir çörəyi'', tandoori bread) is widespread bread type in Azerbaijan. Tandir bread is baked from the heat of the tandir's walls, which ensures very fast baking.

One of the world's biggest tandoors was built in Azerbaijan's southern city of Astara in 2015. The height of the tandoor is and the diameter is . The tandoor consists of 3 parts.

Turkmen tamdyr

Baking a traditional, white bread called in Turkmen, is an ancient and honored culinary ritual in Turkmenistan. It is made in the traditional clay oven, known as in Turkmenistan.

Most Turkmen families living in the rural area have tamdyrs in their household. Occasionally, housewives get together and bake for several families. One of most famous kinds of baked in the Turkmen tamdyr is (bread with meat), made during traditional holidays. Turkmens bake not only bread in the tamdyr, but also several dishes, the most famous of which is ''somsa'' (an independent dish, similar to a pie, of any shape with a filling, usually beef).
Various spices can be added to the Turkmen bread: cumin