Make a Tandoor in a few minutes [Published]

dr rockerdr rocker Regular
edited June 2011 in Life
If this is better off in DIY, feel free to move it, however, it is a food topic I think.

I have always wanted a tandoor (an indian oven they make naan breads and kebabs and tandoor style food in) and had planned to make one when I make my 'outdoor kitchen' - a plan for a fixed BBQ, wood fired pizza oven and tandoor - but this will have to wait until I get my patio down.

Whilst out today, I came across two 14" terracota pots that were pretty cheap - £15 for both, and I thought I would have a little exeperiment.

This is one of the pots - you can just make out where I have marked a square up for cutting. The cuts were done at 45 degrees or as near as with a 5" angle grinder and a stone cutting disk. The 45 degree angle is so the cut out can be put back in place without danger of it falling through.

6p20qv.jpg

I also had some 1/4" rebar lying around - I sharpened the ends of it with the grinder and a metal disk. These will be the squewers - an added benefit of rebar is it is ribbed so it should hold the food better.

1zn2wpi.jpg

Here you can see the cuts made to both pots. The bottom pot has had the lip cut off so the upper pot will sit on it and a small hole cut in it to let air in and poke the fire if need be - the upper pot has the square cut out.

ok61q0.jpg

Rather than burn my hands moving the squewers around, they were near enough the right size so they would fit into a bit of bamboo cane - this did split but I whipped the handle with the string I use for tying up my tomatoes.

2v8lkys.jpg

And this is the tandoor heating up - I lit some charcoal in the bottom of it and almost as soon as I put the upper pot on, it started to roar - the chimney action of the pot helping draw air through the hole I cut in the bottom.

98r0q9.jpg

Food pics to follow while I wait for this bad boy to get hot.

Comments

  • edited June 2011
    Looks pretty badass. Never knew you could heat up pots like that without them breaking :thumbsup: Might give it a shot when I'm next feeling adventurous.
  • dr rockerdr rocker Regular
    edited June 2011
    trx100 wrote: »
    Looks pretty badass. Never knew you could heat up pots like that without them breaking :thumbsup: Might give it a shot when I'm next feeling adventurous.

    Maybe I heated mine up too quick (like in 45 minutes and not 7 hours or something, but you know, the thing has allready baked in an oven - it did steam a little when it was warming up so maybe it has not been heated as high as I expected it would have been) but mine has cracked from the doorway I cut and very slightly where I cut the square out, but I will still be able to cook in it no probs. I daresay it will work again as long as I do not move it around.

    Fuck it, I have been down to look at it twice whilst writting this, its been near 2 hours, time to cook.
  • acid_dropacid_drop Regular
    edited June 2011
    Is this an idea from "Good Eats" ??? I say this recently after downloading a few seasons from that show.

    If so, thumbs up on your good taste.
  • dr rockerdr rocker Regular
    edited June 2011
    acid_drop wrote: »
    Is this an idea from "Good Eats" ??? I say this recently after downloading a few seasons from that show.

    If so, thumbs up on your good taste.

    Never seen or heard of it, allways wanted one as I seem to remember some one saying they could cook a whole chicken in 15 minutes. I could make it a shit load more effecient.

    68vw3d.jpg

    The first picture shows it cooking away. It was making no smoke at all until I put the meat in. It was stream coming out due to the meat cooking. Next time I will put a potatoe or an onion on the bottom as the bottom bit got really singed.

    I cooked two lamb chops and two chicken breast that had been cut into three larg chunks each. The took about 20 minutes - it was pissing down with rain but I got them into some foil.

    The last picture shows the crack on the lower pot.
  • dr rockerdr rocker Regular
    edited June 2011
    If the lower pot was burried under sand or something but with a tube - or tubes, I think mine could have done with double the air to really get hot. The sand would hold the pot and it would not matter if it cracked. I would probably bury a portion of the upper pot too, and rather than cut into the base, cut off the whole base and have it for a lid.

    If I had used smaller tools and cleaned up work areas by grinding and shaping I do not think it would have cracked.

    I have got some bits and pieces around that I can make a mould for slabs of riaku clay to form full tandoors that can be burried. It di seem that their is a definitive skill to getting the coals in the right place to take advantage of the draught in the door, much like getting different areas of a BBQ hot.

    It is worth doing, food cooked perfect.
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited June 2011
    Fucking awesome thread...:thumbsup:
  • edited June 2011
    I like. next time I have money for pots n food I'll give her a whirl
  • DaktologistDaktologist Global Moderator
    edited June 2011
    I'm going to try this.
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited June 2011
    I'm going to try this.
    Same,same...:cool:
  • edited June 2011
    Nicely done DrRocker, and thanks for the How-To. I have made a few bush ovens before on long camping trips, and used sand to hold the heat, so definitely try that. I look forward to seeing what you and anyone who makes one comes up with this summer.

    C/O
  • CaptainFalconCaptainFalcon Regular
    edited June 2011
    Fuck this shitty thread. This tandoor serves fuck all purpose. Naans are supposed to be stuck INSIDE the tandoor, and how in the fuck are you going to put a Kabab on there? Fuck off, twat ass bitch.
  • CaptainFalconCaptainFalcon Regular
    edited June 2011
    Looks like someone is on their period. :thumbsdown:

    FUCK YOU, MOTHERNlGGER :angry::angry::angry:
  • thewandererthewanderer Regular
    edited June 2011
    FUCK YOU, MOTHERNlGGER :angry::angry::angry:

    STOP YELLING YOUR CAPS LOCK KEY IS SO LOUD!!!!!!!!
  • CaptainFalconCaptainFalcon Regular
    edited June 2011
    STOP YELLING YOUR CAPS LOCK KEY IS SO LOUD!!!!!!!!

    I am going to rape your mouth, bitch.
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    This is badass. I saw alton brown do something similar with 2 of these pots and a hotplate to make a cheap smoker. Let us know how your Naan turns out
Sign In or Register to comment.