There is something special about taking fresh vegetables from your own garden, cooking them over an open flame, and then enjoying them. While using a tandoor for cooking is typically associated with cooking meats and breads, the flavor that roasted vegetables create will provide you with a completely different culinary experience.
When roasted correctly, the veggies will offer you an incredible taste along with a blistered texture and a uniquely smoky taste which all come together due to the high temperature of the tandoor. This guide will provide you with instructions to prepare fresh vegetables in a tandoor.
Simple Marinades to Make Vegetables Shine
Tandoor cooking is high-temperature and non sauce based. Keep your marinades simple and oil based to protect your vegetables from burning. A good base would be, olive or mustard oil, salt, crushed garlic, and fresh garden herbs like rosemary, thyme or cilantro stems.
Use yogurt or lemon juice to help soften root vegetables while marinating, but do not use any sugars or thick pastes when marinating softer veggies as they burn quickly in the tandoor. Rarely should you marinate your vegetables more than 20 to 30 minutes to avoid release of water during cooking.
How to Skewer Your Vegetables For Cooking
Flat metal skewers work best because they do not spin and aid in even cooking of food. Skewer similar vegetables according to density. For example, potatoes and zucchini cannot be skewered together.
Leave some space between each piece of vegetable so that the hot air can circulate freely. Overcrowding will trap steam and create dullness to the fire roasted (tandoor) effect. When you skewer your vegetables, remove excess marinade before roasting them. This will prevent flare-ups during cooking).
Controlling the Temperature of a Tandoor
A tandoor is much hotter than any grill you would use at home and can exceed 800°F (427°C). With many types of vegetables, full peak temperature is not required. You should allow the fire to burn down a bit until the interior walls are heated and the flame has burned down.
Place your skewers vertically around the edge of the tandoor, not directly on top of the fire base. You should turn them every one to two minutes to avoid forming hot spots. Most of the vegetables will take between 6 and 12 minutes to cook, depending on how thick they are.
Managing Moisture on Humid Nights
Humidity can slow the browning of the surface of vegetables. To counteract this, oil your vegetables lightly just before putting them in the tandoor and do not cover cooked vegetables right after removing them from the tandoor. Let them sit uncovered for about a minute to allow the steam to escape and preserve the texture of the vegetables.
If you’re in a very humid climate, you can leave the tandoor lid slightly ajar to allow more moisture to escape.
When you set up your tandoor, be sure to place it on a surface that will protect it from heat and away from walls, trees and low roofs. Sparks and heat can burn vegetation and hard surfaces near the tandoor. You should always use long handled cooking utensils and heat rated gloves since a tandoor retains heat long after cooking is completed.
Have a metal tray available for hot skewers after cooking and never use stone or concrete to hold cooked skewers because they can crack from thermal shock.
Cleaning that Will Protect Your Space
Once your tandoor is completely cool, carefully remove all the ash and discard it far away from garden beds, because the addition of wood ash will change the pH of the soil. Clean the outside of your tandoor with a damp cloth to prevent build up of grease, especially if it is near plants or wooden decks.
Regular cleaning will help extend the life of the tandoor and preserve the flavor of future cooking.
From Backyard Cooking to Business Potential
When you’re cooking often, whether for parties or during research on small-scale food business ideas, capacity and heat consistency are essential components of the production process.
Larger, commercial design ovens offer better insulation, durability, and predictable performance across multiple batches. When exploring your options for serious home cooking or semi-commercial use, you should evaluate size options, fuel types, and quality. Check out Restaurant Supply tandoor equipment and compare the different options.
Many of the available options are ideal for chefs that need to manage several burners or work in small spaces. They are versatile and fit for use in restaurants, food trucks, and other catering services. From sealed tops to multi-burner configurations, there is something for everyone.
Use Proper Methods
Roasting garden vegetables in a tandoor requires that you consider the heat and the natural qualities of the veggies being roasted. Careful marinating, using proper methods of skewering, controlling the moisture of the product and preparing safely will help you achieve great results.
