Relating to a method of cooking in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven that reaches very high temperatures. Food cooked this way, especially marinated meats and bread, develops a distinctive smoky flavor and charred exterior.
From Hindi तंदूरी (tandūrī) and Urdu تندوری (tandūrī), meaning 'of or relating to a tandoor.' The base word tandoor comes from Persian تنور (tanūr), meaning 'oven.' The term entered English in the mid-20th century as Indian restaurants became popular in Britain and North America.
The tandoor oven can reach temperatures of up to 900°F (480°C), which is nearly twice as hot as most home ovens! Interestingly, tandoor cooking spread from Central Asia through Persia to India, but the word 'tandoori' as we know it was actually popularized by Indian restaurants in the West, making it a reverse cultural export.
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