Caucasian food is something special. Nobody can resist her. In this article, we will tell you how to get a little closer to this cuisine, talk about the Armenian tandoor and try to make it yourself! Let's also get acquainted with one classic recipe for making cakes in the oven.
General information
Tandir is a special oven-brazier and barbecue at the same time. The Armenian tandoor always has a special spherical or jug-shaped shape. Its main purpose is cooking, and the auxiliary function is to heat the room where it is installed. Previously, this stove could always be found in the courtyard of Armenian families. Today this tradition is preserved, but not as massively as it was before.
There are models of the Armenian tandoor, both portable and stationary. But the stove is always characterized by an extremely high heat capacity, while being economical in fuel consumption.
Who needs a tandoor
The described stove will be useful for those people who like to eat delicious food. But it should be borne in mind that its manufacture will requirespace, that is, this is an option only for those people who have their own yard. You don't have to be an Armenian or a native of other countries where the tandoor is considered part of their traditions and history, you just need to love delicious food to get one.
How to make your own
Do-it-yourself Armenian tandoor can be made by almost anyone, if you know the manufacturing technology and features well. We will talk about this now. Armenian tandoor is sometimes also called tonir. It is made from special fireclay bricks and a special clay solution.
We will talk about the easiest option for manufacturing, for this reason our Armenian tandoor oven will have the shape of a cylinder (without a cone). The model will be stationary, as it will have a very, very impressive weight.
Before you start making the oven, you need to get all the necessary materials:
- It will take at least 500 bricks to make a tandoor.
- You will also need to prepare a special mix for laying bricks.
- In the process of making the oven, you will stir it with water to the consistency that you need.
Under the furnace it is not required to make a full-fledged foundation.
Production
Getting Started:
- In the place where your tandoor will be located in the future, you need to dig a small area, it should be equal in size to two approximate diameters of the future furnace. It is not necessary to dig deep, a depth equal to the height of the shovel bayonet is enough.
- After the hole is ready, fill half of its depth with sifted sand.
- After that, fill the pit with mortar for laying the furnace to the ground level.
- Next, drying is required. It will last about three weeks. At this time, you should protect your "construction site" from precipitation.
- While everything dries, you can start making a furnace template. Practice laying out the oven so that its inner surface is in the form of a cylinder. The thickness of the seams should be about 10 mm.
After the mortar in the base of the furnace has dried, let's start the main stage of work:
- The first initial row of bricks is laid out in such a way that there is a distance for seams between adjacent bricks. The bricks are stacked edge down (the side of the brick that has the smallest area).
- After one full turn is made, the row must be clearly aligned in the shape of a circle. Before laying, the bricks are dipped in water for a couple of seconds, and then the oven mortar is smeared on them. The bricks then return to their place.
- After finishing the laying of the first round, we proceed to the second and so on. After each circle, align it in shape, if necessary. The mortar dries for a long time, so you will always have time to fix something.
- Do not forget to leave a two-brick opening in the first row of masonry, it will act as a blower.
- Starting from the third row, the bricks are laid out completely, without gaps. It is only necessary to follow the dressing of the bricks (so that the edges of the bricks of the current row fall on the middle of the bricksprevious row).
- The last row is laid out from halves, which are filed in such a way as to create a narrowing in shape. The brick for this is sawn at an angle of forty-five degrees.
- After the completion of the masonry, it is necessary to carry out internal and external coating and let our finished Armenian tandoor dry. This will take about a month.
Starting up
The tandoor will dry for a month, but in two weeks it will be possible to make the initial firing. It should be carried out with light fuel (paper, cardboard, small wood chips).
To do this, you need to throw a small amount of fuel at the bottom of the tandoor and light a fire. Gradually add combustible materials, this should be done until the outer walls of the furnace become slightly warm. When this happens, the fire can be extinguished, cover the oven with a lid for a day to cool evenly.
When the walls cool down, the lid is removed and the tandoor is burned for another two weeks. Every day, the ignition procedure is repeated, but the heating is made stronger. On the last day, the heating should be such that if you splash water on the outer wall, it will immediately boil and hiss.
After that, the final firing is done. Normal fuel is put into the furnace. It should take about a quarter of the volume, make a fire. When the firewood burns out and coals begin to form, then the fuel in the tandoor is replenished again. This must be done until such a quantity of coals is formed in the furnace that their volume will be equal to about half the volume of the furnace. After this burning, the furnace is cleaned of ash, itfully prepared for cooking in it.
The best fuel for a tandoor is apple and cherry wood, but other fruit trees can also be used. If fruit trees are a scarce commodity for you, then use alder with a small addition of firewood from fruit trees.
Modern analogues
We looked at how to make a classic Armenian tandoor. But today you can find modern ready-made analogues. For example, the Armenian electric tandoor. This is a very convenient solution, from which there is no smoke during the cooking process. Of course, the prices for these products bite a little, but it’s worth saying that making a classic stove on your own is also not a simple matter. Electric tandoor can be placed in the gazebo or on the terrace.
What can be cooked in it
Armenian tandoor can be called a universal solution. For barbecue, by the way, it is perfect. In an abundance of heat, the meat is very tender and juicy. This oven is perfect for baking. Armenian lavash in the tandoor is something that you want to eat to the last crumb.
Here is a short list of what can be cooked in the tandoor, but these dishes are not limited to the capabilities of the oven:
- Beef.
- Lamb.
- Turkey.
- Chicken.
- Pork.
- Various game.
- Poultry.
- Vegetables.
- Bread and cakes.
- Fish (lake and sea).
- Seafood.
Features of cooking in the tandoor
Cooking in a tandoor is easy. Even without experience, you will succeed. Among the main and main advantages of cooking, we highlight:
- Special taste qualities of dishes (food is saturated with smoke and at the same time remains very juicy and he althy).
- Fast cooking. On average, the dish is cooked no more than twenty minutes. During this time, any product has time to cook thanks to the very powerful and plentiful heat of the oven.
- Easy to cook. You do not need to ensure that the meat does not burn, this does not happen in the tandoor.
Pancake recipe
It would be strange to end the article without at least one recipe. Consider how to cook tandoor cakes. They are made from unleavened dough. It is kneaded from 250 ml of pure water and 500 g of wheat flour, with a pinch of s alt and a teaspoon of dry yeast.
This dough is prepared without sourdough, but it is important to know that before shaping the cakes, it should double or triple in volume. The dough is divided into balls (each ball should weigh about 300 g) and rolled out rather thinly.
Flapjacks are baked right on the walls of the tandoor. Before placing the dough in the oven, it must be sprinkled with water. To keep the flat cake, the side that will be in contact with the wall must be sprinkled with s alt water.
Please note that you need to use gloves to put the cakes in the oven so as not to burn your hand. When the product becomes ruddy, it can be removed. On average forthe tortilla will take about ten minutes to cook.
Summing up
You got acquainted with the classic Armenian fireclay brick tandoor, and even learned how to make it yourself. In addition, they learned the basics of cooking in this oven and learned about the features of this process. If you have the opportunity and desire, then be sure to get your own personal tandoor. Your loved ones will definitely appreciate it.
