Re the cracking in Tandoori ovens..

The first time I used mine, . I put in Charcoal briquettes and had it going like a blast furnace..obviously being a man only read the instructions the next day ..The instructions read... Do not use fire briquettes during the first burn and for the first 3 sessions of tandoor
Anyway, next morning after reading the instructions gingerly emptied out the ashes and b()llocks the bottom was all crazed  ... Just about sh1t myself, and had a lump in my throat felt like blubbing , wife not happy!! Spent a miserable morning the  Phew !!! saw the Australian site, so no harm done ;D..http://tandoorliving.com.au/domestic-tandoor-care-maintenance.html.

Been raining here a lot so have only been able to use a couple of times at weekends.  Have had a high casualty rate with the Naan's though as they wouldn't stick, so out of 6 only got three to eat so that worked out at 1/2 naan each.  very nice they were though
I don't think the oven is fully seasoned yet..The site also mentioned that......

" Mix 1 tablespoon of salt into 0.5 litre of luke warm water and wet a sponge or cloth with the salt solution.  Squeeze the excess salt solution from the sponge/cloth and gently wipe the damp sponge/cloth over the wall of the Tandoor.  Rinse the sponge/cloth in the salt solution and repeat until the wall has been fully wiped over.  Do not wet the clay liner too much.  Allow the Tandoor to dry.  After the Tandoor has been fired for a total of 6 hours you will be ready to start cooking naan and roti bread.  This salt solution wipe will assist with the naan and roti bread sticking to the Tandoor wall.  The process can be repeated every now and then as in addition to assisting with naan/roti sticking, it also assists with removing soot that can develop over time on the Tandoor wall.

There are also a few recipes that look as though they are worth a whizz. http://tandoorliving.com.au/Tandoori-cuisine-recipe-indian-curry.html

Cheers

Jocko


But the Tandoori chicken was excellento!

Excellent post re the cooking lessons with Az
I am glad that people are now seeing the light re "singeing" 

After experimenting with big gas rings /high heat etc. over the past few years. see "Flaming Balti"  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1104.msg9632#msg9632 posted way back in 2006.

I have found that using a domestic gas cooker still does the bizzo, although a bit messy with the splatter and smoke inside the house as the pics from the restaurant kitchen re Az will attest. Then...buy a splatter guard?!?!

So curry fans please don?t go off on the tangent and starting detailed discussion threads about the Megawatt output of  burners etc? :. Just think; ?If domestic cookers weren?t hot enough no houses would burn down with chip pan fires?.

Anyway, I have used the method below to make my Balti /Karahi style curries, which I and anybody else who has eaten them think meets the BIR taste test.

In your frypan/wok heat the oil hot and quickly sizzle your chosen spice mix until aromatic, just before burning add garlic/ginger mix this will spatter, keep cooking Add Onion, Green or Red peppers, fresh chilies, then just before everything starts to burn again add the base sauce a ladle at a time , add methi leaves (teaspoon or so) and half a tomato..Once bubbling add chicken pieces and turn down the heat and cook for a few minutes, just till the chicken is cooked through, do it too long and it gets tough. Don?t cook so long that the pepper goes soft .
Now take another pan, I use a small Karahi and add a tablespoon of oil "bog standard vegetable" . Heat till really hot "smokin" and tip your cooked curry into the pan, you may get fire, you will get sizzle, splatter and "the" smell.
Give a quick stir ..make sure your chicken is cooked..  garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
Instead of using only ground spices I have used meat masala pastes just after frying the spices but before adding the peppers & onions and it does add to the flavor, around a tablespoon for a small Karahi. I use Ashok meat Masalas brand paste here in Malaysia which is made in India, but I am sure you can get similar in the UK .
Re the bases I have tried a number of different bases and to be honest haven't noticed much difference between them. I think if you get that sort of sweet cooked onion flavour you are not far off. Again as shown in the Az base video, the base was simple.

I liked the addition in the Az cooking re the whole spice flavoured water and the home made garam masala. I will definitely have to give that a go.

Anyway Fleet 5 well done!!

Cheers

Jocko

I have finished off balti style curries both with a megga burner and a normal domestic gas cooker.
I have used steel karahi's both times and I have achieved the smokey flavour.. that I want.. doing it both ways.
I use about 1 tablespoon of oil and heat up till smoking and then add the finished curry. Turn off the heat and swirl around, finally adding fresh coriander before serving.
I have also repeated the dish without "sizzling" and the differences are clear, both to me and to my curryholic family.
Where the flavour comes from??...I don't really care.. I just know it is there when I heat the oil.

The real issue is the mess around the cooker, the walls and the smoke indoors, it will literally take your breathe away. So that's why, as DalPuri says.." best to do it outside"

Cheers Jocko

You can try this you tube link...Fish Curry

Hi there,

Yep it's not the ingredients that are burning but the mixture of oil vapour & steam above the pan, you don't heat the oil so much that it starts to burn, i.e. chip pan scenario. Now that stinks..
Re carcinogenic, so are chips & crisps & most importantly chicken tikka!!. In the words of Private Fraser "We're aw doomed".  Of course, we could start eating raw ostrich eggs fed on alfalfa. see...

  http://www.mercola.com/2002/jul/3/fast_food.htm

Re Cory Ander and the question of the burner, afraid I don't know the answer to that I bought mine for about 3 quid in a local supermarket. I will post a picture of it if you like.

Re Curry Chris...Ceilings fine cos I do it outside.

Cheers

Jockomalay