Topic: Tandoor Restoration

[Invisible Mike]

The missus and I went on a bit of a road trip to deepest Kent yesterday to pick up my new toy. A portable propane tandoor which I got off eBay for ?60. Not a bad buy I thought but I think it needs a little work doing to it before use.

The main problem is it is a little rusty, notably on the inside where it is fine and powdery - not good for sticking naans to!

I'm thinking (unless there is something more suitable?) of buying some fire clay as used in homemade pizza ovens and lining the inside with it - to maybe 1/2" - 1" thickness. Hopefully this will also increase its heat retention properties and thus save on gas. Not sure whether I need to prime the surface in any way to form a 'key' for the clay to stick to?

I'm just wondering, do I need to put clay balls in the bottom of it or even charcoal for that fabled smokey flavour?

I know there's one or two people on here who have refurbished tandoors. Any hints and tips would be gratefully received. 

MM

[chewytikka]

MM,
Wet and  Dry and elbow grease and get it cleaned up.
If it was supposed to have a clay lining it would have been made with it.

If the burner can be easily removed, take it out and fill it with lump wood
and get the fire going to try it out.

Must admit never seen that type, but Gav bought a new metal one which works.

Interesting
cheers Chewy

[Invisible Mike]

The burner is welded on underneath. Cheers I'll get the sandpaper on it and see what it comes up like.

[Invisible Mike]

Just had the wire brush drill attachment on the tandoor. Cleaned 99% of the rust off pretty well will see if the rest burns off when my gas bottle arrives.

I'm going to be up near Uncle's this afternoon so will pop in and grab some proper skewers and a gaddi. - And see if I can get a jar of Pataks kebab paste so I can have a session Friday night. 

[littlechilie]

This looks like a good buy, especially during a UK heatwave. Good luck with your find.

[George]

I'm just wondering, do I need to put clay balls in the bottom of it or even charcoal for that fabled smokey flavour?
I know there's one or two people on here who have refurbished tandoors. Any hints and tips would be gratefully received. 

I'm 'refurbishing' a very similar tandoor oven which I have. Yours looks like the deluxe model because mine lacks the gauze/grille wire around the sides. It's an ingenious basic design (from Pakistan) and gets incredibly hot. My early trials suggest it will cook naan bread and tikkas on skewers to perfection. The worst problem is the very yellow flame and resultant soot produced, probably coasting the food to produce a 'smokey flavour'. Cancerous? I modified the inlets on mine to increase the air flow to the burners. It made the flame more blue and with less soot but work is on-going before I'm happy to declare it usable.

There's no way I would add a clay lining. The metal lining gets so hot, I think the last thing you need is heat retention. I;m more interested in cooling it down a bit, so the base of naan breads look right,

I added lava rocks to a tray in the bottom of mine, although I;m not sure what the purpose of clay or lava is, Maybe it's heat dispersal and I also hoped the rocks would pick up soot rather than depositing it on the food.

It's almost a year since your opening post. Have you made any further progress?

[bigboaby1]

Hi George I would be tempted to line the inside with fire clay in some otherwise I would never be 100% happy but that's just me....Food just won't taste the same without it...Clay is essential for the TA flavour but that's just in my opinion   ...Lava rocks are fine but I prefer to use barbeque coals in my home made  tandoor, taste so much better..The tandoor looks the biz and a steal at the price. I wish I'd have seen it first......

BB1

[George]

BB1 - thank you for your suggestions, which I will experiment with,  I have now fitted a new central burner to my tandoor oven as seen in the attached image. It produces a much healthier looking flame than the awful yellow, sooty flame of the original, wholly inadequate burner ring. I removed the original ring with an angle grinder and then cut out part of the bottom of the oven with tin snips. I should add that it's wholly thanks to you that I bought the new burner ring on amazon in the USA. There was no request for duty or VAT so maybe it's included in amazon's handling fee,.

[haldi]

When I cook naans in my tandoor
I heat it for an hour, then turn the flames down low
Otherwise the flames burn the naans before they are cooked through
I also dot the "sticking"side with water to help it grip
The exposed side , to the flame, is baisted in oil
I get good results but it's taken a very long time to get right
I normally cook about 10 at a time
The other big problem I sorted was the naans drying out or flattening
You can't stack them in a pile
the bubbles get flattened and it ruins them
They need to "set"spread out
Also they dry out
So as soon as possible they need to go in a bag or container
The takeaways round here use foil bags
I've never been able to source them, but they are obviously ideal
Hope you have fun
Love cooking them
I use the "Pacman"recipe still
I tried others, but "Pacman"is my favourite when using the tandoor

[Peripatetic Phil]

The takeaways round here use foil bags
I've never been able to source them, but they are obviously ideal

Maybe here, Haldi.
** Phil.