Tandoori Spice: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

A popular spice used to flavor such Indian dishes as Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori Shrimp, Tandoori Fish, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Kebabs and Seekh Kebabs, tandoori spice is actually a combination of spices.  The mix varies, depending on who made it, but it most likely includes cardamom, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, ginger, paprika, turmeric and perhaps a pinch of saffron.  It is dark orange in color and packs quite a taste wallop.  But it’s not burning to the tongue unless it’s overloaded with cayenne pepper.

 If you like your food richly flavored,
use at least 1 tablespoon tandoori spice, either sprinkled on chicken/lamb/fish just before baking or in a yogurt-based sauce used either to marinate the chicken/lamb/fish before or during cooking.  If you don’t have plain yogurt, sour cream can substitute.

Indian restaurants generally have ovens made of clay, known as tandoors. Some can heat up to 800-900 degrees.  Naturally anything baked at that temperature will be cooked quickly. You can buy home tandoors for $500 or more, but to me they don’t seem practical for home cooking unless you’re preparing tandoori food a few nights a week.  You can somewhat duplicate the taste using your own oven and tandoori spice.

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