Topic: Cooking Naan Breads

[Chilli Prawn]

When we move next year, I will build my own Tandoor.  I have the plans & methods from a guy on the Net (I posted his site URL earlier).  Cheap as chips an worth it.  Anyway guys I am off for a while I have gad enough of the complaints, justified or not.

CP

[George]

I'm hoping to build my own tandoor, too.  Does anyone know whereabouts the naans are supposed to be stuck on the wall of the tandoor? They say the teardrop shape comes from the naan hanging down, so perhaps its stuck to a diagonal wall, sort of half way between a vertical and horizontal. I was just thinking that maybe I could shape my home made tandoor to faciliate the best means of cooking naan bread.

Regards
George

[Chilli Prawn]

Nice theory George, but it is my understanding that they are that shape to facilitate putting them in and taking them out the tandoor. Try these two sites (the first is the best).

I would advise that you buy the clay pot, it is made from special clay with hair mixed in to bind and strengthen it.  I am reliably informed you can not use any old clay.  However, and there is alwauys one, I have already posted a link to a site where the guy builds tandoors from terracotta plantpots!

http://piers.thompson.users.btopenworld.com/background.html main site

http://piers.thompson.users.btopenworld.com/breads.html Breads

http://www.indiantandoors.com/

Hope this helps George

CP

[George]

CP

I've read about the tear-drop shape being caused by gravity in several places, perhaps starting with Pat Chapman. Has anyone else read that? Thank you for the links. I'd seen them before and they provided some of my inspiration.

A proper clay liner would be far too expensive and less of a challenge than making my own out of readily available, low cost materials. My total budget is low ?10s. If it works, I'll let you know. If it fails, I won't have set myself up for ridicule by setting out the materials and design here. Suffice it to say that I want to build a tandoor that's about the same size as a BIR would use, so it's easier to get your hand quickly in and out, than with a small domestic one. Whereas most BIRs use gas these days, I will use charcoal for a hopefully superior aroma.

I hope it will also double up as (a) a bread oven and (b) a pizza oven.

Regards
George

[Cory Ander]

Hi George,

.....Does anyone know whereabouts the naans are supposed to be stuck on the wall of the tandoor?

As far as I know, the naans are stuck just inside the tandoor (i.e. in the neck of the tandoor, as it were.....obviously about half an arms length inside in fact!  ).  As you point out, the naans would therefore be stuck at an angle from vertical.

...They say the teardrop shape comes from the naan hanging down...

I've also read this in several places, probably also mainly in Pat Chapman's books.  This sounds feasible to me, particularly if the dough is very pliable and elastic.  I've also read the opposite; that this is all tosh and that the naan is pulled into a teardrop shape prior to cooking.  However, I really can't see a reason for doing this (apart from that it looks "right"!), including how it might facilitate placing and removing the bread from the tandoor?

I've also read that the clay is a "special clay" only availble from certain parts of India.  Yeah right!   :

You simply need a clay with the right properties, such as:

• able to be moulded (if you are going to do this yourself...much better off getting Demi Moore to do it for you though  )
• sufficient "green" (i.e. unfired) strength to be handled in the unfired state
• able to withstand the high temperature and temperature changes in a tandoor without cracking (i.e. ceramic material)
• sufficiently porous to absorb juices/smells etc
• hasn't got any nasty impurities in it which may be detrimental to your health!

The purpose of any "hair", that CP mentions, would be to increase the "green" (unfired) strength of the tandoor for handling (i.e. for construction and shipping) purposes only.  Of course there are many alternative "binders" available in the more modern Western world!    

The tandoor is generally fired "in situ" (i.e. when it's first fired up for use)  whereupon, one would hope, any such hairs (or any other organic binders, plasticisers, etc) would burn off....and prererably not into your naan bread  ;D

As you probably know, Shahi is a major supplier of tandoors to BIRs.  You will find some downloadable product specs here:  http://www.clayovens.com/products.html 

Don't forget to check out their picture gallery here:  http://www.clayovens.com/gallery4.html

Regards,

PS:  Is it worth moving these posts to a new new thread called "building you own tandoor"?

[Ashes]

Nice post Cory.

Apparently those big table nans they do in the Birmingham balti places are applied to  the tandoor with a large pillow or something similar. I would have thought for a normal sized nan you could use a long oven glove, so as not to burn the hairs off your arm  ;D

Anything cotton or woollen is pretty much fire resistant (fireman use thick cotton clothing) most man-made fibres aren't good to have near fire, they enjoy burning and melting.
So given that, you could reasonably be able to make your own heat protection, out of a pillow case and some cotton padding and a sewing machine - at least until you've got the technique down to a fine art.

regards ashes

[Chilli Prawn]

Nice one Cory.  I asked about the tear drop shape and it is just tradition I am told and shaped before cooking.  Most wholesalers and Ethnic shops sell round Nans now, and I guess they are made in traditional brick built bread/pizza ovens.  Actuall a tandoor is great but personally I would just go and buy some excellent ones from my Asian grocer  ;D

CP

[George]

Don't forget to check out their picture gallery here:  http://www.clayovens.com/gallery4.html
PS:  Is it worth moving these posts to a new new thread called "building you own tandoor"?

Cory

Thanks for your great post. I think I can see a 'cushion' pad type thing on the clay ovens gallery page. We could move the 'building' posts to a new thread but coordination might be difficult.

Regards
George

[Unclebuck]

i just watched that videos link, dam Ive never felt so hungry!!