Tandoori Chicken in UDS?

I suppose you can say i have similar but i didn't use my UDS... I used my Jumbo mini (jimmy) because it can get so dang hot. I cooked fried chicken about 450-500 degrees.

My UDS could get close that hot too but i wasn't cooking enough chicken and would have used a ton more in fuel.

If I was you, and I'm not, and again I'm the Village Idiot, I would do this in my attempt.

-I would get 2 of the largest clay pot I could get ahold of, whether buying one or the dog accidentally knocking over one of the wife's. (At your own risk)

-I would take out my charcoal basket put the pot inside the barrel, (or leave the basket in there if its big enough for the pot to fit in with charcoal around it.) Light your charcoal in chimney and dump it around the clay pot.

-Put your chicken on the skewers into the clay pot after it is smoking hot and put the other clay pot on top of it.

-Drink a beer and hope for the best. :shock:

That's what I would do. Come to think about it. I'm on Spring break next week. I will try this. Thank you.

I had a friend whose father is from India and he can make Tandoori chicken on a Weber and it tastes great, I can not make it to save my life. It's the one thing I've tried to make (several times) and have failed every time. Hope you figure it out, I love that stuff.

Packer tell ya what... i'll de thaw some thighs and do them tandoori style....but again i'm using my smaller cooker. When i cook them i'll show you a pic and tell me what you think.

Real tandoors cook at about 1000F. I think the extremely high temperature contributes to the flavor, similar to "wok hay" in foods stir-fried over very high heat.

DaveAlvarado said:

Real tandoors cook at about 1000F. I think the extremely high temperature contributes to the flavor, similar to "wok hay" in foods stir-fried over very high heat.

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From what i've read up to 900* but don't know how much difference that makes.

Smaller pieces like kabobs and thighs they say higher temps like over 500* and larger pieces (whole chicken) 400 to 500 degrees is good. That makes sense because my 500* chicken comes out looking like tandoori. I'm gonna do skinless thighs tandoori style in the 500* range and see how they do.

I'd suggest you check out some how-to youtubes about Tandoori chicken. They have secrets(like rubbing lime juice and cayenne into the slits cut into the meat) that we might not assume if we'd just had the dish served to us. I use a packaged tandoori spice mix blended with plain Greek yoghurt and marinate overnight. I usual cook it in me Weber OTS.

Unless you are somehow elevating your firebasket on your UDS, it's going to be hard to get the high heat you want with tandoori style chicken, and even still, I doubt it's going to get you what you are looking for.

When I got my kamado, I finally felt like I nailed the flavor and texture I was looking for from my tandoori chicken, and it tastes as good as any I've had from Indian restaurants. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that a kamado and tandoori are similar in function - ceramic/clay cookers that are designed to withstand really high heat that almost bakes the marinade into the meat.

If you have a Weber kettle, I think you could closely approximate this by doing a VERY high heat indirect, and move your chicken fairly close to the hot side in the last 10 mins of the cook. I'd also use lump for this as well.

Here's the marinade I use:

[FONT=&quot]Moose’s Tandoori Chicken[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]1 (4 to 4 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed ( Or 8 thighs)[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]2 tablespoons olive oil[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1/2 white onion, quartered[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]4-6 whole Garlic cloves[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]2 tablespoons chopped ginger[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1 tablespoon paprika[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]2 1/2 teaspoons salt[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1 teaspoon ground cumin[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1 teaspoon chili powder[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1 teaspoon turmeric[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1 teaspoon ground coriander[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1 teaspoon garam masala[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1/2 cup plain yogurt[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Directions[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Using a knife, cut diagonal slices 1-inch apart, and 1/2-inch deep into the larger pieces. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, and process in a blender or food processor on high speed to a paste. Then add the paprika, salt, cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and cayenne, and process until well blended. Add the yogurt and lemon juice, and process to a smooth sauce, scraping down the sides to combine all the ingredients. Pour the marinade into either a baking dish or Ziploc bag over the chicken. Turn to coat evenly, rubbing the marinade into the holes and slits. Cover tightly with plastic wrap if using a baking dish, or seal the Ziploc bag, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 12 hours, turning occasionally.[/FONT]

I have been dabbling in this lately - Cubing up skinless thighs and putting them on skewers.

I build a hot fire by heating a full chimney then pouring another 1/2 or so unlit on top. I leave the lid off my OTG for 10-15 to get it all really hot.

I also have a cajun bandit stacker for the OTG, and I put the chicken skewers on that, kind of elevating like a PBC (sans-hooks) or a UDS but with MUCH more heat.

They have turned out great- lightly charred and juicy inside. Haven't experimented with my own marinade recipes yet - still using store bought masala / tandoor sauces I have found, but getting excited to try next time.

You have me interested sir, I have been looking at videos all day. (Thanks, says the Wife) here is what I have found that I am going to do over Spring Break.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ukb_WoUG2Q"]Making a DIY Tandoor oven - very cheap - YouTube[/ame] ( I like the cost of this, but do yourself a favor and get an angle grinder and save you an hour of your life.)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA0hfV5A2o4"]Jamie Oliver Jimmy Doherty Tandoor Oven Dustbin Flowerpot - YouTube[/ame] (This one is really really cool. Don't know how how much I have left in my BBQ slush fund though)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yQhTc7SILo"]Home Built Tandoori Oven - YouTube[/ame] (Don't know if I'm ready to kill off one of my UDS's but this is really cool)

Whoa, didn't know I was putting the videos up thought I was just doing the links.... sorry.

Dadeo719 said:

Whoa, didn't know I was putting the videos up thought I was just doing the links.... sorry.

Click to expand...

Actually the site does it automatically.

Here is the post where caliking makes a tandoor cooker out of a drum. A UDT if you will.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76637&highlight=tandoori&page=2

Pictures are in the last few posts.
This is a post with an actual cook.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131326&highlight=tandoori

And finally, a curry tutorial by buccaneer.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142887&highlight=curry