Tandoori masala facts for kids
Tandoori masala is a special mix of spices used mainly for cooking in a tandoor. A tandoor is a type of clay oven used in traditional cooking, especially in places like India and Pakistan.
The exact spices in tandoori masala can be a bit different depending on where you are, but it usually includes things like garam masala, garlic, ginger, onion, and cayenne pepper. Sometimes, other spices are added too. These spices are often ground together to make the mix.
How it Started
The idea of cooking with tandoori masala became very popular thanks to a chef named Kundan Lal Gujral. He is known for creating this spice blend.
Kundan Lal was from a part of India called Punjab. In the 1920s, he worked in a restaurant in a city called Peshawar. At that time, tandoors were mostly used to bake a type of bread called naan. But Kundan Lal had a brilliant idea: he decided to try cooking chicken in the tandoor! He made a special spice mix for this chicken, and that mix became known as tandoori masala.
After India was divided in 1947, Kundan Lal moved to Delhi, India. There, he opened his own restaurant called Moti Mahal. The dishes he made with tandoori masala, like tandoori chicken, became super famous. Even important politicians, like Jawaharlal Nehru, loved the taste! Moti Mahal grew into a worldwide chain of restaurants. Today, many Indian restaurants around the world feature tandoori chicken and butter chicken on their menus, showing how popular tandoori masala has become.
How to Use and Store It
Tandoori masala is used a lot in dishes like tandoori chicken. To make this dish, chicken pieces are covered in a mix of plain yogurt and tandoori masala. Then, the chicken is roasted in a very hot tandoor. When it's cooked this way, the chicken gets a pink color on the outside and tastes wonderfully savory.
Besides tandoori chicken, this spice mix is also used in other chicken dishes, such as tikka and butter chicken. Most of these dishes come from the Punjab region. You can also use tandoori masala with other meats or even with paneer, which is a type of Indian cheese, to make dishes like paneer tikka.
If you make tandoori masala fresh, you can keep it in airtight jars for up to two months. You can also easily buy this spice mix at big supermarkets and special Asian stores. The taste might be a little different depending on the brand you choose.
See also
In Spanish: Tandoori masala para niños
