History of Indian Tandoori clay ovens

Cooking food at a high temperature in a clay pot can be traced back over 2000 years to when the Egyptians were building the pyramids and baking bread for the workers. It is the most simple and fundamental way of cooking, using a clay pot buried in the ground, fired up with wood. It is thought this method of cooking found its way to Persia, then Afghanistan, and then finally to Northern India. Tikkeh meat coated in spices placed on a skewer is thought to have originated in Iran. In the 19th century cooks in Northwest India, now Pakistan, perfected the way of marinating, skewering the meat and cooking in the Tandoor. Over the years this method of cooking evolved and was brought to the UK in the late 1960’s, when Indian restaurants first graced our cities. Today Tandoori cooking is common in every Indian restaurant and we have all come to love and recognise it as Chicken or Lamb Tikka
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The clay pot buried in the ground is still a method widely preferred and used in Indian homes.