Do-it-yourself tandoor: ways to make a real Uzbek oven

Tandoor is a multifunctional stove in which you can cook any dish of oriental cuisine, while spending the minimum amount of fuel. The structure can be stationary or portable, made of clay or brick. Hardwood is used as fuel for tandoor. Such a stove can be purchased ready-made or make a tandoor with your own hands, following certain stages of the technological process.

Tandoor is a multifunctional oven used in traditional oriental cuisine

What is a tandoor: design features

What is a tandoor? This is a special type of brazier oven, in which cooking is carried out due to the transfer of heat from the walls of the structure. The food is cooked slowly as the heat comes in gradually. Its even distribution helps to preserve the juiciness of products and all the useful qualities of food.

A classic tandoor is a jug-shaped product made of fireclay clay or ceramics

In appearance, the tandoor looks like a large clay cauldron with holes, which is turned upside down. The height of the product is 1-1.5 m, the diameter of the bottom is 1 m. The thicker the walls of the structure, the more heat the furnace will give off. In the lower part of the tandoor, there is a channel for supplying fresh air, which helps to maintain the combustion process. The classic design has a rounded shape, however, there are rectangular and square brick tandoors.

To improve the thermal insulation properties, the oven is lined with bricks on the outside. The special shape of the tandoor contributes to the accumulation of heat in the walls of the structure, which is slowly released inside. This helps to maintain a constant high temperature inside the product for a long time.

Important! To create the optimal amount of heat in the tandoor, you will need half the amount of firewood required for a classic barbecue.

With economical fuel consumption, food in the tandoor cooks faster than on a conventional grill

The following characteristics are considered the main advantages of the tandoor:

• long-term preservation of high temperature inside the structure;
• no need for constant monitoring of the cooking process;
• economical fuel consumption;
• the ability to cook several dishes for one heating of the structure;
• ease of use;
• the structure does not need special care;
• unpretentiousness of the stove in relation to the type, quality and quantity of fuel;
• simplicity of design.

The disadvantages of the oven include:

• the presence of one common hole for firewood and food;
• lack of a chimney;
• the formation of soot deposits on the walls of the product after firing up;
• the need to use fireproof gloves to prevent burns.

Portable tandoor with metal legs can be installed in any convenient place

Tandoor device, principle of operation and features of operation

The Uzbek tandoor in the form of a clay pitcher-shaped cauldron turned upside down is installed on a foundation that rises 20 cm above the ground and goes deep into it. The structure is mainly located in the open area of ​​the yard. There is a built-in blower above the foundation, closed by a door. A cast-iron grate is installed above the opening. Next, a dome-shaped chamber with a smooth inner surface covered with a layer of clay is placed.

The structure is lined with bricks, creating a small air gap, which is filled with salt or sand, due to which a high temperature remains inside the tandoor for six hours.

Firewood or coal is stacked through the top hole. After the fuel has completely burned out, the soot that covers the inner surface crumbles, leaving the coating clean. This means that food can be loaded into the oven. Before baking, the resulting ash is removed. In the case of meat, this is not necessary. The dough cakes are glued to the inside of the oven.

Many tandoors are equipped with a blower for easy ash removal

In a shashlik tandoor, skewers with meat are hung on a special rail vertically, with the tip down. A cauldron with pilaf is placed on the neck of the structure. Next, the tandoor is covered with a lid on top, the blower is closed. The cooking time depends on the dish and is 15-45 minutes.

Useful advice! Use a hook or ladle to remove baked goods from the tandoor.

The kindling process depends on the season. In winter, the temperature should gradually rise, so the chips are first ignited, and then the main fuel is added. In summer you can do without pre-ignition. After the tandoor has cooled completely, it is recommended to completely clean it from ash. The fat that has settled on the inner surface of the structure will burn out during the subsequent use of the product.

Varieties of designs depending on the installation option: photo of tandoors

The tandoor in the form of a ceramic hemisphere with a round hole can be ground, underground or portable. The first design option is installed on a flat surface horizontally or vertically, depending on the orientation of the tandoor. Fuel loading is carried out respectively through the side or top hole. The draft takes place through a blower located at the bottom of the furnace. According to the reviews of the owners, the ground-type tandoor is the most popular among other options.

You can read everything in the tandoor - vegetables, meat, fish, etc.

Earthen, or pit, tandoor partially or completely sinks into the ground. The ignition is carried out through the upper opening, which also serves for loading food.To maintain the required traction, a pipe is brought to the bottom of the product, which is buried in the ground at an angle of 450.

Useful advice! In stationary tandoors, you can cook several dishes at the same time.

The portable tandoor can be installed anywhere. The product is made of chamotte clay in the form of a barrel or jug. There are four types of tandoor depending on the weight of the oven: small (up to 50 kg), medium (50-79 kg), large (80-100 kg), very large (over 100 kg). This design is additionally equipped with carrying handles and legs on which it is installed. Also included with the product are skewers, grates, hooks and attachments.

Mobile tandoors have thick walls (up to 70 mm), additionally reinforced with steel strips. For such structures, it is necessary to provide adequate protection against moisture during storage, therefore it is recommended to purchase special covers.

Often tnadyr is also used for baking.

What type of fuel can be used for tandoor

Traditional tandoors use hardwood firewood or charcoal as fuel. The product is a thick-walled pot with a lid made of refractory clay. A special hole is located in the lower part of the product for air flow and ash removal. Firewood is loaded through the top opening. After they have completely burned out, you can start cooking. Such products are characterized by the lowest price. You can buy a tandoor from 5500 rubles.

Useful advice! The amount of fuel is determined by the volume of the furnace and is 2/3 of this value. Excessive use of fuel will not increase the temperature inside the tandoor.

There are tandoors that use gas as fuel. Such designs are commonly used in cafes, bakeries and restaurants. You can install such a tandoor in your home kitchen, but in this case, you should worry about purchasing a good hood to remove the exhaust air.

Due to its design, the tandoor is able to maintain a high temperature inside for quite a long time.

The jug is made of baked white clay and placed inside a metal body. For long-term preservation of heat, the voids are filled with heat-insulating material in the form of sand, fine expanded clay or salt. Gas ovens are easy to operate, do not emit harmful substances and are economical. However, the dishes do not have the characteristic smoke smell.

For a home kitchen, you can purchase an electric tandoor, for which heating elements serve as a source of heat. They are located along the perimeter of the lower part of the structure. These are convenient and compact products that do not need wood, do not emit soot and smoke. Electric tandoor for flat cakes is made of metal. The inside of the product has a ceramic coating. The design of such braziers is varied, which allows you to choose a product for a specific style of interior.

Electric tandoors are equipped with mini-computers that control the cooking process by regulating temperature and humidity. You can also buy a tandoor for barbecue and baking, where firewood can be used along with electricity.

Tandoor is an ancient traditional Uzbek national oven-brazier

How much does a tandoor cost, depending on the type and type of fuel

The cost of tandoors is influenced by many factors: material of manufacture, type of firebox, design, dimensions of the product and the availability of additional accessories. Products are presented in a wide price range, so any buyer can choose an option for his budget.

A large family tandoor can be chosen from a number of wood-fired household products, these include: Hunter, Nomad, Big Sarmat and Sredny. The height of the structure is within 63-105 cm. Such clay products surprise with an interesting design.Broken glass, brick, natural and artificial stone are used as cladding, which allows you to create original patterns and ornaments on the surface. The average price of a tandoor is 8,500-20,000 rubles.

Electric tandoors are very popular today. Customer reviews for such products are positive. The advantage of electric models is the ability to install them not only on the street, but also in the apartment. The structures are made of refractory clay and heated by heating elements. You can buy an electric tandoor for an average of 15,000-80000 rubles.

Modern tandoors are made mainly of ceramic clay.

For the production of large quantities of bread and flat cakes, you can pick up electrical products from chamotte clay of the Pro category. These ovens are designed for baking 60-120 pieces. You can buy a tandoor for cakes from 145,000 rubles. Gas ovens are also very popular, the cost of which depends on the type of device and is 75,000-135,000 rubles. You can buy an Uzbek tandoor with wood for production needs at a price of 50,000 rubles.

Related article:

Brazier with a roof: stylish decoration of the site and functional design
Advantages of products, types of models, installation of the structure, recommendations for the manufacture and selection of materials for creating by hand.

What and how to cook in the tandoor: useful recommendations

What can you cook in the tandoor? Almost any dish. This oven is used for cooking flat cakes, samsa, vegetables, fish and various meat dishes. Here, not an open fire is used, but heat coming from the walls of the structure. It is ideal for the best quality baked goods. Many recipes for tandoor dishes can be found on the Internet.

Useful advice! Before the start of the first firebox, the inner surface of the tandoor is oiled with cotton-based oil. Further, throughout the day, the oven is heated, so that the dough cakes will not stick to the clay surface.

Due to the ability of the tandoor to keep the temperature, dishes cook faster, and also become juicy and aromatic.

Before baking in the tandoor, the flatbreads should be moistened for better adhesion of the dough to the surface. To collect fat flowing from meat dishes, a special bowl is used, which is located under the meat.

Barbecue and pizza can be prepared in the tandoor. However, for this, an additional element in the form of a lattice should be purchased, which is attached to the neck of the structure with the help of special fasteners and lowers to the middle of the furnace. In a large tandoor, on the wire rack, you can place a saucepan or kettle for making fragrant pilaf or shurpa.

When preparing a shish kebab or kebab, the skewers are installed in the tandoor hole or can be hung on a transverse iron bar. In this case, the neck is covered with a lid. The time for cooking dishes is spent much less than when using the grill or oven. For pork or lamb it will take 18-25 minutes, for beef - 30-35 minutes, for fish and poultry - 8-15 minutes, for vegetables - 5-7 minutes.

To cook fish in a tandoor, 8-15 minutes is enough

Useful advice! A pot of tough, sinewy meat can be placed in a semi-cooled tandoor and left until morning. The next day, this product in any dish will melt in your mouth.

Preparing a composition for making a tandoor from clay with your own hands

The traditional Uzbek tandoor is not built from clay with your own hands, but is molded from clay. A special composition of the material is used here. You will need kaolin clay, which has good plasticity and high thermal insulation properties. In order to prevent the body of the tandoor from cracking under the influence of high temperatures, camel or sheep wool with a fiber length of 1-1.5 cm is added to the clay mixture.Before making a tandoor, you should prepare a molding mixture, which consists of clay, salt, sand and wool, in a ratio of 4: 1: 1: 2.

Clay is preliminarily cleaned of impurities, wiped through a sieve, mixed and soaked for 48 hours. The remaining elements are added to the prepared substance. The mixture is thoroughly mixed until a viscous state is formed, reminiscent of the consistency of sour cream. Next, the prepared composition should be left for 7 days so that it dries and acquires the necessary condition. During this period, the mixture should be periodically stirred to ensure its uniform drying. The water collecting from the top must be drained.

Traditional Uzbek tandoor is molded from clay using a special technology

The less moisture remains in the molding composition, the less the risk of cracking the tandoor during its firing. The mixture is suitable for further use when the consistency resembles plasticine.

How to make a tandoor with your own hands: a traditional option

The method of making a tandoor from clay is called tape, since long strips about 2-3 cm thick, 20-25 cm wide and 2 m long are made of the material.

Useful advice! The manufacture of the stove should be carried out in the shade under a canopy so that the clay does not lose its elasticity when it dries quickly under the influence of sunlight.

The prepared strips must be left to dry for a while in the sun. Further, a bowl without a bottom is formed from them. The product is displayed in a ring with smooth walls. It is recommended to use a metal barrel as a frame for forming the lower part of the product, which will need to be removed immediately. To prevent the clay from sticking to the metal, it should be greased with sunflower oil.

A specially prepared clay mixture is used for the construction of the tandoor.

Then, one or two strips must be fixed to the bottom of the product to form a part of the jug that tapers upwards, which looks like a dome. Further, the process of sealing the walls is carried out. For this, two tools are used: a metal or wooden trowel in the form of a disc with smooth rounded edges and a wooden spatula with embossed diagonal stripes.

It is necessary to hold a trowel in one hand and press it against the inner surface of the product, and from the outside through the clay wall, gently tap it with a spatula. This process contributes to the compaction of the clay and the formation of a pattern on the surface in the form of diagonal stripes.
The final stage is the formation of the upper part of the tandoor neck with your own hands. The stove is tapering at the top. The diameter of the neck should be half the size of the bottom of the jug. The clay is compacted and leveled in the same way as for the main part of the tandoor.

The finished product is transferred to the shade for final drying for 30 days. After the product is completely dry, its inner surface should be greased with an abundant layer of sunflower oil.

Tandoors can be of various sizes - large ones are intended for production purposes

Preparing the site for installing the finished clay insert

There are two options for installing a clay tandoor: on the foundation, followed by bricking and underground. The place for the installation of the product is selected in advance.

If the finished clay insert will be located in a recess, it is necessary to prepare a pit, the depth of which is determined by the height of the product. Its upper part should look out from the ground by 7-10 cm. Thus, the earth performs the function of keeping heat. An additional blower should be installed in the lower part of the tandoor.

To create the foundation, you need to dig a pit. It can be round or square. It depends on the configuration of the thermal casing in the form of a brick wall around the tandoor.The second option is more preferable, since a sufficient gap is formed between the insert and the wall, which is filled with a heat-accumulating or heat-insulating composition. The size of the pit should exceed the dimensions of the bottom part of the inlay by 10-15 cm.The depth of the pit is 15-17 cm.

The tandoor can be installed both on the base and made in the form of a pit

The pit is filled with sand with a layer of 5 cm and compacted well. Next, the crushed stone of the middle fraction is added with the laying of a reinforcing mesh, which allows you to get an additional reinforcing layer. Then formwork is performed with a height of 10-15 cm. The foundation should rise 5-7 cm above the ground level in order to exclude the likelihood of the masonry being washed away by storm waters. A concrete solution is poured into the formwork, which consists of gravel, cement and sand. The surface is leveled with a rule to match the level. In more detail, the installation process can be studied in the video "Do-it-yourself tandoor".

Installation of a clay insert with the construction of a brick wall

After the concrete base has completely dried, the formwork is removed. The surface is marked according to the dimensions of the clay insert for the construction of a brick wall. First, a brick site is performed with an open area for arranging the blower chamber channel, which is closed with a special door. You can mount a metal pipe in a brick inlay. It is recommended to install a damper in it, thanks to which the amount of incoming air is regulated. The damper can be closed completely.

A cast-iron grate is placed on the blower chamber, where fuel is burned. Ash enters the ashtray, from which it is easily removed through the open door. A clay insert is placed on top of the grate. For reliability and sealing, the joint between the lower edge of the jug and the brick base is covered with a clay solution. Then a brick wall is erected around the entire perimeter of the tab. The gap between the structure and the tandoor is filled with expanded clay, sand or salt. The brick wall reaches the height of the insert.

In homemade products, the space between the tandoor and the outer frame is filled with sand, expanded clay or other fire-resistant material

Making a tandoor with your own hands from a barrel

The traditional version of making a tandoor from clay requires special knowledge, skills and abilities. The surface is often crooked, and the clay can subsequently crack. To avoid such troubles, a simplified technology was developed. It is based on making a tandoor from a 200 liter barrel with your own hands. The essence of the method consists in creating clay walls around a wooden product.

To build a tandoor with your own hands, you need kaolin clay, vegetable oil, fine chamotte sand, a wooden barrel with iron hoops, and sheep or camel wool. The first step is to fill the barrel to the top with water for 24 hours. This is necessary for the impregnation and swelling of the wood. Next, you should prepare a molding mixture of clay, sand and wool in a ratio of 2: 4: 1, which should dry, while becoming plastic.

All the water is drained from the barrel. It should dry completely, after which its inner surface is saturated with sunflower oil for 24 hours. Then, from the inside, the barrel is covered with a clay mixture 4-5 cm thick. The composition should be well leveled by wetting your hands with water so that the result is the most smooth surface. Moving up to the neck, the clay layer must be increased, due to which the upper part of the furnace narrows. A small hole is made in the lower part of the structure for free air passage.

After making and firing, the tandoor is decorated with patterns and painted

The structure should dry completely in a dry, shaded and ventilated place for 3-4 weeks.After that, the iron hoops are removed and the wooden barrel is disassembled, leaving the clay structure intact. The finished frame is installed on a thick sand cushion, where it is fired. To improve the thermal insulation qualities, a brick wall can be made around the stove.

DIY brick tandoor: step-by-step instructions, drawings and photos of the stages of the process

The traditional version of the tandoor is made from kaolin clay. This is a rather laborious and costly process that requires the involvement of a specialist or requires a high level of skill. To simplify the task, but at the same time get the desired result, you can make a tandoor with your own hands from bricks. The simplest option for making a home stove consists of several processes, each of which will be described in detail in this article.

For construction, you will need the following list of building materials:

• oven brick;
• wooden template;
• masonry sand mixture;
• cement;
• sand;
• kaolin;
• reinforcing mesh.

Preparing a brick base for installing a tandoor

For finishing the furnace, a mortar is used, consisting of clay, salt, sand and wool in a ratio of 4: 1: 1: 2. Sheep or camel wool plays the role of a reinforcing element and contributes to good thermal insulation. The mortar for laying brick rows is prepared in the same way (with the exception of wool). Brick for tandoor should be chosen silicate or red heat-resistant, which can withstand high temperatures for a long time.

Before building a tandoor, you need to prepare the foundation. For this, a round pit with a diameter exceeding the size of the future structure by several centimeters is being prepared. At the bottom, a sand cushion 10 cm thick is created, which is covered with a metal mesh created from thick wire or reinforcement rods. Next, the pit is filled with concrete mortar, which is carefully leveled using an iron rule. It is imperative to check the levelness of the surface by using a level. Then the lower part of the future dome-shaped camera is marked with the definition of the outer boundaries of the walls.

Useful advice! To ensure reliable waterproofing, the concrete foundation must be covered with a sheet of roofing material.

A clay structure is installed on the base and lined with bricks

Before making the tandoor yourself, a brick base is being prepared on the foundation. Three rows of fireclay bricks are laid on the concrete surface: the first is placed along the pit, the second across, and the third along. Elements of the two lower layers are stacked tightly to each other without the use of mortar. For the top row, a clay mixture is used. The created foundation must be fixed with reinforcement bars on all sides. The rods are driven into the ground. Their height above the ground is equal to the mark of the top row of masonry.

How to make a brick tandoor: step by step instructions

After the concrete base has gained the necessary strength, you can start building a tandoor made of brick. Photos that can be found on the Internet clearly display the sequence of actions. The diameter of the bottom part will be 1 m, and the height of the structure will be 130 cm. At the first stage, the marking for the future furnace is performed. The first row of the foundation is laid out with an opening for the blower chamber. For masonry, a clay solution is used. The second row overlaps the chamber, leaving a window in its central part, where the cast-iron grate is mounted.

Starting from the third row, the wall of the structure is erected in a circle. The bricks are laid in the traditional way. From the inside, the surface is coated with a thick layer of clay, which should be as smooth as possible. This is how twelve rows are erected. Next, you should start forming the tandoor dome.To do this, each subsequent row is shifted to the center by a certain distance, which is calculated in advance.

Brick tandoor construction is the most common option for a summer cottage

Knowing that the diameter of the furnace is 1 m, it is necessary to take into account that the neck should be twice as narrow. This value should be reached after 10 rows, which will correspond to the height of the structure of 130 cm. Having performed a simple arithmetic calculation, we come to the conclusion that each subsequent row should be shifted 5 cm towards the center.

In order to make a tandoor with an even inner surface, the edges of the bricks, which will be turned inward, should be processed with a grinder. And also the surface can be leveled with a clay mixture, constantly wetting it with water. After the completion of the masonry process, a jug-shaped structure with a smooth inner surface is obtained.

Next, the outer finishing of the tandoor is performed using clay mortar. All seams must be well sealed. The steps that formed during the execution of the dome must be completely hidden. After the oven has dried, which will happen in 2-3 days, the first kindling can be done.
Then they begin to erect the outer wall of the tandoor, which comes close to the brick domed structure. The height of the structure is equal to the height of the inner chamber. The wall is made in one piece, except for the area opposite the blowing hole, where the window is left. For better thermal insulation, the space between the outer wall and the inner part of the furnace is filled with fine-grained expanded clay, sand or salt.

Outside, the tandoor can be finished with brick, stone or paving stones

Useful advice! The upper part of the tandoor can be finished with stone or bricks bonded with clay, which will allow you to get a complete structure.

Do-it-yourself brick tandoor construction: a simplified version

The previous version requires a certain skill to make an arched brick vault. Do-it-yourself tandoor in the country can be built according to a simplified method. It is recommended to use old brick for this. As a masonry mortar, you can purchase a ready-made heat-resistant mixture in a hardware store, designed for the construction of fireplaces and stoves. To prepare the solution, you must strictly follow the instructions written on the product packaging.

According to the do-it-yourself tandoor drawing, the brick is laid in a circle, the diameter of which was determined at the planning stage. Usually it is 50-70 cm. With the help of a wooden frame, the brick is placed on the end, forming a circle. For laying, a sandy mortar can be used, which consists of chamotte clay, the necessary plasticizers and quartz sand. Such a composition is very plastic, quickly sets and will not crack during firing.

For the construction of a tandoor, it is better to use refractory bricks that can withstand very high temperatures

The first row fits without gaps. A small hole should be left in the second row, which will be used as a blower in the future. It can be a small window with an iron door or a chimney. The third row is laid out completely. If the height of a brick tandoor is 100-120 cm, four rows of bricks are sufficient, the horizontalness of each of which is controlled by a level.

When erecting each new row, it should be strapped with steel wire. Its ends are twisted and hidden in the gaps between the bricks. When creating the last row, it is required to form a tapering neck. To this end, the brick should be laid with some inclination inside the tandoor. The video displays in more detail the entire construction process.

Do-it-yourself tandoor made of bricks: making the coating and facing the structure

At the end of construction work, the process of coating and facing the tandoor made of bricks is carried out.Refractory clay is applied to the inner and outer surfaces of the structure. The layer thickness is at least 1.5-2 cm. There must be at least two such layers. The second is applied 2-3 days after the first has dried. To dry evenly, the structure should be covered with plastic wrap.

After covering with clay, the structure should be allowed to dry well and only after that the first kindling should be carried out.

Useful advice! It is recommended to moisten the brick before applying the coating layer. This will help the clay mortar dry evenly and gradually.

The inner surface should be perfectly smooth, so the clay mixture is leveled with constant wetting with water. In the upper part of the furnace, a metal ring with a height of 30-50 mm is mounted around the hole, thanks to which the lid installation area is separated from the rest of the surface. The space from its outer side to the edge of the wall is filled with clay.

Further, the body of the stove can be revetted with natural stone, this will give the structure an attractive and aesthetic appearance, which is clearly shown in the photo of the tandoor. The price of the finished structure will be on average 4500-5000 rubles.

Useful advice! Finely ground fireclay mortar can be used to coat brickwork.

The final stage in the manufacture of tandoor is its firing, which can be performed 3-4 hours after the completion of the coating and finishing work. The structure is completely filled with wood, a fire is kindled inside the stove, which contributes to the gradual heating of the walls of the structure to 400 ° C. It is necessary that the fuel burns out completely, after which the stove must cool slowly. This process contributes not only to the drying of the structure, but also to the firing and hardening of the clay.

Sectional diagram of the tandoor and the process of cooking kebabs in it

At the end of all work, the tandoor should be left for 7 days. During this time, you can make a wooden cover, thanks to which the heat will be retained inside the structure. For more details on the construction process, see the video "Tandoor with your own hands made of bricks."

For a long time, tandoor served as an indispensable attribute of the national Uzbek cuisine. Today it is widely used in private households. Any dish can be cooked in such an oven. Thanks to the special principle of work, it is possible to create not only a real masterpiece of culinary art, but also significantly save on fuel.

The structure can be made of clay or brick on your own, having mastered certain requirements, or you can buy a stove. Tandoor in specialized stores is represented by a wide range of varieties. Thanks to the original finishing of the finished product, this traditional Uzbek stove will become a real decoration of the yard.

How to make a brick tandoor with your own hands: video