The Tandoor is the traditional oven of North India. It is a simple beehive-shaped clay pot which is heated by charcoal or wood. Meat is cooked inside on long skewers, breads are cooked by being stuck to the inside.

The tandoor cooks by a combination of heat from smoldering embers in the bottom and heat which has been retained by the thick, clay walls and is re-radiated as you cook. The intense heat cooks meat very quickly and seals in the juices, producing the distinctive and succulent results which characterize tandoori food.