The most popular Indian dishes are those cooked over a blazing fire in the so-called tandoor, a cylindrical open-top clay oven fueled by wood or charcoal. The tandoori technique evolved from an old Middle Eastern method of baking bread, which spread to other parts of the continent, including northwestern India, where people began experimenting with cooking meats and other foods in tandoors, adding special marinades and spice rubs, both of which are now integral parts of Indian-style tandoori cooking.
The marinade used in most tandoori dishes starts with yogurt; it holds well to the meat, lends a note of mild acidity, and keeps the herbs and spices in place. Even though the clay ovens themselves impart a special flavor to the food, most of it comes from the traditional combination of spices.
VARIATIONS OF Tandoori
Indian tikka is a dish consisting of boneless meat, usually chicken, that is cut into smaller pieces and marinated in yogurt and traditional Indian spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, chili, garlic, and ginger. The meat is roasted over charcoal in a tandoor, the traditional cylindrical clay oven.
To remain tender and juicy, the meat is repeatedly brushed with oil or butter. Tikka is typically cooked and served on sizzlers, but the plain varieties are also common. It is often wrongly associated with tandoori chicken, a variety baked and served with the meat left on the bone.
VARIATIONS OF Tikka
MOST ICONIC Tikka
View moreJalfrezi is an Indian technique for preparing a type of curry made by frying marinated pieces of meat, paneer, or vegetables in various spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin) and oil in order to produce a thick gravy. Apart from the standard onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, the dish typically includes green chili peppers, so it can range from medium to very hot.
Jalfrezi is especially popular in the United Kingdom, and nowadays it can be found in almost every Indian restaurant in London. Originally, it was invented in eastern India during the British Raj, when chefs made a recipe as a way to use up leftovers.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.