Tandoor Oven With Flower Pots
One of the biggest benefits of using a tandoor oven is that it produces an enormous amount of heat with just a little bit of fuel. Temperatures can soar to far above 500 degrees in a matter of minutes, and it will retain that heat for a very long time. These ovens are really easy to make, and you can build your one in just a few steps. Explore this highly efficient cooking tool, and you will be able to get a lot of use from it once the SHTF and you don’t have access to normal cooking resources.
Building the Oven
Take a large outdoor ceramic flower pot, clean it out, and cut a hole in the center of the bottom if there already isn’t one. Take a smaller pot, about a third smaller, and drill out a ring of small holes around the center bottom hole. Place it directly on the bottom of the larger pot, in the center. Fill the gap between the two pots with sand or small pieces of gravel. If using sand, pack it down tightly as you go in order to make it as compact as possible. Fill until it is level with the top of the flower pot. If you are using sand, you can pour some water over the top to increase the compaction effect as well.
Place the oven on a raised surface, such as a couple of cinder blocks or bricks. Add some charcoal and ignite. You can also add some sticks for additional fire as well, but only a few pieces. Don’t fill the pot with the charcoal, just put a few bricks and pieces at the bottom. The idea is not to create a large fire, but a small one that burns steadily for a long time. We are creating a source of radiant heat that can be absorbed by the ceramic and stones. You will also be cooking on the sides of the pot as well in some situations, so coal, wood and soot from a large fire would make the surface dirty.
Keep feeding the fire until you start to see some burning red embers on the bottom, and try to maintain the fire at that level. Minimal flame, maximum ember glow. Be very careful not to touch the sides of the pot with your hands, it is incredibly hot, and a lot of that heat will remain for hours after the fire has gone out.
The most common cooking done on a tandoor oven is skewered meats and vegetables and bread. However, you can put a grill on top and cook almost anything you like. However, this is not a slow cooker. This oven is meant to grill and fry things very quickly. Thinner cuts of meat and veggies will cook through before burning, and you want to continually keep an eye on your food as it cooks. Never place your arm into the fire. Always use a long stick or tongs to cook with, and wear gloves when handling skewers.
There are many bread recipes that can be used with a tandoor oven, and this is a fast and easy way to get carbs without consuming a lot of bulk. You can make a simple version of the bread by taking some pancake batter but not adding any eggs. Make it thicker by reducing the amount of water that you add to the dry mix. You want dough that has the consistency of play dough. Flatten it into a very thin disc shape and press it against the internal wall of the oven. It will quickly cook and burn, so flip it as soon as it starts to bubble.
This simple, practical and easy to make oven has been used for centuries, and it makes the perfect resource for cooking quick meals with minimal resources. Make one today, and enjoy not having to build a fire the next time you want some grilled meat or quick bread.
