TheTandoor

Somebody asked me the other day if Ayurveda talks about tandoor. I told them to read the earlier blogs where I have quoted Sushruta. Actually ayurved tells us to include all six tastes in our diet, the six tastes being sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.
Sweet- bread and all grains including barley, wheat, rice milk but not all dairy products (some of them come under sour) many fruits, meats, sugar and honey
Salty – salt
Sour- yogurt, cheese, vinegar, citrus fruit such as orange, and tomatoes
Bitter- leafy green vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, lettuce, horseradish, turmeric
Pungent- all seasonings, onions, radishes, garlic, pepper, ginger, cumin
Astringent- cabbage, pomegranates, beans and lentils, broccoli and foods that have a drying effect

Any meal that contains items from all these categories is a balanced meal. It has all the nutrients our body needs and balances the equilibrium of our system. If we know our ayurvedic dosha we can actually control our cravings and thus reduce our weight besides other ayurvedic ways for weight loss.

There is a lot that can be said about ayurveda and we will keep discussing, but now, for the food. The summer so far is really going great. Clear blue sky, shining sun and a gentle breeze, what more do we want? Along with the summer comes the season of BBQ. So the tandoor continues. I am a big BBQ fan. One there is no frying, two; there are no dirty pots and pans ha ha ha. No seriously, BBQ food is lighter and fresh. Cooking time is also less unless you are making leg of lamb which In any case takes a long time even in a traditional method.

I made chicken tikkas yesterday but with a twist. I made them ‘Satay’ style and mixed the tandoori spices with ‘Thai’. The result ofcourse was delicious to say the least. Try it out

You will need,
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp Thai yellow curry
2 tbsp tandoori masala
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup yogurt
1 tbsp garlic chili paste (recipe in earlier blog)
15 bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least an hour

Cut the chicken in to thin strips. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken strips and let stand for at least an hour. Weave the chicken strips on a skewer. Heat the grill and put the skewers on. Grill for 5 minutes each side on slow fire. Serve with tamarind mint chutney.

Bon appétit
P.S. Start the grill on high heat and as soon as it gets to 350 bring the heat down. This will help the meat retain its juices; otherwise it will cook on the outside and become dry.