Building & Cooking in a Tandoor Oven (Improved) | Making Naan and Tandoori Chicken

Building a Tandoor Oven was surprisingly easy even with the limited tools and limited space that I have. It turned out very well and I was able to make a tasty meal of Tandoori Chicken, Malai Chicken, and some scrumptious Naan Bread. ...And it was all done using materials found around the house or at the hardware store and it was all done well under $100!
Chapters
• Introduction • Build a Tandoor Oven F...
• Building The Tandoor Oven • Build a Tandoor Oven F...
• Making Tandoori Chicken & Naan • Build a Tandoor Oven F...
This was inspired/triggered from watching a KZbin video from the @Treasure Hunt Foodies where James and Kim visited an Indian Restaurant that happens to be located in a gas station: • BEST Louisiana Indian ... . That triggered the cravings and I suspect the only way to have fresh Indian food with the corona-virus quarantine is to do it yourself... which includes building your own Tandoor Oven. If you would like the recipes for the Tandoori Chicken or the recipe for the Naan Bread, please drop me a note.
Just a word of warning…this is an experiment and there are dangers when using materials in applications that were not intended for their original use and using non-food safe materials for the purposes of food preparation. I’m very cautious of contaminants such as lead or other substances in the building materials and accept the risks on my end. If you do decide to try this, please proceed with caution and know the risks involved! I do not take responsibility for the risks involved in building such a project and this I’m sharing my own experience. It might be best to treat this as entertainment and support your local Indian restaurants with your take-out orders :-)
All in all, in my experience, it was a fun project and helped focus the attention to something different than the news. Luckily our hardware store has online pick-up so getting the materials was quite easily done. Items can be found on Amazon, Home Depot, and Canadian Tire. Here’s what I’ve used:
• 2 x 15” Terra Cotta Clay Pots or smaller
• www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/te...
• www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-...
• 1 x Extra Large Terra Cotta Clay Pot
• www.homedepot.com/p/Penningto...
• Planter Caddy:
• www.homedepot.com/p/17-in-x-1...
• Clay Plant Feet:
• www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/cl...
• 3-4 bags of Vermiculite (9L)
• www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/pr...
• www.homedepot.com/p/Pleasant-...
• Round Wire Rack:
• www.amazon.com/CHEF-Steaming-...
• Lead Testing Kit:
• www.homedepot.com/p/3M-LeadCh...
• Fire Extinguisher:
• www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ga...
• www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-1-A...
Again, if you do decide to tackle this, the risks and responsibilities are yours...be careful! This oven can reach over 1000° fahrenheit and have a fire extinguisher nearby. Using a lead testing kit on the materials such as the terracotta pots would be a very good idea as well!
Music Used:
• Song: Roa - Spring:
• KZbin Link: • Roa - Spring 【Official】
• Song: Roa - A Southern Island (Tropical beat):
• KZbin Link: • Roa - A Southern Islan...
@Roa Music Details:
• Roa's Channel: / roamusic
• / roa__music
• / roa__music
• / roa_music1031
• open.spotify.com/artist/1ETpo...

[@ejamesjr6965]

Absolutely love this! Food looks amazing. My new spring project.

[@lolwhittingham]

You should have a warning at the beginning of this video...."this vid may make your mouth water ". Mine certainly did, looks absolutely gorgeous, Thank you !

[@spicyhotsauce13]

Thanks, Tim! You have inspired me to build my own Tandoor this spring! Great job!

[@theseeker6097]

Now this is a simple way to do a tandoor! Thanks Tim for warning us about the galvanized steel container, alot of videos show using them. Thank you for this video

[@TheBinoyVudi]

I'm Indian and this is spot on, I.e. Using clay pots. I've seen concrete being used but that'll change the way bread cooks (too dark and crispy outside while the insides are undercooked) this is just perfect. I'm gonna build this.

[@BoydGilbreath]

What a great experiment! You pulled it off very well while being humble about it. Good work.

[@selasisamantha]

This video was greattttttt!!! Thanks for sharing with us, Tim ❤

[@deliarodriguez1116]

I’ve seen hundreds of videos and yours is by far the easiest and looks big enough with a great opening at the top. Can’t wait to make my own.

[@dharmendrabengali2714]

Impressed! Looking forward to making one, thanks for sharing.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Danny, hope you manage to give this a try. Mine is still holding up well and easy to use (and lots of fun). Take care!

[@svill931-7]

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing and for the integrity of showing your best work. I watched several videos and your video rep is the best.

[@hayyarbrough]

Tim that looks amazing and delicious... do yourself a favor and go get you some welding gloves from Harbor Freight or hardware store real cheap welding gloves that goes up to your elbow and you won't have any more problems getting burnt thank you for sharing like always stay groovy my friend👍👍👍👍

[@TheSpritz0]

EXCELLENT IDEA!!!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Gary... much appreciate the tip :-)

[@dr.froghopper6711]

Yeah, Harbor Freight has a 3 pack. I use one set at my wood fireplace, one around my torches and one in my vehicle for camping

[@jacintawong3639]

good job Tim, you are so smart to build a Tandoor Oven and cook delicious food at home. Thumb up

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much Jacinta ... lol just building out of necessity ;-) Cheers :-)

[@KiwiWingate]

Well done Tim. I’m a chef who has travelled the world collecting techniques to cook. I just cooked a butter chicken which I have mastered

[@lindal5843]

wowowow Tim!!! I love this... I had no idea this could be done with just a few garden pots. Great project to try during pandemic. Excellent video... Enjoyed it thoroughly!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

I do hope you give it a try! It turned out much more useful than I would have ever thought. Using it quite often for roasting meats and some breads as well 😋

[@paulkulcapi9056]

thanks for sharing your build and cooking ideas

[@redelk2974]

Such a delightful video. Thank you. Can't wait to try

[@bikkandbee]

awesome. thank you

[@SL-ez7qn]

That’s brilliant- mouth watering 😋. You raise a good point about not using a galvanised bin. I’ve seen a few videos with people making it with a galvanised bin and one even lights fire directly on the base of the can.!! Nice 👍 video.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Suki..it was actually thanks to a viewer who pointed that out... I did notice some discoloration near the bottom of the galvanized can and just didn't want anyone to get sick... Thank you again for reaching out! 🙂

[@ArveKvaly]

Awesome video! Really inspiring and the meal looked delicious! Thanks for sharing!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Arve, now that the weather is getting warmer, it's being used quite often. I hope you give it a try 🙂

[@SAH39623]

Another informative video. Thanks Tim! My mouth was watering watching you eat! 🤤 All looked delicious.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks for reaching out Sonja! Greatly appreciated :-)

[@dgblac0]

Great video I really enjoyed watching.

[@aryadhani8492]

Thank you for your video. I have been looking for an easy way to make a tandoor like this one.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Arya! definitely give it a try, it's actually quite easy to do and I have been using this throughout the summer and fall. It was surprisingly useful and very easy to use 🙂

[@koetje5259]

Awesome! I can't wait to try this myself.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Give it a go, I still use it and really enjoying it.

[@salanicus]

So respect your attention to safety my friend. This version of your tandoori oven cooking is even better than the first one. Delicious looking results too😃 Thanks for this wonderful share, James and Kim

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks James! Although a bit of work, it did look better than having a trash can on the balcony :-) Can't wait to see your pizza oven! That would be so nice to have in the back yard! So many possibilities :-)

[@karandeepnishanimath5864]

Amazing!!!!! Truly inspired! I'll try to build one myself.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Definitely give it a try, really enjoying it and even in this cold weather, I'm using it from time to time 🙂

[@davidbrown5367]

Thank you. You are really inspirational.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks David, it was a fun project and quite useful especially during this weather. :-)

[@dr.froghopper6711]

I’d recommend using a thicker wall pot on the top. It would help moderate the temperature and, once thoroughly heated, would more evenly cook the items that are further from the fire

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much! It's always a bit cooler on the top!

[@joehumble6698]

Great video . You’ll need some kinda ventilation for the bottom of it to allow air flow into the Tundoor . And second suggestion would be use for your chicken two skewers instead of one , use them opposite side so you can use the hook at the end of skewers to cook both sides of chicken evenly. However great video and thanks

[@andyabe3755]

100 PERCENT CORRECT TAKE IT FROM ARMENIAN LOLL ''''''WE INVENTED

[@albertwang3761]

i love this new style of video where you do some home cooking! good change of pace

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Albert, just having fun with these videos and hope they're not too bad ... I must say I am missing restaurants where they do all the work :-) Filming is a lot harder when it goes beyond eating :-) Thanks again and all the best to you!

[@bhismilinirampersad3360]

You did a great job with the naan 😊😊👍👍👍🇹🇹🇹🇹

[@eddiensw]

thanks for sharing with us your adventure. Good job Tandoor 2.0 Hope you are keeping well

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much Eddie!

[@AdiGV]

Seems like a good start. An update after a few cooks will be good with your dos and donts.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you so much for the suggestion Andi! That sounds like a great idea! Still using it and surprised how versatile it is... roasted my first duck in the Tandoor and might do another one...maybe good to film that :-)

[@kyladoreen]

Lovely video, thanks for sharing. Watching was very relaxing and inspiring. Cheers!

[@knightkal]

That is the best one I seen so far just butter the naans when you take them out

[@chubbs5006]

After that disclaimer...thought to myself this is going to be interesting. Nice feat of engineering building the oven, the food looked great especially the naan. I feel like that naan would make one hell of a pizza crust. Great job man!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks again so much... Just experimenting here and really enjoying this oven. Still working safely so far :-)

[@josephinewang4199]

Looking wonderful! In the US , most tall apt buildings will not allow such fire stove on the balcony. It could cause a fire 🔥 and be evicted for doing such a project !

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Josephine, yeah, most buildings don't allow this for sure.. I think I'm in slightly different unit where there's nothing above my on the patio. Hopefully I can start it up again as the weather gets warmer😋

[@anjumbukhari8453]

Thank you so much for posting this…

[@CandyStax71]

Wow...I wanna make one now....Greetings from a Canadian living in Australia!!

[@radeonblue1816]

I hadn't expected that the food would turn out so good. I cannot comment on taste but based on the images it looked really good.

[@tasneemhussein5235]

Amazing job ... The naan looks so amazing 👏

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Tasneem!

[@5551kamaljit]

Great job

[@billandlisa]

Great job, Tim! Both chicken recipes looked delicious! And, that Naan! *drool*

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much Bill and Lisa :-)

[@rogersfuller4797]

Seriously, good to see you active. You look like you had been out running. As intriguing as this is, I would be very nervous about doing this. Of course, now I am depressed, since it reminds me of how much I miss my favorite South Indian restaurants in my area. If you get to the D.C. area, there are an abundance.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks again Rogers Fuller! LoL... a lot of rebuilding and adjustments. By the way, hope theings in D.C. is okay and that the unrest has settled somewhat. Keep safe! Cheers, Tim

[@Lczzy]

I came across your channel recently. This make-shift tandoor oven is incredible! Love your creativity and resourcefulness👍. Food looks delish 😋.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you for reaching out Linda c 🙂. Just having some fun experimenting. Hope you get a try too 😃

[@El-ng7mb]

Interesting now I wanna make one

[@pradapicha7381]

Wow that good idea . Enjoy

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Just keeping occupied here .. but turned out well (thank goodness) :-D

[@marvingill3539]

We've connected soo well, much love from canada !

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Marvin! ...and kind regards to a fellow Canadian! :-)

[@herbmurphy7000]

Great video Tim now I'm going to try this!!!!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hey Herb, hope you're doing well. It was quite simple to do and hope you get a chance to try... wasn't very expensive either :-)

[@healthchannel4399]

wow. great explained

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you so much! Building strata was not too happy when they saw this video😉

[@josemaciel232]

You definitely nailed it, simple informative very eloquently put in every detail thank you! Now am hungry 😁

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hope you give it a try José, I'm still using it even during the winter time... Turned out to be a really nice oven

[@josemaciel232]

@@TimLeeLetsGo I definitely will! Thanks again 🙏👍

[@RekimNZ]

Another excellent video!!, and a great way to connect...... (I too have made the same type of Tandoor, they are awesome ovens.)

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Mike! Are you making good use of yours this summer?

[@brokenrecord3523]

Good job. I like that living in town and having only a small balcony didn't keep you from doing this cool project.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Dave! Trying to be creative (and safe) :-)

[@RussIsRight]

Looks great! I'm sure it tasted great too! Yum!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Russ :-) A pain to rebuild again, but better safe than sorry... All the best!

[@abraham3901]

Looks good but wondering how toXic this can be using a colored pot on the outside edge. Leaching into the food maybe ? i dont know , any thoughts? Clay is porous I understand. Also I was reading the vermiculite may have asbestos in it.

[@Rosemary-lg8sf]

I enjoyed this video and this is the easiest way to make the tandoori oven Great Video Thanks for sharing👍

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank Noor, I hope you get a chance to give it a try.. I just used it today to roast a duck 😋

[@hasanchoudhury5401]

Best display helpful ! Excellent ! Regards.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Hasan!

[@letsgobrandon6545]

It is actually brilliant.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you so much! Still use it quite a bit ...

[@vnnhome]

I think I'm going to make one. Thanks.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

I'm pretty happy with mine and still use it... but need to watch out for our strata Council otherwise additional condo fines are coming

[@ianlaccohee7180]

Great video, thank you.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Ian... Really enjoying the setup :-)

[@kerimyigit5370]

Good job Tim, you think clever. Thank you for sharing that nice experiment.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you so much for you kind comment Kerim!

[@pamyjsa6335]

Great Video!! I made it but cannot find the right skewers. Where can I get the skewers?

[@TheRealKingDong]

Love to have that Naan recipe!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Oh... that might be fun to make...

[@capdriving]

IDLE TIME with Tim Lee MY dad owned two resturants and he never did the tandori route. GREAT VIDEO

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

I was surprised how well the Tandoor worked out... using it all the time :-)

[@rogerramjet1038]

Great work, you did such a good job on that man well done dude!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much Roger... hope you get a chance to give this project a try... starting to use this now that the weather is warming up again

[@praveenchawla6999]

Brilliant!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Praveen!

[@butterflieslove3334]

Love the naans hmmmmm😋 can't wait to make my tandoor oven i been making tandoor naan and roti when I was 16 back home 🏡 it's been long time haven't made but am so obsessed about tandoor oven thanks for sharing this video keep vloggiing keep cooking keep smiling 😃 😁🇬🇧

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Ohhh butterflies love... I would highly recommend it... I'm using this all the time for roasts, veggies, breads etc. Very happy with it :-)

[@Charles-rs9wd]

Tim, I really like the way you edit your videos

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hi Charles, much appreciate your kind comment. I'm just learning as I go and certainly could use a lot of improvements. Much appreciate your feedback!!!

[@usatoolengineer]

Excellent thanks for the video

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

I hope you give it a try.. I'm actually still using it now during the winter time 🙂... Experimenting with Peking duck 😋

[@rajangadkari]

Excellent video. I am trying to get vermiculite but seems I mostly get the SOIL/PLANTING vermiculite. Is that the same ? or I have to any special type of vermiculite for oven/insulation ?

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hi Rajan,. Thank you so much for reaching out and I hope you give this a try.. with the warm weather I'm using mine quite often now and really loving it. Yes, I just use the garden variety vermiculate, or if you want you can use rockwool. Make sure you stay away from fiberglass as that will melt at relatively low temperatures. Let me know how it goes, really interested to hear how yours turn out.

[@zaheedsyedzs]

Can you please advise what other types of fire insulation can be used as research shows that Vermiculite loose-fill insulation is one of the most common household materials that contain asbestos?

[@joieaserti3673]

i read the vermiculite lose 1/2 of his density after a while ? is it true ? or do we need to mix it with cement ?

[@chadglasner4755]

What can I say? A great video and I'm hungry now 😂

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Chad!

[@johnpet23]

Awesome video! How do you clean the oven and remove the used charcoal ?

[@someguy1169]

Is the airflow adequate to get the right heat levels and not smother the coals?

[@ashleyfrancis7376]

Hi Tim you are the best &that is coming from a Goan Pakistani living in Toronto,druelling at your cooking.Ashley

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you so much Ashley! Greatly appreciated and absolutely love Goa!

[@nelferns4547]

Hats off bro. Hope to see yr more video's in yr channel. God bless

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much Nel😃

[@HarjitSingh-ew9zy]

Man, this is great

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hi Harjit, thank you so much and enjoying the oven during the summer season....hope you give it a try😃

[@alexandrameister8543]

Great entreprenouring.Liked It very much.Thank you

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Alexandra... Believe it or not, even in this cold, it's still being used from time to time 😋

[@alexandrameister8543]

@@TimLeeLetsGo i do believe and i Will use your technique for my kitchen too.hope to encounter more authentic Tandoori savour than electric oven

[@baddie_dar]

Looks delicious

[@lindaschouten7210]

Great job! How did you deal with the soot at the top?

[@alexanderlee6509]

Won’t the top half jostle since nothing is affixing it to the bottom half other than gravity?

[@jorgopitz5799]

Sehr Gut! Danke!! By

[@AlenUniverse360]

Amazing video!!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Alen!

[@warrenkawamoto8660]

Your video gave me an idea! I have a kamado grill, it's very similar in concept to your oven. I'll try cooking something your way!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

That sounds awesome Warren! Would be really curious as to how it turns out!

[@lrm7244]

That actually looks good

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks LR M.. it turned out to be quite enjoyable...

[@britain358]

Where did you buy the skewers?

[@treasurehuntfoodies]

Another impressive job on the oven and you chicken, vegetables and naan!! It looks so good and authentic!! The crunch on that naan!! Love the video, we are talking about trying to build a pizza oven, you are inspiring!!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Kim... It was a bit of a pain to rebuild and re-post again, but better safe than sorry... All the best!

[@amusliminusa]

This is awesome. I have two concerns though. I feel like it could easily tip over. Also, what's used to keep the two pots joined together or what could be used. Maybe it's not a good idea though. Yours or anyone's thoughts on this please...

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Good point! The structure is pretty sturdy so it’s pretty hard to tip. Good point on the pots. At this moment it’s only gravity holding it together.🤦‍♂️😉

[@alim.3987]

Really good

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thank you Ali

[@jerseylife8701]

Well, now I have to build a tandoor this spring.

[@waynesworld1655]

The food looked amazing and I’m sure it was delicious! Looks like you learned a lot from last time eh? Always good to educate and get more info. Keep up the good work and stay safe Tim! Just curious what part of Vancouver do you reside? I used to live in Fairview Slopes back on the late 90’s. Miss BC, Vancouver is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the world, also the people are so chill there too!

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hi Wayne, I was born and raised in the Vancouver area. I grew up around the Hastings area (in an Italian neighborhood). I moved to Surrey recently (a few years ago) to be closer to work. Although that doesn't really make much of a difference with the remote work that's happening currently :-) We're doing pretty well here as things are opening up and we don't seem to have many cases...though I must say the majority of the people were quite mindful of the isolation. LoL ... even the local buffet sent an email indicating they were opening up ;-) I suspect it may be too soon to go at this moment. Fairview slopes is a very nice area and certainly developing very nicely. Nice to hear from a local ... will you visit here soon? :-) Take care :-)

[@waynesworld1655]

Tim Lee yeah back then I only payed $650 and split a townhouse with the full view of the downtown harbour. That place must be at least double to triple the rent now? I’m back in my small hometown Windsor, ON. Right across the river from Detroit. That’s awesome the local buffet is opening but I agree. A bit too early. I think I’ll wait until September before I even decide upon going back to restaurants.

[@SainiBadwalUSA]

Nicely done I just made one with 200 Lt drum and large flower pot Mine I can use as a tandoor or grill oh and also I can use coal or gas or both

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Well done on your end too! Would love to have the flexibility of using gas 😃

[@SainiBadwalUSA]

@@TimLeeLetsGo Thanks to you

[@mikechapman599]

Your a legend Tim ! Keep up the great work !! 👍👍👍

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks so much Mike. Greatly appreciated :-)

[@mohammadshahrahimi1986]

Great…

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

It was a fun build 🙂

[@iqnill]

Did you check if the pots are lead free? Most planting pots have lead as an ingredient of the clay to allow for more plasticity during production.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks lq Nill. Yes, and glad you raised this. definitely used a lead swab kit on this Greatly appreciated!

[@ajaypuri_australia]

@@TimLeeLetsGo hi Tim , this look great 👍, as Nil raise question abt Lead and you said you use kit, could you tell more how you made them lead free , thanks in advance

[@andredelange2548]

A metal 49 gallon drum will be safe with a ventilation opening at bottom where burning material can be placed in for heat,nice idea Tim

[@rockerobertson4002]

can any clay or terracotta pot take high heat? Can't wait to make one of these.

[@ntinamorris]

Nice video dude. I just suggest to use firewood instead of charcoals and to apply a metal plate on the bottom of the meat stick avoiding thus the burning heat

[@pnsingh4734]

i am watching from india , very good, you make nicely .

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Hello P N Singh, warmest greetings to you from Vancouver Canada! I hope I portrayed the food and the tandoor sufficiently well. Thank you again!

[@sullywhy]

Pit little bit of yeast into the naan the outer layer will crisp up but inside will be propa fluffy and nice. Tandoor bang on.

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Sully! Agreed!

[@Thefi5thdnb]

If you choose a larger pot for the top it'll over lap and leave a nice ledge on the inside for your skewers to rest on

[@TimLeeLetsGo]

Thanks Phil! That's a good idea.. How that the weather has warmed up a bit, I'm using the tandoor once again.. will give it a try..