The Heat of the Tandoor cover photo

The Heat of the Tandoor

29 September 20262 min read

A platter of grilled meats including shrimp, chicken, and goat, served with flatbread.

At Kathmandu Curry & Bar, the heat of the kitchen revolves around our tandoor. This traditional clay oven is central to the cooking of both Nepali and Indian food, reaching temperatures far higher than a standard oven. The intense, dry heat seals the outside of the meat quickly, keeping the inside tender, while the smoke from the charcoal and the juices hitting the clay walls give the food a distinct, deep flavour.

The Tandoori Chicken

Our Tandoori Chicken is an everyday example of what the clay oven does best. We start by marinating whole chicken pieces in yogurt mixed with a blend of traditional spices. The yogurt tenderises the meat, and the spices form a thick paste. When the chicken goes into the tandoor, the high heat cooks it fast. The outside chars slightly, taking on the smoky flavour of the oven, while the inside remains juicy. You can taste the result of this method in our Mix Grill, which brings together Tandoori Shrimp, Chicken Tikka, and our marinated Goat Sekuwa. If you are looking for goat sekuwa near me, this platter shows how the tandoor handles different meats, each requiring careful timing in the intense heat.

Beyond the Grill

The tandoor is also used for baking. When you order from our menu, whether you are having a rich paneer makhani houston style or a complex Indian curry houston tx, the bread is cooked on the inside walls of the oven. The dough is slapped directly onto the hot clay, where it bubbles and bakes in minutes. The result is flatbread with a slightly crisp, charred exterior and a soft, chewy center, ideal for picking up the sauce from our Chicken Korma or Kathmandu Paneer Vindaloo.

While the tandoor provides the heavy, smoky flavours, our kitchen also prepares the lighter, steamed dishes that define a Himalayan restaurant houston. Our chicken momo houston and lamb momo houston are steamed rather than baked, offering a softer texture. For a different experience, the chicken jhol momo is submerged in a spiced tomato-sesame broth. Whether you are coming in for a Newari Khaja Set houston, a plate of nepali chowmein houston, or just searching for nepali food near me, the contrast between the sharp, grilled meats from the tandoor and the steamed dumplings gives a clear picture of the varied cooking methods we use.

Whether you are planning an Indian dine in houston evening or looking for a Nepali restaurant houston to try something new, the food coming out of our tandoor oven offers a specific, grounded taste of these cooking traditions.

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The Tandoor Oven at Kathmandu Curry & Bar