It is said that the origins of the tandoor date back to 2,500-2,600 BCE. The earliest evidence was found in Harappa and Mohenjodaro, two key sites part of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. How does such an ancient method survive to this day? The answer is very simple: the concept and creation of the tandoor.

In ancient times, the tandoor was a cylindrical clay pot made in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The remarkable quality of the pot was that it was able to keep the heat trapped inside. The heat is generated by a charcoal or wood fire which burns within the tandoor itself. This exposes the food to radiant heat and gives the food a smoky flavor.

Tandoori chicken as a dish originated in the Punjab before the independence of partition of India. In the late 1940s, tandoori chicken was popularised at Moti Mahal in Peshawar by Kundan Lal Jaggi, Thakur Dass, and Kundan Lal Gujral, who are all Punjabi Hindus, as well as the founders of the Moti Mahal restaurant. 

Kundan was the first to dig a tandoor right in the middle of his eatery in Gora Bazaar, Peshawar. The demand for tandoori chicken at social gatherings and events grew quickly, requiring the use of an improvised tandoor. But in 1947, partition drove Kundan away from Peshawar, forcing him to flee to Delhi in India.

Roaming the streets with no money or resources he ended up in an abandoned Thara in Daryaganj. This is where he decided to rekindle his art of tandoori chicken cuisine, and Moti Mahal, the internationally recognized restaurant was born.

Kundan Lal Gujral’s recipe was the first to perfect this way of cooking with chicken and changed the way of cooking chicken in India. Tandoori chicken is prepared by roasting chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices in the tandoor, with temperatures reaching up to 480 degrees Celsius. 

It may be argued as to who actually invented the dish, but either way, tandoori chicken is consumed worldwide and is loved by everyone.