This ‘culinary icon’ of Indian cuisine is considered one of the best ‘grilled chicken dishes from around the world’

 

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Origins on the sands of Persia

Before tandoori chicken became synonymous with the streets of Delhi or Lahore, it was part of a broader culinary philosophy brought by Persian nomads who cooked over open fires. Traveling across the arid plains, these nomads would dig pits in the earth, using the searing heat of clay ovens to cook meat. “For these desert wanderers,” Kaur explains, “cooking under open fire wasn’t just a method; it was a way of life.”

These techniques traveled with the nomads, who, through Central Asia, eventually found themselves in the rich, diverse landscapes of northern India. It was here, amid the wheat fields and dairy farms of Punjab, that the tandoor—formerly a utilitarian cooking vessel—took on a new character. With abundant milk, yoghurt, and aromatic spices, cooks began experimenting, marinating meats in yoghurt spiced with cumin, coriander, and the brilliant, deep-red Kashmiri Lal Mirch.

From Peshawar to the heart of Delhi: The making of an icon

The story of tandoori chicken, as we know it today, begins in the streets of Peshawar with Kundan Lal Gujral and Kundan Lal Jaggi, culinary visionaries who would later go on to open Moti Mahal in Delhi. “In Peshawar, tandoor cooking was common for kebabs,” explains food historian and chef Sadaf Husain, “but it wasn’t yet the vibrant, spiced version we associate with tandoori chicken.” In the chaotic post-Partition era, the two chefs carried with them not only their memories of Peshawar but also their tandoor.

It was in Delhi’s Daryaganj neighbourhood, near the historic Red Fort, that Gujral’s version of tandoori chicken found its footing. Moti Mahal transformed the dish, marinating chicken in yoghurt spiced with an earthy symphony of Punjabi flavours and baking it in the clay oven until it emerged scarlet, smoky, and crisp. The city’s locals fell in love, and word spread. Gujral’s tandoori chicken had officially entered India’s culinary lexicon, as much a part of its modern history as its ancient traditions.

In each bite, tandoori chicken carries a trace of the Persian nomads, and the Punjabi chefs who made it what it is.  (Source: Pixabay)

A shared legacy across borders

Even as political borders solidified, tandoori chicken remained a common love across India and Pakistan. The dish resonated with Punjabis and Sindhis, becoming a celebratory fixture on both sides.

“The flavour of tandoori chicken doesn’t recognise borders,” says Kaur. “It’s a shared heritage, spanning centuries and geographies.” Today, in India and Pakistan, a sizzling tandoori platter brings people together, reminding them of a time when food and culture flowed freely across the land.

Influence on global cuisine

As British officers in colonial India sampled the flavourful dish, tandoori chicken found its way into new culinary experiments. Gujral’s Moti Mahal became a haven for British officials and diplomats, each taking back a piece of this spicy creation.

It became the base of new dishes, like butter chicken and chicken tikka masala, bridging Indian tradition with Western tastes and becoming symbols of Indian cuisine abroad. “During the British rule, tandoori chicken evolved yet again,” Kaur says, “from a single dish to a foundation of entire recipes.”

In each bite, tandoori chicken carries a trace of the Persian nomads and the Punjabi chefs who made it what it is. It’s a journey across landscapes, borders, and generations—a story told not in words but in aromas, flavours, and the unmistakable satisfaction of a meal steeped in heritage.