What to Cook with Tandoori Paste (Besides Curry)

Use it as a dip, cracker topper or inside wraps & toasties

Customers we meet in the farmer’s market tell us this is their favourite way to eat our Tandoori Paste. Simply dip in your preferred vegetable stick or cracker and you're ready to go. If you prefer a fancier canape, you can spread it on a cracker and top with feta cheese. Or you can mix in some greek yogurt to create a creamier dip.

Tandoori Paste is great friends with crackers. Last Christmas, I made Gujarati style Rai no Potato (mustard potatoes) and then made Potato, Tandoori crackers. You could also do a Tandoori, Bacon & Cheese cracker or a Tandoori & Proscuitto one. 

Another idea is to spread Tandoori paste on tortillas and fill with your choice of protein and vegetables, then grill until the tortillas are crispy. The same goes for sandwiches and your lunchtime wrap!

Tandoori, your protein of choice

Our Tandoori Paste can be used with virtually any protein. The classic dish is ofcourse, Tandoori chicken. Begin by marinating chicken pieces in tandoori paste, add some yogurt to the marination if you like. Leave overnight and then barbecue or air-fry or pan grill the chicken. Chicken thighs are my preferred cut as they retain the juiciness.

If you prefer red meat, you can also make Tandoori lamb chops. Or you can make Tandoori portobello mushrooms, Tandoori tofu, Tandoori paneer (this one is better in the air fryer), you get my drift.

I normally mix up how I serve these. Sometimes it's with rice and beans, other times it's with a slaw-type salad. 

Tandoori skewers

Doesn’t everything look and taste better when it’s on a skewer? My favourites for a skewer are Tandoori prawns with the tail on, Tandoori vegetables like bell peppers, onions and mushrooms or for the kids' lunch box I make boneless Tandoori chicken skewers. If you're skewering, I recommend skipping the yogurt. Marinate your protein with just the Tandoori paste, skewer it on, and allow to marinate for 3-4 hours. Barbecue or oven bake and serve with a side salad.

Tandoori avocado on toast, yes really.

When my customer told me she spread Tandoori paste on her toast before topping it with avocado, I gave an internal cringe. But I was so curious, I had to give it a taste. And it works, it really does!

Tandoori pizza

Spread the tandoori paste on pizza dough and top with your choice of protein, vegetables, and cheese, then bake until the crust is crispy. My favourite toppings are smoked chicken, pulled pork, pepperoni or paneer cubes with thinly sliced onions and capsicum. Want a more Indiany pizza? Use naan as your base!

Tandoori Nachos or Tacos

There’s a lot of spice overlap between Indian and Mexican food so it's totally okay to give nacho/taco night an Indian twist. Simply add in 4-5 tbsp of the Tandoori Paste when cooking your chilli. Then, assemble your nachos as always with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Tandoori butter or Tandoori mayo

If you love a good barbecue but don't want a full Tandoori marinade then consider mixing Tandoori paste with softened butter to make a spicy compound butter for grilled meats or vegetables. And if you need a delicious salad with that steak, make a salad dressing by combining mayonnaise with Tandoori paste.

Tandoori vegetable and chickpea curry

Toss vegetables of your choice (capsicum, eggplants, mushroom, corn, cauliflower) with 1-2 tbsp of Tandoori paste. Grill them until they are cooked. In a saucepan, add some ghee and one finely chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft (5 mins). Add in 5-6 tbsp of the Tandoori paste, a can of coconut milk and a can of drained chickpeas. Simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add in the vegetables. Mix and serve with rice or naan.

Masala scrambled eggs

I know you're thinking that spice won't work with eggs but millions of Indians do add spice to their eggy breakfasts and love it. Simply stir through a tbsp of Tandoori paste to scrambled eggs for a spicy breakfast. Or, go a step further and make an egg bhurji. 

Tandoori baked potatoes

Use smaller-sized potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scrape out a deep depression so that the potatoes look like egg halves; the edges should be around 1 – 1.5cm thick. Add them to a pot of boiling salted water and boil for 8 minutes or until the shells are just soft. (they can also be fried for 4 minutes for a richer dish). Remove and cool.

Add 1/2 - 1 tsp of Tandoori paste into each potato half. Place them on a tray and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile mix together plain yoghurt, coriander-cumin powder, salt, pepper, fresh coriander, mint and finely chopped spring onion. Once the potatoes are done, top each half with a tsp of the filling. Serve immediately.

Tandoori-fy Sunday roast

Whether you're #TeamLamb or #TeamChicken for Sunday roast, our Tandoori paste has got you covered. My favourite way to cook roast is to slather both the meat and the vegetables generously with Tandoori paste, cover it and leave it overnight in the fridge so that it soaks up all the flavours. On Sunday, pop the whole tray in the oven, cook for a few hours, and you're sorted.