What is mustard oil's role in a traditional tandoori marinade?

Question

Understand how mustard oil adds depth and heat to tandoori-style dishes.

Answer 1

Mustard oil's role in a traditional tandoori marinade is to add a pungent, distinct flavor characteristic of North Indian cuisine, contribute to the marinade's thick consistency, and aid in the development of a slight crust on the chicken during cooking.

Detailed Explanation:

Mustard oil is a hallmark ingredient in many traditional North Indian and Bengali marinades, including tandoori. Its specific properties make it a key player in the flavor and texture of the final dish.

1. Pungent Flavor: Raw mustard oil has a distinct, strong, pungent flavor due to its high concentration of allyl isothiocyanate. When heated or used in marinades, this pungency mellows but leaves behind a characteristic, warm, and slightly sharp flavor that is quintessential to authentic tandoori and many other Indian dishes.
2. Flavor Carrier: Like other oils, mustard oil helps to dissolve and distribute the fat-soluble flavor compounds from the spices, ensuring that the marinade's taste penetrates the meat effectively.
3. Consistency and Adhesion: Its slightly thicker viscosity compared to other neutral oils helps to create a more robust marinade that adheres well to the chicken or paneer, contributing to the development of a good crust during cooking.
4. Heat Tolerance: Mustard oil has a relatively high smoke point, making it suitable for the high-heat cooking methods used in tandoor or oven roasting.

It's important to note that pure mustard oil often contains erucic acid, which is considered unhealthy in large quantities. Many culinary brands of mustard oil available for cooking are 'double-filtered' or have reduced levels of this acid, or some recipes suggest heating the oil until it just begins to smoke (then cooling it) to mellow its pungency and reduce strong compounds before adding to the marinade.

Pro Tip:

If you find the raw pungency of mustard oil too strong, heat it gently in a pan until it just starts to smoke, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely before adding it to your marinade.