Quick answer

Tandoor cooking is a South Asian oven method used for marinated meats, paneer and breads. The Great Kathmandu menu identifies charcoal cooking in dishes including tandoori chicken, lamb chops, boti kebab, nan, paratta, roti and chapati. The method gives the menu a common thread, while each dish has its own marinade, seasoning or sauce.

Cooking terms
The menu uses “charcoal oven”, “over charcoal”, “barbecued” and “in the tandoor”
Chicken marinade
Yoghurt, herbs and spices for Tandoori Chicken
Vegetarian choice
Paneer Tikka, marinated and cooked in the tandoor
Seafood choices
Jhinga Tandoori, Tandoori Fish and Fish Tikka
Breads
Nan, paratta, roti and chapati are listed with charcoal-oven cooking

What is tandoor cooking?

Reference dictionaries define tandoori as a South Asian method of cooking food in a tandoor oven. The Smithsonian's Silk Road foodways account documents flatbreads called nan across a wide area and describes tandoor as a clay oven, showing that the oven belongs to a broader, cross-regional cooking history. Rather than assume every restaurant uses identical equipment, this guide keeps restaurant-specific statements tied to our current menu.

That menu explicitly uses the phrases “charcoal oven”, “over charcoal”, “barbecued” and “cooked in the tandoor”. Those descriptions are the basis for the dishes discussed here.

One cooking method runs from marinated starters to paneer and bread, but every menu description tells a different part of the story.

What does our menu say about marinades and charcoal?

Tandoori Chicken is marinated in yoghurt, herbs and spices before being barbecued over charcoal. Tandoori Chops are lamb chops cooked in oriental herbs over charcoal. Boti Kebab uses lamb marinated with herbs and cooked over charcoal, while Chicken Tikka is diced boneless chicken marinated in spiced yoghurt and barbecued.

The wording changes because the preparations change. Seekh Kebab and Reshmi Kebab are seasoned minced lamb or chicken cooked on skewers. Jhinga Tandoori is king prawn seasoned with oriental spices and barbecued; Fish Tikka is cod marinated in spiced yoghurt and barbecued.

Is tandoor cooking only for meat?

No. Paneer Tikka is listed as paneer marinated and cooked in the tandoor, while Paneer Shashlik combines marinated paneer with onion, capsicum and tomatoes. The bread section also identifies nan, paratta, roti and chapati as charcoal-oven dishes.

The menu marks Paneer Tikka and Paneer Shashlik as vegetarian. As always, guests with allergies or other dietary requirements should speak with the team before ordering.

Which tandoori dishes can I order?

For a mixed starter, Tandoori Mixed brings together tandoori chicken, seekh kebab, chicken tikka and boti kebab. Kathmandu Mixed Starter combines king prawn, tandoori chop, fish tikka and reshmi kebab. Individual barbecued or tandoor-named choices include Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori Chops, Chicken Tikka, Boti Kebab, Kidney Kebab, Jhinga Tandoori, Tandoori Fish, Fish Tikka and Paneer Tikka. The exact menu wording—not a transferred cooking claim—governs each item.

Tandoor-cooked ingredients also continue into the mains. Kathmandu Chicken Makhanwala uses tandoori chicken on the bone in a tomato and cream sauce, while Tandoori Chicken Karahi adds onion, capsicum, tomato, garlic and ginger.

Common questions about tandoor cooking

Is a tandoor simply a barbecue?

No. The reference sources describe a tandoor as an oven. Our menu also uses “barbecued” and “over charcoal” for particular dishes, so this guide preserves the wording attached to each item.

Is tandoor cooking only for meat?

No. Our menu explicitly lists Paneer Tikka cooked in the tandoor and describes nan, paratta, roti and chapati as cooked in the charcoal oven.

Is every tandoori dish chilli-hot?

No fixed heat follows from the cooking method. Read the dish description and ask the team about any item without a printed heat note.

Does every tandoori dish contain yoghurt?

No universal assumption is safe. Our menu explicitly names yoghurt in some marinades, including Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Tikka, but not in every charcoal-cooked item. Ask for current allergen information when dairy matters.

Source notes

Reviewed 19 September 2026. Where this guide mentions our restaurant, details are checked against the current dine-in menu. Wider cultural, historical and ingredient claims are checked against the cited sources below. How we research and correct our guides.