I would guess it's a blend of spices for making Tandoori chicken. What a fun gift!

I agree it's probably a spice blend for making Tandoori dishes, and will contain cumin, chilli, and coriander at the very least. Possibly garlic, lemon, onion, turmeric (for the colour) and ginger added as well. The meat is supposed to come out a red colour, so often a red food dye is added.

Tandoori is traditionally made on a special charcoal stove called a Tandor, but the modern version is much easier.

Here's a really simple recipe for which you could use your Tanduri. Use the tanduri instead of the cumin/coriander and curry powder.

Minted Tandoori Lamb
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
4 lamb chump chops, each cut into 3 pieces
1 tablespoon chopped mint

Combine yoghurt, cumin, coriander and curry powder, mix well. Toss pieces of lamb in yoghurt mixture, coat evenly. Place lamb on a rack which is standing inside a baking dish. Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, turning lamb every 15 minutes. Sprinkle mint over lamb and serve immediately.

Ditto for this recipe:

Chicken Tandoori
500ml yoghurt
1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
3 whole chicken breasts, split
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green capsicum, finely chopped

Combine, coriander, lime juice, cumin, garlic, ginger, salt, cayenne, turmeric. Stir to mix. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover with capsicum and onions. Cover, chill overnight (or longer). Grill (broil) until done, basting with marinade throughout cooking.

I'd love to know what other spices were included in this wonderful gift!

That's a great gift! I think HE should be sending you recipes!

Here's what Penzey's says about their mix, which includes a recipe:

Tandoori Seasoning salt free
Clay ovens known as tandoors and the flavorful food they produce have entered the fast food market all over India and many major cities of the West as well. The most popular tandoori food is chicken. Skinless half chickens are marinated overnight, skewered and baked. Tandoors are extremely hot, which seals in the juices of the chicken. Like a microwave, tandoors cook so quickly that browning doesn't take place. The red color of Tandoori chicken in Indian restaurants comes from food coloring. It is possible to reproduce the rich flavor, if not the cooking technique, of this dish at home. Mix 1-2 TB. with 1 Cup plain yogurt and the juice of ½ lemon. Pour over a cut-up skinless chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from marinade, bake 45 minutes uncovered at 325°, turning and basting every 15 minutes. Also excellent for sautéed chicken breasts and chicken pasta salad. Hand-mixed from: coriander, cumin, sweet paprika, garlic, ginger, cardamom and saffron.

I love that market tho I haven't been there for about 4 years.

I would vary this recipe just a bit...

Mix 1-2 TB. with 1 Cup plain yogurt and the juice of ½ lemon. Pour over a cut-up skinless chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from marinade, bake 45 minutes uncovered at 325°, turning and basting every 15 minutes.

Take your boneless chicken and pierce it all over right thru, in effect making a lot of slits. Mix the lemon juice with 2-4 tsp salt, and rub into the chicken esp the slits. Let this sit for 30 min.

Then take the yoghurt , mixed with the Tandoori spice ( at least 2T) and pour this over the chicken and marinate 12 hrs or overnight. Remove from marinad and either bake or grill. You don't want the chicken to be too close to each other piece, so I would do it on a cookie sheet if in the oven.

Delicious!!!

Jamie,
I was hoping to find Tanduri in my Herbs & Spices cook's reference, there wasn't a listing...A spice blend for Tandoori Masala only.
Happy hunting and have fun with your new herbs and spices.

It does appear to be a variant spelling of tandoori (based on a Google search). Here is a link to a recipe for Tanduri Masala spice mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tanduri spice mix

"Masala" simply means "Spice Blend" so Tandoori Masala is Tandoori Spice Blend.

Well since DW officially said I could make Pranjal's shrimp pilaf again (she didn't love it but said it was acceptable) I'll have to venture more into Indian and see what I can get away with. Penzey's is across the street.....

Both of those recipes sound really good, but unless I can figure out what "lamb chump chop" is I might have to start with the chicken.

I live about 3 hours east of Atlanta; whenever I go there I insist to my wife that we stop at the Dekalb Farmers Market. Great food from all over the world. Everything from goat to ducks to durian fruit.

A tandoor is a clay oven usually operated at high temperatures. The meats are usually marinated in yogurt and spices then lowered into the tandoor on skewers. Chickens, for instance, are cooked with the skin OFF; the intense heat of the tandoor seals the outside and the inside remains juicy. Tandoor spice mix makes the surface of the food an intense red.

I've thought about building my own tandoor in the backyard, but it's hard to find the clay liner that is an integral part of the oven. For more info than any sane person needs about tandoor cooking, check out the book in the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: tandoor cookbook

A chump chop is a chop cut from the top end of a leg of lamb. Very tender.

Here is a link that might be useful: chump chop

Thank you all so much for your input! It has been so helpful!