Here's how you can have your own home barbeque

The smoked flavour of foods cooked over coals, be it marinated meats or plain potatoes, is simply irresistible to just about everybody. From the old biscuit tin that doubles as a tandoor in the dhabas of North India, the large iron box of the kababwallas, the modest 'table-top' home-barbeque, to the more elaborate brick-and-mortar installations in well-laid-out home gardens, the entire range of coal-fire cooking equipment does the job wonderfully. The trick is only this: fire the coals well, see that the heat's evenly distributed, and have a well-prepared array of meats, veggies, and even rotis that will go on to the coals.

BBQ and tandoori nights are really the flavour-of-the season now, what with the chilly weather and the ever-popular taste for coal-cooked food. Fish, meat and chicken shops too are now geared to make you cuts tailored for tandoori, so you're saved the bother of messing about at home. Of course, if you know your meats well and have a favourite set of cleavers and knives, which you can use deftly, you're free to do your own too. BBQ is not about meat alone; there's so much you can do with huge potatoes, new thin-skinned ones, and the little baby potatoes, that are all in the market right now. There's also paneer, cauliflower, whole onions, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and the in-season harbara (fresh green chickpea) and hoorda, or ponkh (green jowar) as it is called, which you can put in a heavy kadhai and slow bake over your coal fire.

Preparing ahead is also a key ingredient to a successful barbeque. If you're starting from scratch, which means actually going out and buying or building your own tandoor or bbq, you have a few clear-cut choices. If you're installing a brick one, get hold of a mason, take him down to a dhaba, get him to understand the basic structure that needs to be built - it's very simple, really - and have him make it. You would then need to insert the metal grille and the 'gamla' or big metal bowl that will hold the coals, and you're ready to go. If you're looking for a put-away option - something that you can simply fold up and store once you're done, there are two varieties available in the market. There's the small folding, tabletop one. Don't be surprised by its dinky size - it does a great job, and can easily feed a party of 10-15. It can sit comfortably even in a little balcony, or on a terrace or in your pocket garden while it's in use. It can then be folded away into a slim little package, and carried anywhere you want, if you want to take it to your favourite picnic spot. Then there's the larger one on a stand, which runs on the same principle: a tray of heated coals below, and a grille on top. You can also source the traditional kababwalla iron box variety. It's heavy and not easily transportable, but it does a terrific job. If you have the space to let it just sit in one place when not in use, it's a good option. It has a very basic, rustic charm to it too, with its no-nonsense, sturdy iron looks and heavy-duty skewers to match.

The home-bbqs in the market come with their own skewers, but you can buy some more too. The ones with Bakelite (not plastic) handles work well, since they don't heat up and are easy to handle.

If you're doing a barbeque night, appoint one person in actual charge of the bbq - to get the coals fired, shift or fan them, add coals, turn the food around, take a call on when something's done and needs to be plated, etc. The rest of the revelers can help by sitting around and shouting instructions!

For those who love the taste of coal-smoked foods, but would prefer not to mess around too much, here's one short cut. Simply put your marinated meats/veggies, etc. in a tray in a pre-heated oven, cook till tender; put off the oven, and place a burning coal (that you can light on your gas stove) in a small open container, put a couple of drops of fat on it so that it sizzles and smokes, and place it in the oven. Keep the oven shut for about 10 minutes. When you remove the food, it will have taken on the delicate flavour of coal smoke!

While there is a fantastic array of homemade marinades that you can use, what's a basic marinade that you can rely on, for both meats and veggies? Simply this: some ginger-garlic paste with salt, curds, a ready-made tandoori dry masala - all rubbed on to the meat or veggies and kept for at least three hours. To this you can add your own variations - mint leaves, or a dash of pickle masala or pickle oil, extra jeera or garlic…there's simply no limit. You can adjust ingredients for a more continental flavour, or a hint of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Some salad or raita and a few basic dips and chutneys add that something extra to a tandoori night. From the basic mint chutney, to more exotic Malaysian or Lebanese dips, the choice is really yours. You could get your guests to bring some too. Don't forget to round off a great BBQ evening with a delectable dessert - warm gajar halwa served in little clay pots would work wonders this season.

Anandi