In a conversation with Food Service India, Munnilal Founder & Chairman of Munni Lal Tandoors, shares his expertise on the art of making tandoors and their importance in popularising tandoori cuisine.
Munnilal Tandoors Pvt. Ltd. is one of the leading names in tandoor business. Munni Lal, the owner of the company, spent more than 50 years nurturing the art of making tandoors.
Born to a humble family, Munni Lal lived in the bylanes of Old Delhi. His family was involved in the making of clay pots for two generations; the pots made by his grandfather were very popular in different parts of Delhi in the 1940s and 1950s.
Munni Lal had to sacrifice his education to support his father in their clay craft work, he left his studies when he was in the seventh standard. Hence, his entry into a working life began at a tender age of 14 back in 1960s. However, with many challenges and opportunities on his way, he has emerged as a winner to establish himself as one of the foremost names in the making of tandoors, not only in India but also worldwide.
Today, tandoor is seen as one of the most important elements of any Indian commercial kitchen. In more ways than one, a lot of credit goes to Munni Lal who has crafted countless tandoors over the past 50 years. Let’s delve into his journey over the years and his dreams for the future.
Did you develop fondness for the clay craft at an early age?
It was a difficult scenario for my family. I had no choice and therefore, it didn’t cross my mind whether I was upset about leaving the school. I was not even interested in the craft and my aim was to support my father. However, my father found ways to build my interest. I was involved as a helper to begin with, while he along with his brothers used to make small pots with clay and address occasional tandoor orders that they received. Soon after, I was lured to start making tandoors for home purpose and later big ones with a promise that money earned through those tandoors would be mine. This, somehow, gave me an ambition to make good tandoors. This is how I started my journey in the tandoor business.
This story is from the March/April 2017 edition of foodService India.
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This story is from the March/April 2017 edition of foodService India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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