Get Conscious About Non- Stick Cookwares!- Surprising Benefits of Cast Iron Tawas and Seasoning Tips!

A home without tawa is a impracticable! It’s of course a no-way thing. Every Indian home have a tawa when they have a kitchen at home!

We use tawa for making the dosas, chappathis, rotis, parotas, uthapam, sandwiches, naans, omelettes and even cutlets and fish fry. Talking about the commonly used tawa, which is a wide surfaced pan with very shallow or no sides.

The most worst incident of a beginner cook starts with the tawa, where your mom challenges you to spread a dosa. And the total embarassing thing starts when the dosa got stick to the pan and before I could remove the dosa, I could sniff the burning smell and the whole thing gets terrible and my mom told seasoning is important when you spread a dosa pointing out an onion forked with oil. Sooo, the thing really starts from there? Yeah, of course!

No wonder I will be here to let you know the science behind our traditional iron tawa (not a non stick tawa) and how to handle them by easy going seasoning tips!

….

1. How Does The Cast Iron Tawa Works?

Recalling back to our 6th standard, everyone could have possibly studied that “Iron is a poor conductor of heat and has a good heat retention property!

Tawas are made up of melted iron and are very thick and heavy when compared to non stick tawa. They are chemical free, spread the heat evenly without getting overheated in the centre of dosa/roti etc.

They are easy  to use and last forever when heated properly. Cast iron tawa is one of the most famous and oldest tawa used by most people.

But a few disadvantages can be met and people switch to non stick tawas due to

• Cast iron tawa turns to hot and it becomes difficult to handle the heat.
• They get rusted when not used frequently.
• The older the cast iron tawa, the better they are.

2. Benefits Of Using Cast Iron Tawa

Its not always the fruits and vegetables, sometimes the products you use can be beneficial for you! As everyone knows, iron is one of the most essential mineral needed for our body.

The more iron, the more hemoglobin your body will produce to transfer the oxygen throughout the body.

Cooking in cast iron tower helps to increase your iron levels and prevents anaemia! And it is definitely the easiest way to improve your iron intake!

….

3. Why Cast Iron Tawa Is Better Than Non Stick Tawa?

Due to the drawbacks of of overheating of cast iron tawa and difficulty to clean up and rusting,people are moving towards non stick tawas! But why don’t we spend a few minutes to know about the drawbacks of nonstick cookwares as well?

What Are Nonstick Cookwares?

• Non stick cookware are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene which is also known as Teflon.
• Teflon is a safe and stable compound but! At temperature above 300°C teflon coating on non stick cookware starts to break down, releasing toxic chemicals into air.
• This can cause temporary flu like symptoms called polymer fume fever.

Do You Know That Professional Cooks Don’t Choose Nonstick Pans?

It’s because the meal cooked don’t bring fonds! Fonds are tasty crispy bites that are left on the bottom of the pan when you cook meat or vegetables in it.

Non stick pans don’t make fond unless you see the pan so high and atomize the nonstick teflon coating with your food. Food really taste better with cast iron cookware. That’s why it still remains as a professional choice among cooks.

Isn’t it so hard to hear about true reveals of non stick cookware people aren’t aware of? Let’s all take out the the old cast iron tawa from your storehouse and start seasoning it!

….

Tips And Tricks To Season Your Tawa!

Having A New Cast Iron Tawa?

• Slightly heat the tawa.
• Sprinkle some salt in it and saute until golden brown.
• Switch off the heat.
• Once it cools, wipe the tawa with the cloth, apply light coating of oil and store the tawa.
• Wash them well after few days. Try to make 2-3 omelette/ adais

Before starting to cook doses, hit the cover on a medium flame, sprinkle some water after the tawa is heated, let the water drops to get evaporated.

Fork the slice of onion and dip in oil, start spreading the tawa before spreading the batter. This will prevent sticking of dosas.

….

How To Maintain An Old Cast Iron Tawa?

• Soak in washed rice water ( starch water) for a week. This action helps cast iron to remove odor from it.
• Use tamarind and lemon to remove the rust.
• Refill the cooked rice water and heat up in slow flame. Let it get dry
• Add gingelly oil and soak it for 1 hour. Take a slice of onion to wipe.

….

Notes:

• Use coconut scrubber or any soft scrub and liquid soap to wash the tawa. Don’t use hard steel scrubber on it.
• Avoid using lemon and cucumber for seasoning as it may damage the seasoning.
• Always rinse in warm water or wet tissue after the tawa gets cooled.
• Dry the tawa and apply oil after every use.
• Make sure you clean the tawa without water drops since it may cause further rusting.

….

The standard Coldpressed oils are here to provide cast iron tawa at affordable price. Click here to buy now!

Reference Links:

• https://www.universetoday.com/82331/what-is-conduction/
• https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/cook-it-in-cast-iron/benefits-of-cast-iron
• Cast iron benefits https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/on-the-plus-points-of-cast-iron-cookware/article22657816.ece/amp/
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nonstick-cookware-safety

….