Product Care & Maintanence
Getting Started
- Scrub and wash with any dish-wash agent and dry with clean cloth
- Apply a layer of edible oil to the cookware and let it absorb the oil for an hour
- Your cookware is ready for use now
- Food cooked may come out a shade darker initially due to residual iron. It reduces with further cooking/washing
Cleaning & Maintenance
- After cooking, please clean the cookware with a regular dish wash agent and scrubber and dry with cloth. Once dried, apply a thin layer of oil before storage to prevent rusting
FAQs
Can I cook tomato/tamarind based recipes in cast iron/iron cookware?
Do not use iron/cast iron cookware for tamarind or tomato based recipes, as excess iron content would leach into the food which will give it a metallic after taste
What do I do if the dosa sticks to tawa?
Make sure the batter is at room temperature. If it is seasoned tawa in regular use, please use an onion or potato to apply oil on the cooking surface. If the tawa has not been in use for long time, please follow the instructions above on getting started
I have not used my cookware for a long period of time. How do I start using again?
Please follow the steps above on getting started
What do I do if the food turns black?
Black coloration could be because of residual iron on the cookware. Soak the vessel in rice water (water used to wash rice) for an hour and scrub clean using regular dish wash. Apply a thin layer of oil and leave it to absorb for an hour before using it
What do I do if the cookware rusts?
Apply a thin layer of oil on the cooking surface using a cloth and let it soak for an hour. Wash it thoroughly using an iron scrubber to remove the rust completely. Then follow the steps on getting started
Can I use the same tawa for dosa and chappathi?
It is advisable not to use the same tawa as atta residue from Chapati might stick to the tawa, causing the atta to absorb the oil and affect the seasoning
Getting Started
- Wash and scrub clean with any dish wash agent. Do not use iron scrubber
- Apply any cooking oil on the insides of the cookpot/ kadai and leave it for an hour to absorb the oil
- Fill ¾ th of the cookpot with water and add a teaspoon of rice to it and let it boil. Then discard the water.
- For the first month, cook light recipes such as dal, vegetables or rice on your cookpot
Cleaning & Maintenance
- After cooking, please clean the cookware with regular dish wash and scrubber
- Avoid using iron or wire scrubber
Do’s& Don’ts
- Do not put an empty pot on the stove. Add the ingredients to the pot and then put it on the flame
- Tempering (tadka) cannot be made in the cookpot. It has to be done on a different vessel and transferred to the pot
- Do not try to hold the soapstone cookpot with tongs. This leads to cracking
- Soapstone vessels are not induction friendly
FAQs
What kinds of food can be cooked on a soapstone cookpot?
- To begin with any type of watery gravies such as sambar, rasam can be cooked on it. Later once the cookpot has been used continuously for about a month, Tomato based or tamarind based thick gravies can be cooked on it.
- Soapstone cookware cannot be used for deep frying.
Do we need to season a soapstone curd jar before use?
No. Soapstone curd jars do not have to be seasoned before use. They can be washed and immediately used to set curds.
Can a soapstone curd jar be used as a storage container?
Yes. It can be used to store salt, tamarind, pickles, chutneys etc. Before using it to store pickles, please apply oil on the insides of the jar to season it. Otherwise, the oil in the pickle will be absorbed.
Can I still use my cookpot when a small piece chips away from it
Yes. As long as the cookpot or kadai is not leaking, it can be used. Once it chips away, please scrub the area clean and apply some cooking oil on it.
Can a soapstone vessel crack?
Yes. An empty pot heated on high flame could lead to cracking. It can also crack if it is handled with tongs. If a hot pot is placed forcefully on a hard surface or place in room temperature water, it can also lead to cracking.
Can a soapstone curd jar be placed in the refrigerator?
Yes. It can be placed in the refrigerator after the curd is set.
Getting Started
- Wash and scrub clean with any dish wash agent
- Apply oil on the insides and leave it to soak for an hour
- Place the cookware on low flame to start cooking
- Always rub some oil on the tawa with an onion or a potato before turning on the flame
- If the batter sticks to the tawa, Switch off the flame and let the tawa cool
- Clean the tawa and wash it completely. Dry it with cloth. Apply oil all over the surface and let it soak for a few hours before using it again
Do’s& Don’ts
- Do not leave the Kal on the stove on high heat for a long time
- Batter must be added as soon as the cookware gets a little hot
- Do not splash water on a hot tawa, as this could lead to cracking
- Please exercise caution while handling as all soapstone cookware retain heat for a long time
FAQs
What can we cook on a soapstone tawa?
Dosas, Oothapam, Adai, Roti, Chapathi can be prepared on the tawa.
Does it consume more oil?
Seasoned soapstone tawas begin to consume less oil after regular usage. Once the tawa absorbs enough oil, the consumption will reduce considerably.
Can I use the tawa on high heat?
Yes. Once the tawa has been in usage for a few months, it can be used on high heat till the tawa has reached optimal cooking temperature.
How to season a soapstone tawa?
If dosa sticks to the tawa, make sure you turn off the heat and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. Then apply cooking oil and let it soak in it for a few hours. Do this continuously for 4 to 5 days. Apply oil and let it dry in the sunlight. This aids in the absorption of oil and thereby seasoning.
Can we use ghee instead of oil?
Yes ghee can be used. But seasoning has to be done in oil, as its easier to be absorbed.
Getting Started
- Soak the cookware in water (completely immersed) for at least 12 hours (overnight) and the next day let it dry out completely.
- Apply cooking oil on the surface and let it absorb the oil for 30 minutes.
- You can start by boiling some rice water (water used to wash rice).
Do’s& Don’ts
- Do not make a tempering (tadka) on the clay cookware. Make the tadka in a different vessel and then add to the cookware
- Never put an empty cookware on the stove and heat. It will lead to cracking.
- Clay cookware and containers should not be cleaned with soap. Due to its porous nature, clay vessels tend to absorb the soap
- Please use only a scrub along with a piece of lemon and a pinch of salt to clean the insides and outsides. Then wash with water
- Once a week, dry in sunlight to prevent fungus
FAQs
What can I cook in a clay vessel?
Clay pots can be used to cook rice, upma, semiya, biriyani, sambar, rasam, dry gravies etc. Tomato and tamarind based gravies turn out very tasty in clay pots. Rice cooked in a clay pot has an amazing aroma. But Clay vessels cannot be used for deep frying.
What type of ladles can be used in a clay pot?
Wood, coconut shell, steel, brass or bronze can be used. But hard scrapping or stirring is not advisable.
How are clay vessels made?
Red clay is pounded with the right amount of water and made into a lump to be moulded. It is then out on a potter’s wheel and moulded into the desired shape. Once it is shaped, it is left in the sunlight to dry out. Then it is put in the kiln to be baked. Then the clay pot is ready to be used.
What is black clay cookware?
It is the same red clay cookware but baked twice in a kiln. This is done to make the cookware stronger.
Can the same clay pot be used for multiple types of dishes?
Yes. But it is preferred to use one cookware for tomato or tamarind based cooking. Rice pots are used for making rice, making pongal, millets etc.
How to maintain water pots or water containers?
Unlike clay cookware, clay water storage pots have to be washed with lemon and salt and dried in sunlight thoroughly once every 3 to 4 days. This is done to prevent any fungus.
Does clay cookware have an expiry date?
Clay cookware does not have an expiry date. It can be used till it cracks. However clay ware used for water storage has to be replaced every year.
Getting Started
- Use a wet cloth to wipe the surface of the wooden container/Chopping board.
- The masala dabbas have to be wiped with dry cloth and dried in sunlight every month
- It is advisable to scrub the chopping board with sea salt and wash and dry in sunlight to prevent unwanted odours.
Do’s& Don’ts
- Wooden containers cannot be scrubbed and washed with soaps or dish wash agents
- Using hard scrubs on the containers can lead to scratches on them
- Use a slightly wet or dry paper tissue to clean throughout and then dry in sunlight
- Wooden ladles and chopping boards can be scrubbed and cleaned with any dish wash agent
- Soaking in water is not advisable
- The chopping boards need to be dried completely before storing.
- Scrubbing with lemon and sea salt crystals helps in the longevity of the chopping board
FAQs
Can we scrub and clean the wooden jars with normal dish wash liquid?
No. Wooden jars cannot be scrubbed or washed with water and dish wash agents. They can only be wiped with a wet cloth and dried in sunlight.
Can we scrub and clean the wooden chopping board?
Yes. Chopping boards can be scrubbed and washed with water and dish wash liquid. Alternatively, lemon and sea salt can be used to cleanse the board too.
What wood is the chopping board made of?
It is made of Indian rosewood or sheesham wood.
Can the wooden jars be used for storing pickles?
No. The wooden jars are best suited to store dry powders such as salt, masala powders, spices etc
Does the chopping board absorb oil?
Yes, as it is made of wood, it does absorb oil to a certain extent.
Getting Started
- Wash clean with water immediately after purchase.
- Copper vessel for water storage may be put to use immediately
- Brass or bronze vessels can be used for cooking immediately after purchase.
Do’s& Don’ts
- Brass vessels without tin lining cannot be used for cooking tamarind or tomato based cooking
- Do not use a brass cookware for boiling milk or setting curds.
- After cooking, please transfer to a different bowl for serving.
FAQs
How to clean brass, bronze and copper vessels
Use a mixture of tamarind pulp & salt to scrub the vessel entirely. Dish wash may then be used. Then wash with water and dry with clean cloth
Can Brass vessels without Tin lining be used for cooking?
Yes. It can be used to cook rice, boil dal or vegetables. But it cannot be used for cooking any foods with tomato or tamarind or any acidic ingredients in them.
How do I get tin lining done in my brass vessels?
We can do the tin lining for your older brass vessels. Please call us to drop off the vessels at a store location and schedule a convenient pick up date during drop off. Extra charges will apply for this service.
Customer care number: +91 98841 37070
What is the difference between brass and bronze?
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc while bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
Why is brass cookware lined with tin before cooking acidic foods?
Brass is an alloy made of copper and zinc metals and it needs to be lined with tin in order to prevent acidic foods from reacting with the metals thereby rendering food non consumable.
What kind of foods can be cooked in a bronze cookpot?
Milk can be boiled, rice can be cooked, dal, pongal, sweet pongal, payasams can be made on it.
Getting Started
- Regular dish wash agent can be used
- Avoid metal scrubbers as Tin is a soft metal. Coconut scrubbers are safe to use
- Tin vessels cannot be used for making tadkas in high flame.
- Tin is a malleable metal and therefore cannot be used in frying or deep frying.
Do’s& Don’ts
- No empty vessel on the stove top.
- No tongs can be used to lift a hot tin vessel
- High flame is not advisable while using a tin vessel
FAQs
What food items can be cooked in Tin vessel?
Tin vessels are especially used for making rasams most commonly. They can be used to set curds in. Bigger sized vessels can be used to store idli batter.
Can it be used to set curd in?
Yes, a tin vessel can be used to set curd. And it can also be stored in the fridge once the curd is set.
How long can rasam be stored in the vessel?
Rasam can be left in the tin vessel for up to 5 hours, later it can be placed in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Is tin safe to cook with?
Yes tin vessels are safe to cook with. The procedure to be followed while cooking with such vessels needs to be understood.