Cooking in clay for the first time
Soaking, slow heat and what not to do.
Seasoning a new iron kadai
Ours arrive seasoned, but here is how to keep them that way, or start from scratch.
Iron cookware is non-stick only when it is seasoned: a thin layer of oil baked onto the surface until it turns hard and black. We season every kadai and tawa three times before it ships, but the layer keeps building as you cook, and it needs a little care.
After cooking, wash with hot water and a soft scrubber. A little soap is fine; the seasoning is tougher than people think. Avoid steel wool unless you are removing rust. Then put the vessel back on the flame for a minute to dry it completely.
While it is warm, wipe a few drops of groundnut or gingelly oil over the inside with a cloth. That is all. Store it somewhere dry, not stacked wet inside another vessel.
If you buy an unseasoned piece, or need to start again after rust, scrub it clean, dry it on the flame, rub a thin coat of oil all over, and heat it until it smokes. Let it cool and repeat three or four times. For the first week, cook oily dishes, such as poriyal or deep frying, and avoid tamarind. After that, the kadai only gets better with age.
