Clay pot cooking guidlines

I dedicate this post for my first follower of my blog GB. Thank you GB! for asking me to create  a post for cooking in clay pot.

Cooking with clay pots is not new.
 Our ancestors used clay pot to prepare food this is evident from the potteries seen in museums. Lifestyle changes had made clay pot disappear from our kitchens.

While you  buy a clay pot, see that it doesn't have any cracks. The clay pot will be in earth colour and clay pots are even  available in black colour. I have seen black colour clay pots in my grandparent’s home and my husband's native village.

If you stay in USA you can find clay pots in Asian store or Indian grocery stores.

You have to prepare the clay pot before you start cooking food in it. For this, you have to clean the pot with plain water and immerse it in water for half an hour to one hour. My mother-in-law prepared my clay pot for me by pouring "ganji" as I say it or "kanji" (left over water after boiling rice).|You can cook rice with enough water and drain the excess water and pour it in the clay pot. Keep it for 8 hrs. You can repeat this process once again, if you feel that the clay pot is not clean.This will help to remove any dust and also this process makes the clay pot moist.

When you are done with this just wash it in plain water and start cooking your recipe.

See that you start in a slow flame initially, and then increase the heat.

Use a towel or an oven gloves to handle the pot when it’s hot.

I use the wooden ladle to saute the vegetables while cooking.Don’t use metal ladle it may cause scratches and break the pot.



My wooden ladle that I use with my clay pot

 

My other wooden ladles



Vegetables usually, cook fast in clay pot in about ten to twenty minutes. It’s the same with fish.

I use Gas stove for cooking. You can even cook with Oven but see that the oven is not preheated and increase the heat gradually. Clay pot cannot withstand sudden change in temperature, so there are chances that you may break it. Don't use it in microwave.

I cover the clay pot with a stainless steel plate while the food is being cooked.You can also use a clay pot lid if you get it.Once the clay pot gets heated, it retains heat and your food will be cooked fast.When the food start to boil, simmer it. Food in the clay pots can stay hot for some time. This helps to keep food warm for a considerable time. I think clay pot might have served as a hot pot in olden days.

Use separate clay pot for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. You can cook gravies and dry roast lentils in clay pot.

If your clay pot doesn't stand on your kitchen counter top, use a folded towel as I do to place the clay pot over it. If you have a trivet use it.

Don't use dish cleaning soap solution for cleaning the clay pot because the pores in the clay pot can absorb it and you may get the soap taste in the food that you cook in it next time.

Allow the clay pot to cool and rinse it in water.

Clean it with salt and you can use plastic scrubber or a soft cleaning sponge that is not dipped in soap solution.

If your food is sticking to the pot, pour water in the pot and allow it soak. This helps to easily remove the food that is sticking.

After cleaning it, dry it thoroughly with a kitchen towel and store it by placing it upside down.

Your clay pot may look black in colour at the bottom or in the sides after using it for several times. Don't think that you have not cleaned it properly. Its a natural coating, this helps to add flavour to your food.

Can you see the coating in  my pot ?

Handle the clay pot gentle because it breaks easily.

Did you know?

Healthy cooking process is essential to retain the nutrients in the food; food cooked in clay pot is nutritious and tastes yummy!

Enjoy cooking in “ mann chatti”(this is how clay pot is called in Tamil and Malayalam).

Try it! Relish your dish and let me know if it came out well I will feel like getting a reward for my post.

Clay pot cooking

 I wished to have a clay pot for cooking  pulisherry, pulikuzhambu and moorkuzhambu( All these are south Indian curries which uses tamarind or buttermilk).My husband eats non- vegetarian dishes at restaurants and parties but he cooks fish at home.He was also saying that we have to buy a clay pot for cooking fish curry. The taste of curry cooked in clay pot is far better than the same food cooked in stainless steel pots ands pans.
My mania for cooking with clay pot started before I became a fulltime homemaker.Earlier, during my childhood days I used to spend my vacation with my grandparents, there I have seen my aunt using clay pot for cooking.Apart from cooking non vegetarian dishes she used to roast horse gram, peanuts and other lentils in clay pots.In my grandparents home I have seen numerous uses for clay pot.A lady who sells clay pot used to visit my grandma's house asking if she needs any clay pots. My grandmother was a regular customer of her.The clay items that my grandmother buys from her include a storage jar for water, (its called kodam in Tamil and Malayalam) with a small lid to cover it, few pots and a shallow pot for frying. My grand parents owned cows, so my grandma used to buy big clay vessels to store water in it so that the cows can drink from it.During summer, my grandmother stores water in the kodam.We used to play a lot with other kids in the neighbourhood and come running into the kitchen to drink the water from the kodam.The water will be cool cool and I will not stop with one glass of water, the water will be so cool that you like to drink more and more.Those were the days when refrigerator has not entered into the kitchen of most households in our place.Thank God I got a chance to enjoy the water stored in kodam.I don't know how many children of these days had the chance of drinking this water.The broken clay pots were dumped below the trunk of a jackfruit tree.I don't know the purpose of it.
Also, I have seen big jars made of clay in which my grandmother stores rice.My grand parents had pigeons, the water and the food grains for these pigeons were kept in shallow clay pots.It was used as a bird feeder.These are the uses of clay pots that I remember, there may be other uses also.

My mother didn't posses any kitchen utensils made of clay.In my home, egg is the only non vegetarian food being cooked nowadays.Even before, when my mother used to cook non vegetarian dishes, my mother had separate pots and pans but not clay pots.I was insisting her to buy a clay pot. Before my  marriage, I used to watch chef Dhamodharan's show in Jaya TV( A Tamil TV channel).In this show the chef uses clay pots to cook, I admire the way he cooks in the clay pots.Just to see the chef cooking with the clay pots I used to watch this show.I should have noted down the recipes also.But then, I was not into cooking as I was working.I cook only when my mother has gone for some relatives marriage or other functions.I also cook when I wish to prepare some recipes that are new or interesting or easy.
 Till now my mother doesn't have any clay pots.I have to gift her one.After my marriage, I saw  my mother -in -law cooking in clay pot. she used to cook greens like drumstick leaves curry, pulikuzhambu,  in clay pot.I said her that I love food cooked in clay pot.Like my grandparents my in-laws also used clay pots for various purpose but before our marriage my husband told to remove all the clay pots from the house, so I didn't see any thing made of clay except for two pot.
I visited my in-laws place during the month of April.In their place during  this month they had a local festival for a deity called Marriamman.I visited the temple for praying.Before I would reach the temple, on both sides of the road  and in the near by ground I saw a lot of stalls most of them were for children and many were selling fashion accessories.For my surprise, I saw few stalls selling clay pots.I decided to buy one clay pot after I finish my prayers.After our prayer was over I told my husband, that I wish to go around the stalls.There were a lot of things that I wished to buy but my husband told that I cannot carry everything back home as we have to limit our baggage for 30kgs.Finally ended in buying a clay pot, few posters and peacock feathers.My sister-in-law came to temple while we have done with the shopping.I showed her the things I bought, she got me another shallow clay pot and a beater made of wood for churning butter milk.One of my wish got fulfilled.Here is my clay pot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my clay pot

Finally, I managed to bring one clay pot to my home safely here without breaking it.My husband and I had a fight to cook in the clay pot. Since he wants the clay pot to cook fish and I want to cook vegetarian dish in it.
I won, my poor husband was so generous that he left it for me to decide.I cooked parappu curry( a gravy made of red gram lentils) in the clay pot first, as that was one of my favourite and easy dish to prepare.

Red gram lentil cooked in clay pot

Later, I cooked  mambazha pulisherry ( a mango curry) and moorkozhambu( a butter milk curry) in the clay pot.Still I am using the clay pot  for vegetarian dishes.Next time when I visit India I will bring another pot for my husband, so that he can cook fish curry in the clay pot.

Kadala curry

I tried different versions of kadala curry.Konda kadala (chickpeas) is one my husband's favorite.He use to give me feedback.After trying a lot of versions of kadala curry, at last a got a very good feedback from my husband for a version of my own.He told me to make a note of this version as it tasted good for him. I prepared this curry after incorporating my idea with the kadala curry that I  tasted in one of the kerala restaurant.Their restaurant looked brownish black color and what I liked the most is the tooth like coconut pieces that they included in the curry, also it was watery a bit.My husband doesn't like potatoe masala for puri, so I made this curry for puri.I also make this for puttu and idiyappam.Here is my version.

Ingredients
Brown chickpeas (konda kadala)-1 cup
Coconut pieces( cut in tooth like shape)-10 -15 pieces
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Coriander powder-1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Tomatoe-1
Tamarind-1 gooseberry size
Salt-as per taste

For grinding
Coconut scrapping-1/4 cup
Red chilles-4
Fennel seeds-1/2tsp
Cumin seeds-1tsp
For Seasoning
Pearl onions-6( crushed)
Curry leaves-few
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1tsp
Garlic- 2 cloves (crushed)
Urad dhal-1tsp
Coriander leaves- few
Coconut Oil-3tsp

Preparation
Soak kadala or chick peas for six hours.Boil konda kadala(chick peas)  in pressure cooker with enough water and salt.It should not be over cooked.Don't drain the water when its cooked. Save it to add to the curry.
I am a lazy person so I did my seasoning in the beginning itself as didn't like to use my seasoning pan separately for seasoning.If seasoning is done at the end, the taste will be better.Heat a pan and pour the coconut oil, add mustard, urad dhal. cumin seeds, garlic, coconut pieces and saute for a while.Now add the pearl onions, curry leaves and saute until the onions are cooked. Add the tomato pieces and saute until the tomato is cooked.Add the cooked kadala along with the water.Add the coriander powder, pepper powder, chilli powder, and salt and cook until the water boils.Mean while grind the coconut, cumin seeds fennel seeds and red chillies to form a paste.Add this paste to the curry and mix well once its starts to boil simmer for few minutes.Prepare juice out of tamarind and add to the curry.Check for salt and allow it to simmer for five to eight  minutes.Garnish with coriander leaves.Enjoy!

Banana Flower

 Bought a banana flower to cook, but my husband doesn't like to eat it.Everyday I postponed the plan of cooking banana flower, so what happened to the flower? It was stored in the fridge, but still the inside part turned black and I don't want to cook and eat it alone.Not only that I am little lazy to cook it, as it takes a lot of time to peel the flower remove the stamen  and to chop it.

I thought why I bought the flower? My conscience didn't allow me to throw it in the dustbin.What to do with it?  Got an idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thought of making it as a show piece.Peeled the outer cover partially and kept it on the dining table.Ooh it didn't stand erect. How to make it stand? Got the answer.Took a porcelain cup placed the flower in it. The flower can stand erect now.

The flower gave a new look to my dinning table.

Point to ponder-Next time when I go to purchase vegetables I will think twice before I buy this flower.

Banana flower is good for health.But my husband don't likes to eat healthy once.

Enjoyed the flower on my table!

Flower arrangemment

I brought some flowers for a festival called Onam.Actually prior to the festival the entrance of the house or the Muttam is decorated with flowers.Since I stay in a apartment I don't have much space in front of the house.I decided that I will decorate my entrance with flowers.How am I going to do it? Thought of doing the decoration inside the house..........no it should be outside the house.........but cleaning people will come to clean in the middle of the day to clean the corridor in our apartment.........so all my flowers will be sweeped off in the middle of the day .......What to do to make the flower arrangement to be there for the whole day? Idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Took a big china plate I had sprinkled some water,arranged the flowers.I kept the yellow flower in the middle covered its outline with pink flowers and place white flowers around it.I had some space in the plate.Covered the space with another round of pink flowers.Enjoyed doing this!When the cleaning person arrived I took off the plate once he has done with the cleaning, I kept the plate in the entrance again.The flowers were fresh till the next day.How? because it was not exposed to sunlight and the water I sprinkled in the plate kept it fresh.Thank God I was able to celebrate Onam with flowers!

Ribbon pakkado

Ribbon pakodo was the name introduced to me  by my in laws, in our house its called just pakodo. I like this snack because its easy to make.This was the first snack that I prepared after my marriage. Now let us see the ingredients required for this snack.

• Besan flour or kadala mavu-3 cups
• Rice flour-1 cup
• Jeera power-1 tsp
• Salt- as per your taste
• Chilli powder-1tsp
• Hing-1 pinch
• Oil for deep frying

You also need the mould or achu (with a hole which looks like a slit)
Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients except the oil.
Add water and mix until it becomes a soft dough.No need to knead like what we do for chappathi.
Put this dough in the mould.
Heat the oil in a frying pan.
Check whether the oil is hot by testing with a pinch of dough.
The dough should rise to the surface of the oil immediately.
Press the dough directly in the oil.
Flip it over.
Take it off the oil once it has turned golden brown.
Enjoy!

Tips for cooking

1. Plan the menu ahead, so that you have all the ingredients while cooking.
2. Wash the vegetables before cutting.
3. Green leafy vegetables like mint, coriander, etc,as to be rinsed in water several times until the water is clear.
4. Keep a small spoon for salt so that you don't take a large amount of salt.
5. If you are deep frying don't use the oil again for deep frying.
6. Label your spice and flour containers.
7. If you are using potatoes, wash it and boil it with the skin.Once cooked it is easy to peel the outer skin.
8. Wash the dishes immediately after cooking.
9. Wash your sink daily when you have finished with cooking.
10. Avoid using food color while cooking, its not healthy.
11. Use transfat free oil for cooking.
12. Serve the food with love.

Peacock and Sun

This is the fabric painting of peacock and Sun that I did on my white top.Also I added brown flowers as border.I have outlined the flowers with yellow colour.Peacock, fish, duck and elephant are the  animals that I can draw.Yet to learn how to draw other animals. When I did the painting of sun I lost interest, you can see the impact.Its not perfect. I admire the blue green colour  of peacock and  its feathers .
Did you know ?
Peacock is a male bird.The female bird is called peahen.Its young one is called peachick.