29.06.2016 Zero chemicals and a mineral boost. Here’s why you need to
give Teflon and stainless steel a miss, and stock up on artisanal kitchenware
with these brands
The taste of pappu pulusu (lentils cooked in
tamarind juice) that antique collector Y Krishnamurthy’s mother used to make in
a ratichippa (stone cooking pot) still lingers on his tongue. In
fact, even today, Sunday lunch at his household is incomplete without
traditional Andhra dishes prepared in a stone pot that has been in the family
for over three generations. “Food cooked in such vessels is enriched with the
minerals of the respective stone or metal. This is why many families in the old
days used to eat in silver plates,” says Hyderabad-based Murthy, recalling how
rice was earlier cooked in brass vessels.
As people grow more aware of the dangers of modern cookware
— nickel and chromium leeching from stainless steel pots, BPA in plastics
leaking into foods — traditional materials like copper, iron, stone and clay
are making a comeback into Indian kitchens. And addressing this growing demand
are a range of brands specialicing in heirloom cookware. Like Bengaluru-based
Namu Kini’s two-month-old online store, happyhealthyme.com, which has a range
of cast iron and khansa (bronze) kitchenware. “There’s a lot that
revolves around food in Indian culture, and these metals have a story to tell.
Not only do they make your meal look beautiful, they have an Ayurvedic,
therapeutic advantage,” says Kini, who switched from non-stick to metal a few
years ago, in her effort to get healthy. However, she advises people to check a
vessel’s authenticity. “Many online shopping sites sell cast iron kitchenware
with Teflon coating, and many aren’t aware of that,” says Kini, whose range,
sourced from Tamil Nadu, is in the ₹600 to ₹3,000
range.
Longpi Black Pottery, Manipur
Handcrafted with ground and powdered Serpentine and
weathered rocks, it’s a unique craft of potters in the Nungbi Khullen village.
All products are ideal to slow cook meat and lentils, and also to store food.
100% biodegradable and microwave-safe, they can be used on the gas stove,
firewood too. No machines or electrical supplies are used in the making
process. On giskaa.com, in the ₹400 to ₹2,000
range.
Meanwhile. Murthy, who actively blogs on ykantiques.com,
shares that he gets numerous e-mails from people who are wary of the
carcinogenic properties of plastic and Teflon-coated utensils, and want to set
up a traditional kitchen. While he admits that maintaining them might be
time-consuming (articles abound on how to season and store such cookware), over
time the benefits show.
If you are looking at revisiting these forgotten materials
and wondering what and where to pick them up from, this list of stores and
brands should help.
Set in stone
The Craft Council of India (CCI) launched a line of
handcrafted kalchattis — made with maavu kal (soft stone) —
last month, which are increasingly being picked up by the health conscious.
“Earlier, there was little demand and diminishing numbers of skilled artisans.
With the popularity of lighter, easier to manufacture
cooking utensils like steel and aluminium, the
traditional kalchatti got left behind,” says Geeta Ram, Chairperson,
CCI, explaining why their efforts to revive the cookware a couple of decades ago
did not work. “But today, with everything organic and handmade taking centre
stage, these have become popular again. People are tired of factory-produced
things and are looking for handmade, exclusive products that have a logical,
scientific advantage,” she adds.
Pros: With zero chemicals, these pots are easy to use.
They need a single curing process before use. The oven-proof range includes
pots, kuzhiappam chetti, dosa kal and salad bowls.
Available at: Kamala store (Egmore), from ₹100 - ₹800. Details: 28191457
Metal advantage
The latest edition to Yaksha, Dhanyam Organic Superstore’s
range of artisanal earthenware, is the eeya chombu (tin pot).
Hammered into shape from tin sheets by artisans in Kumbakonam, these handmade
utensils were used to prepare rasam in traditional South Indian households. Madhusoodhanan K, Director, explains how, over the years,
due to the adulteration of tin with lead, many stopped using it. “We have
tested it in labs and would like people to start using them again.
The eeya chombu is an heirloom vessel; the one we use at home was
given to me by my mother, and has been in the family for over 70 years,” he
says. He adds that their pre-cured cast iron cookware are fast
moving, too, and wooden chopping boards (made from mango and pencil wood) and
cooking ladles (neem) are also making a comeback.
Pros: Known to increase haemoglobin, tin enhances
flavour and cooks food evenly. Cast iron increases the food’s iron content
Con: Tin has a low melting point, so you need to use it
carefully.
Available at: All Dhanyam outlets and on dhanyam.in,
between the ₹300 and ₹5,000
range.
Think bronze
Priya Deepak, co-founder of Bengaluru-based The Village
Fair, sources and sells metal and earthenware from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. With
a range that includes bronze uralis, oven-proof cast iron pans,
stone kalchettis, and microwavable clay pots, their aim is to bring back
the utensils used by our grandmothers. “In the olden
days, payasam was always made in a bronze urali as it
retains flavour and is non-toxic. And if you cook in an iron vessel, you are
less prone to becoming anaemic,” says Deepak, who believe stone is best used
for curries.
Pros: Preserves micro nutrients and prevents acidity.
Available at: The online store, thevillagefair.in, in
the ₹650 to ₹2,800 range.
Copper calling
There are many scientifically-proven health benefits of
copper, but the pure metal turns acidic if wet — one of the reasons why
Pune-based Studio Coppre creates serveware, like platters, tumblers, flasks and
mugs. Speaking about how storing water in copper pots kills bacteria,
co-founder Sudakshina Banerjee says, “Copper helps maintain healthy skin, and
even affects the brain and heart. It also helps heal wounds faster.” Working to
revive heritage metal crafts since 2014, the social venture works with artisan
clusters in Maharashtra, Konkan and Karnataka. Their certified,
lead-free kansa range is popular, too. A mix of tin and
copper, kansa does not tarnish with time, and tin is known to improve
brain activity. They also have collections in brass and silver.
Describing the making process, Banerjee says the products go
through anywhere between 30 to 50 steps (with cutting, sanding, heating,
cooling, washing and buffing being just the basics). “Each plate-sized platter
needs about 2,500 strokes of the hammer, and this requires years of skilled
work,” she shares.
Pros: Improves immunity and aids digestion.
Available at: The coppre.in, from ₹1,000 to ₹8,000.
Rooted in earth
Rekha Ramu, convenor at Farmer and Co., sources an array of
earthenware pans, water filters, cookers and soup bowls from artisans across
the State. And she swears by their health benefits: nutrient-rich,
chemical-free and naturally filtered. “Earthenware calls for slow cooking, and
all Indian grains are meant to be cooked this way. It helps retain their
nutritive value,” says Ramu, who uses heirloom cast iron pans, and stone and
copper pots at home. Wary of plasticware and non-stick utensils, she explains
how Teflon coating gradually enters the food being cooked in the vessel, making
it carcinogenic.
Pros: Neutralises food’s pH balance and adds nutrients.
Available at: Most organic stores, including Dhanyam.
Costs between ₹30 and ₹350.
From the Michelin starred chef’s kitchen
Indian celebrity chef Vikas Khanna’s kitchen is lined with
copper utensils, 100-year-old spice boxes, and even an
iron kadhai from his grandmother’s wedding. “Ancient India had
mastered the art of alloys, and I am happy to see combinations of brass,
copper, tin, iron, and carbon making their way back into our kitchens. They
represent not just heritage, but scientific research, arts and design and
unique shapes,” says the Michelin starred chef whose latest book My First
Kitchen, a beginner’s guide to cooking and setting up the kitchen.
Vikas, who has made over 69 trips to India for the culinary
museum he is setting up in Manipal, says he’s found the most interesting
utensils from Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Puducherry, Goa, and Andhra.
“Actually my list is endless! The North East and Kolkata have the most
sophisticated tribal works. There’s so much to explore.”
