How to Season Kalchatti | Soap Stone Seasoning
How to Season Kalcahtti is explained in this post with step by step pictures. Kalchatti tend to add an stone flavour to the dish when using it for the 1st time for cooking & causes dishes to get split /spoiled – so seasoning is done to get rid of it. Kalchatti is seasoned in 3 courses – turmeric marination, rinsing with rice starch and simmering water.
Calories:
Instructions
- Take castor oil in a plate, add turmeric powder to it. There is no measurement as such just mix and see it should be in spreadable consistency more like a runny paste.
- First lay a old newspaper, place the soapstone pot on it. Using your fingers take little of the mixed castor oil turmeric paste.
- Apply on all sides. Make sure to spread even at the bottom which is important.
- If needed add more castor oil and turmeric powder and make a paste then spread. Let it dry in sun for a day.
- Next day repeat the same process. Mix castor oil turmeric powder paste and apply. So the castor oil turmeric powder process should be done and dried for 5 days in total repeatedly. Keep applying without washing in between.
- After 5 days wash it with hot water. Using a scrubber scrub it well to remove the oil. Then wash it well.
- Soak in starch water for the next 5 days. Change the starch water daily. If starch isn’t enough for the chatti to immerse fully then add rice rinsed water along with starch water. But make sure the pot is fully immersed.
- After the last 5 days, wash with mild soap, scrub well and wash it. This is the first and last time you are going to use soap for washing as there are pores even in kalchatti you should not use soaps for washing regularly.
- Wash well dry it completely for a day. Heat should be introduced slowly so simmer and boil water first. Switch off cool down and dry it, now your kalchatti is ready to start cooking. I first started with payasam as usual my sweet sentiment for new vessels 🙂 The chatti becomes dark in color after the seasoning process.
How to maintain kalchatti
- Now after cooking, switch off. After transferring the dishes, soak in water for at least 15-20 mins. In case if you have time then heat up the chatti along with soaked water for 5mins then bring to room temperature and scrub it. I usually just soak and wash. First scrub with coconut scrapper alone and wash well.
- Then add besan flour, scrub it well and wash it well. Dry it in sun until completely dried. Then store it.
Notes
- Seasoning process is mainly for durability and to avoid cracks while cooking.
- Wait for the pot to come to room temperature then soak and wash. Also after cooking do not pour water at once, the sudden change in temperature may lead to cracks. So wait for it to cool down for a while then soak in water and then wash.
- Cooking in clay pots needs patience and practice as it takes time to get heated. And even after switching off the stove you can see it boiling that is the main specialty of clay pots.
It works in gas stoves and will not work in induction not sure of other heat sources. - Do not use any soap for washing. Use only rice flour or besan flour.
- At least for first few uses do not use high flame cooking.
- Do not heat an empty pot. Overheating the pot may lead to cracks so its better to maintain low medium flame while cooking.
- Do not let food dry out completely while cooking, either add oil or water according to the dish you make.