Dosa Tawa: Why Cast Iron Tawa is best for making dosa?

Dosa without a doubt is exceptionally healthy food. Since it is easy on the tummy, it is commonly made for breakfast in most Indian homes. Together with chutney and sambar, dosa is great to provide a delicious, healthy treat to your body in the mornings. 

On an important note, if you can replace your existing nonstick tawa with a healthier choice, like the cast iron tawa for dosa then it will yield multiple benefits. With this, one might consider various cast iron cookware advantages and disadvantages. Take our word; the pros are a lot more than you can think of. When we are talking about dosa here, let’s walk through the cast iron tawa benefits for you. 

1. Natural Element – As the name obviously suggests, cast iron tawa is built from natural material. You can thereby feel proud to have an eco-friendly product within your cooking routine. Whoever said that nature-based products have a boring appeal, is wrong. In fact, you will be amazed at different options available under the category of tawa  at The Indus Valley. 

2. Safe and Healthy – Using cast iron tawa for dosa is completely safe. For one, it has no chemical coating, like Teflon products. Branded non stick cookware is attractive, light-weight and easy to use. However, it is harmful because they are treated with strong chemicals so that the food doesn’t stick or burn instantly. Secondly, a cast iron tawa pan will release a certain amount of iron in the food (when prepared on it). This way your hemoglobin level will be taken care of by default. We think this factor is the best among other cast iron tawa benefits!

3. Lifetime Usage – Another plus point about cast iron cookware is its sturdiness and durability; making it long lasting. Trendy, non stick dosa tawa might be convenient to use but it will lose its sheen after repeated usage. You may then think of replacing the non stick tawa with a new one in a few years. Whereas, once you buy cast iron tawa, you don’t have to worry about preserving its quality. 

4. Improves with Time – When we are on the topic of its usage, you will be interested to know that cast iron cookware gets better with time. Repeated use of the cast iron tawa will improve its seasoning and enhance one’s cooking experience. For the uninitiated ones, you can read our blog on How To Use Cast Iron Cookware For The First Time or know about Seasoning of Cast Iron Pan here. 

5. Enhanced Flavour – While we already mentioned that cast iron cookware releases iron in the food, it also improves the flavour of any dish. One can expect to get a rustic taste from the food prepared in cast iron tawa and kadai. Now you know how your granny makes such lip-smacking crispy dosas and other traditional cuisines!

6. Perfect Gift – We have already covered saying that cast iron cookware is long-lasting. This way, it becomes quite ideal for gifting purposes. Its premium quality and health-oriented aspects makes a cast iron tawa, kadai or any other related product, a unique gift to present to someone you love and care for. It is for this very reason, at The Indus Valley, we hail cast iron and iron cookware set as heirloom products. 

Looking for the best-cast iron tawa for dosa? Then you need to visit THIS!

Cast Iron Tawa Vs Non Stick Tawa

While non stick tawa is common in most kitchens these days, experts recommend cast iron tawa pan for cooking. There are various factors that fail nonstick tawa in front of cast iron tawa. Here’s how:

• First and foremost; non stick tawas are mostly coated with harmful chemicals (Polytetrafluoroethylene or commonly referred as Teflon) to prevent food from sticking to them. The chemicals get leached in food while cooking on high flame. Since cast iron tawa is made of natural and safe material, such an issue doesn’t exist. 
• Non stick tawa has a limited shelf-life. No matter how popular the brand is, non stick tawa will show signs of wear and tear within a couple of years. For instance; the smooth non-stick coating might peel off due to consistent use and/or high flame; the handle might break or come off from the tawa; due to frequent sauteing by spatulas or ladles, the surface might have scratches or get damaged and so on. Whereas, cast iron tawa is meant for rough use, owing its sturdy and long-lasting nature. 
• Of course, non stick tawas come at cheap prices. But affordability cannot be the reason for compromising on one’s health. As most of the non-stick pans don’t last more than 2-3 years of purchase, you would require them often. Considering this, you would have spent more on multiple non-stick tawas in 10 years. Whereas, a cast iron tawa is a one-time investment and you don’t have to replace it for a lifetime. 

Difference Between Concave Tawa and Dosa Tawa

While tawa comes in different kinds of materials, it also has multiple types. Such as the common plain-surfaced dosa tawa and the other concave tawa. For the cooking amateurs; the concave tawa is ideal for making Indian breads or flatbreads namely roti, naan, paratha or chapati. The tawa is turned upside down directly over the flame. It gives a nice burnt flavour to the food. In fact, the tawa is believed to be designed for those who cook on wood or charcoal stoves. On the other hand, the normal, flat-surfaced tawa helps to spread the batter and cook evenly. Nonetheless, using a cast iron tawa for dosa or chapati instead of a non-stick one is the best choice since it is health-focused cookware and will enrich any food prepared in it. 

Impressed with the benefits of cast iron tawa so far? Thinking of buying it but have no idea how to get started? Keep reading…. 

How to Clean and Use Cast Iron Tawa First Time

Keep in mind that it will be difficult to make dosa on a new tawa and you might not get satisfying results in the initial stages. But don’t worry; there are simple introductory steps to get you familiar with the product… 

1) We understand the excitement of getting a new cooking ware. But before you light up that new cast iron tawa for fish fry or roti, give the product a quick wash. Considering the fact that the tawa would have gone through various procedures such as manufacturing, packaging and logistics – Cleaning it before the first use is therefore recommended. 

2) Wash the cast iron tawa with water and mild dishwashing liquid using a soft scrubber. After cleaning, wipe dry the tawa with a soft cloth. 

3) Next, apply any cooking oil generously all over the cast iron tawa. Then, heat the tawa over a gas stove flame, approximately for 20 mins. Let the tawa cool down completely; after which wipe off any excess oil. Repeating this process a couple of times before the first use, will give you desired results. 

4) Coming to the care and maintenance part: Always store your cast iron dosa tawa in a dry place, once you are done with cleaning and seasoning. 

5) Never ever leave your cast iron tawa soaked in water for long. By doing so, there are high chances of the iron attracting rust. It is advisable to clean the tawa after use; followed by seasoning. 

Get to know more about cast iron tawa as well as other natural cookware products HERE.

Tips for Crispy Dosa

The secret for getting that perfect, crunchy and crispy dosa lies in the ingredients and the cookware. You need to get the proportions of the ingredients right – of rice and urad dal along with water – to achieve perfect batter consistency. Some even add different kinds of lentils to make dosa varieties. 

Next comes the cooking ware – cast iron tawa without a doubt is the best option when you are particular about getting perfectly crisp dosas. Besides being good in even heating, cast iron tawa will give a nice texture to the dosa and enhance its taste. Hope our article on cast iron tawa benefits has managed to influence you. If you are considering buying cast iron or iron cookware online then do think about The Indus Valley. Go through our wide range of kitchenware – all are 100% natural.