Till a few decades back, in every household, food was prepared in clay utensils using masalas crushed on the grind-stone. The food was tasty and healthy then. But, as our eating habits changed and life became busy, we gave up traditional styles saying it required more time and effort.
We chose fast food, which came with fancy wrappings over homemade food. Even if cooked at home, instead of clay pots, we preferred easy-to-handle, unbreakable kitchen appliances made of other materials. But, with changes, came diseases. It seems people, at least a few, have realised the bright side of conventional cooking, just like organic farming.
It is like going back to the roots, where we used to prepare food with our hands. The change is happening globally with people promoting ‘artisan food’. They are propagating the concept through cooking classes, competitions and by traditionally preparing dishes at home.
“The change must begin from home. Then only our children will follow it. Hence, I cook in the traditional mode, except the stove, and I tell my kids the benefits,” says Sana Fathima, a housewife. “I make some forgotten dishes for them. Also, I prepare mulakitta meen curry, Thalassery chatti pathiri, aviyal, and moru curry. Everything in a traditional manner,” she adds.
For Renjit Palathinkal, who won the traditional fish curry making contest organised by the Ramavarma Club, Kottayam, cooking is a hobby. “Whenever I cook something, I make sure that I do that in a natural way. I know some natural tips. For instance, when I cooked fish curry, I put a plantain leaf in the manchatti (a flat vessel of mud), before pouring oil. This will prevent the curry from sticking to the vessel. I put another plantain leaf on the top of the fish curry that is prepared using kudampuli. All these will enhance the flavour,” he says, adding that the competition was an effort by the Club to spread the idea of traditional cooking among households.
According to Poornima Menon, who works as marketing manager in a software company, cooking is a real stress-buster. “Youngsters have a misconception that traditional cooking is time consuming. We just have to manage time. Make a week’s plan and do things accordingly. You will eat fresh and stay healthy,” says Poornima.
In her opinion, food will remain fresh for a day if stored in an earthen pot or chatti. “In fact, I use mud pots to store water and to make curd. Once you use this, you will realise the difference and will stick to this habit forever,” she adds.
What are the benefits of traditional cooking and what is to be kept in mind while doing this? “Traditional cooking means preparing food using things from nature. Earthen pots are an essential part of that. But, one has to be careful while buying them. There are two kinds of earthen pots — glazed and non-glazed. Non-glazed pot is best for cooking. Only that can become a fully seasoned pot in future. The more you cook, this pot will become more versatile and durable,” says Priyadarshini, a cook and nutritionist.
Before you start cooking, the fresh pot must be put in water for a few days, so that there will be moisture in it. “Across the globe, clay pots have been used for cooking since the beginning. When you prepare food in a clay pot, it will never go dry as it is surrounded by steam. There will be tenderness and flavour. It requires less oil and its heating capacity is high. Once it turns hot, you can continue preparing the dish even on a low flame. Also, compared to food made in a pan or something, the fat level will be less in it,” she adds.
