The settled and traditional society of south India had the leisure to use its creativity in every area of life, even with respect to ordinary everyday objects such as culinary vessels. Shapes and materials were chosen according to the kind of food being prepared.
South Indians delighted in creating shapes for brass and bronze vessels, some of which can be found in stainless steel today. Thus, we find the bhogini (a low and wide-mouthed vessel used to make liquid sweets), and the chintamani, a pretty container with a rounded body and a little button-like holder on the lid. At this time, north India had fewer classic cooking vessels. Straight-sided cylindrical cooking vessels called patila made of beaten metal were the norm. Dekchis and lotas which were curvilinear were the ones in the classical style. Copper and brass coated with tin were commonly used while large aluminium vessels were used for cooking on a large scale.
Traditional Indian cooking used firewood. The earthen stove was smoothened and polished to a fine clean shine. Auspicious flour patterns were drawn on it every day to indicate the sanctity of the fire that was going to be lit. The creativity of Indian craftsmen came to the forefront in creating proper vessels to cook food on these earthen stoves. Originally, pottery of different shapes and sizes were used for cooking. These earthen vessels were used till almost the end of the twentieth century in temples, orthodox homes and in many villages all over India. To this day, the rice-dal dish pongal, on the day of Pongal or Makara Śankarānti, the south Indian harvest festival, is cooked in a new earthen pot that has been bought specially for the occasion.
Brass vessels tinned inside were the order of the day till the 1940s and ’50s. Groups of metalworkers would come to the doorsteps of homes to offer their services. Many large landowning families used to own such vessels as all family functions including weddings were performed at home. These vessels came to be borrowed by other family members and friends for happy occasions in their own families.
During the 1950s, these vessels slowly disappeared from usage as they were difficult to maintain. They were replaced by the lighter and low-maintenance stainless steel. Not so surprisingly, we find the old popular brass and bell metal vessels like urulis, rice pots, idli steamers and dosai kals being made in new materials today.
Till as late as the 1960s, many middle-class households could afford the luxury of owning and cooking in those beautiful vessels, urulis. A product of Irinjālakuda and Mannarshala in Kerala, and Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, the uruli is a heavy, shallow cooking vessel with lathed sides and a gently curving bottom, and is made of bell metal (composite of tin and noncorrosive copper with a smidgen of silver).
The vārppu is another beautiful bell metal vessel which is different from the uruli in having an ear on each side, sometimes even two. Bamboo sticks are inserted through the ears to carry this heavy vessel. This was carried by four people while two would serve directly from the vārppu from either side.
In those days, when most homes in Madurai boasted of big backyards, the artisans would come home and raise the clay and mud kiln to make the mould. Many might have watched this operation. While the metal was being poured into the mould, the householder might bring out a bagful of old silver coins and ask that they be added to the metal. This brought out silver streaks in the finished product, greatly enhancing its visual appeal. The cast uruli was then turned on a hand lathe to acquire smoothness and a soft sheen.
Some of the most beautiful examples of these ancient cooking vessels are found in many Kerala temples which use giant vārppus for the preparation of sacred offerings. These are usually set into clay ovens and are never removed. They are always cleaned in situ.
The weight of the uruli and its shape made it ideal for cooking on a wood fire as it helped to retain an even temperature so that the pāyasam would cook gently mostly in its own heat, intensifying its taste. Sweet rice preparations and avials were other important dishes that were cooked in urulis. Popular Kerala recipes like olan and kālan were also cooked in them.
There are urulis which are deep-bowl-shaped and are used for cooking jelly-like preparations and medicinal substances over a low flame. Ayurvedic medicines that require a long period of slow evaporation would bubble in them for even forty-eight hours. Cosmetic decoctions were also boiled in them.
Steaming pots for making idlis have been in common use for well over a century. In the early part of the twentieth century, these were made of brass or aluminium; later, stainless steel became more popular. The classic half-moon shape of the idli moulds can now be found in innovative shapes like the four suits in playing cards – clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds! Large hotels and caterers have replaced circular idli plates with square racks, ten or twelve in number, to manage the continuous stream of diners.
Dosai griddles also varied in design but were equally effective in turning out tasty dosais, as soft or as crisp as one wanted. But the iron griddle from the village of Shenkottah in the deep south is the best one to make dosais of various types. This has a smooth flat top with a heavy conical base to prevent the fire from scorching the centre. Stainless steel and nonstick griddles are available now. The Indian wok, vānali in Tamil and kadāi in Hindi, is perhaps the most versatile of vessels. Used primarily for cooking vegetables, one can sauté, stir-fry, or deep-fry equally efficiently in them.
The soapstone pot (kalchatti) has been used for centuries to make kuļambu as well as rasam as its heaviness helps retain the heat, allowing the spices to cook slowly thus increasing flavour. Thick walled and heavy, they ensure slow and even cooking. Since they are porous, heat and moisture circulate through the pot while cooking, thereby enhancing the flavours. Kalchattis neutralize the pH balance of acidic food items and thus enhance their nutritional value. The time taken to heat the kalchatti is compensated when the slow cooking process continues even after the stove is switched off. Kalchatti (stone) is also ideal for storing pickles. Just as efficient is the iya chombu made of pure tin that is used to make rasam. Rasam requires boiling a fair amount of tamarind water and tin works well since it is not corroded by acidity.
Cooking vessels were never brought to the serving area for hygienic reasons. As much thought went into designing serving vessels as cookware. Serving vessels used in the past were as important as cooking vessels and were designed with flair. So we have the eļukuļi, seven circular containers welded to a central stem or handle where seven different dishes could be carried together and served at once. This helped to serve large numbers at weddings or special occasions. This vessel has variants with two or four vessels around a central stem, commonplace in restaurants where thalis are served today. The mookku chatti (pot with a beak) was made especially for liquid preparations like rasam as it would not splatter. The open-mouthed round bowl with a handle (thūkkuchatti) is used to serve sambar or any other thick gravy, and milk pāyasam. Another brass vessel, hexagonal in shape with a handle to serve pacchadis (raw or lightly cooked vegetables with yogurt dressing), called pachadi kinnam can be found in stainless steel today. The nei thukku (an elongated potshaped vessel with a round base and a long spoon) is even now used to serve ghee. Bhogini (round wide vessel) was used to serve rice and anna kori (big flat spoon) was the special type of ladle with which to serve it.
Excerpted with permission from Pure Vegetarian: Sacred and Traditional Recipes From South India, Prema Srinivasan, HarperCollins India.