Topic: Tava!

[Mark J]

Just got my tava (got it from the ebay shop you recommended darth)

Pete, what recipe do you use for nans in your tandoor?

[Mark J]

And here it is!

Its slightly curved, not quite flat

[traveller]

I have the same exact tawa and it has turned black after 2 uses - perhaps it is supposed to??  Have not had as much success with it as I had hoped.....I am going to pick up a non-stick tawa from India next month - they have some nice ones now.

Payal

[Habenero]

paast10, I have a non-stick one but you'd be better off with the one you have. Try heating it up on a high flame, add 2 tbl oil and spread around with kitchen towel until it smokes. This seals and seasons the metal making it effectively non stick - very siimilar to the way you keep and treat a wok. If storing for a while, keep it seasoned with oil to prevent it rusting.

[curryqueen]

I have a cast iron one which I have had for about 20 years.  Never had any problems with it and it makes great chapatis.  One minute cooking on one side and then about another 30 to 45 seconds on the other.  I have never used it to make anything else though.

[traveller]

So do you mean it is supposed to turn black?  I did try to season it like I do with a wok but when it smoked, it all turned black.  I then scoured it all off until it became shiny again :  Perhaps I wasnt to do that?

[Mark J]

I first of all washed it front and back with warm soapy water, then I put it straight on a big gas burner and burnt all the coating off, the I wiped oil all over it.

Ive just used it and I made a right hash of the nan (could get it big round and flat and onto the tava all in one go) so I ended up with a big thick nan, however it tasted good and BIR like so next time I will make sure I roll out the nan on a floured surface first and get it ready.

There's certainly no problem cooking the back of the nan thats on the tava, it was very well done

[traveller]

How did you cook the nan?  In the stove or in the grill oven?

[Habenero]

So do you mean it is supposed to turn black?  I did try to season it like I do with a wok but when it smoked, it all turned black.  I then scoured it all off until it became shiny again :  Perhaps I wasnt to do that?

Yes, it turns black. That's normal.

[Mark J]

I put the tava on my gas hob until the oil layer on it ws smoking and then slapped the nan on it and then slapped it under a pre heated grill.

I used rays madhur jaffrey recipe