5 Food Items To Avoid Cooking In Iron Tawa

Iron tawas are beloved for their durability and heat retention. However, certain foods just don’t work well in them and can even harm the pan or your dish. Here’s a simple guide to what to avoid.
What Foods To Avoid Cooking In Iron Tawa

What Foods To Avoid Cooking In Iron Tawa: There’s no denying the charm of cooking on a good old iron tawa. It heats evenly, lasts for years, and even adds a touch of nostalgia to everyday meals. But did you know that not all foods play nicely with iron cookware? Some ingredients can damage your pan or even ruin the taste of your dish. While iron tawas are great for many foods, some should be avoided to prevent taste issues or damage to the pan. Take a look at which foods are best kept away from your kitchen iron pan:

Top 5 Food Items To Avoid Cooking In Iron Tawa

1. Acidic Food (Tomatoes, Lemon, And Vinegar)

Slow-cooking acids like tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar, or wine in an iron pan can damage the seasoning layer. This reaction may also cause a metallic taste in your food.

Tomatoes

In an interview with Better Homes & Gardens, Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark shared, “The acids in the recipe react with the iron, which will not only start to break down the lovely seasoning coating on your pan but also impart a metallic flavor to your final dish. Depending on the recipe, acidic ingredients can possibly be added later to avoid some of these undesirable reactions.”

2. Eggs And Pancakes

Eggs

Tasty but sticky treats such as eggs, pancakes, or omelettes are best avoided unless your iron pan has multiple, well-maintained layers of seasoning. Otherwise, you’ll end up scraping, wasting a lot of food, and stripping the pan’s protective coating.

3. Fish And Delicate Seafood Items

Fish is delicate and cooks quickly, but it also sticks easily to iron pans, especially if the seasoning isn’t strong. Many food experts suggest, the flaky texture of fish can break apart, making it hard to flip or remove cleanly. Also, seafood has its own mild flavour, which can absorb the iron taste, especially in lightly spiced dishes. A ceramic or non-stick pan is a better choice for fish fry or grilled prawns.

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4. Spinach

Surprisingly, iron pans don’t pair well with spinach. Because spinach is rich in oxalic acid and also high in moisture. It reacts with the iron, often turning dark or even blackish in colour. The taste can be slightly off, too. So, if you’re making palak paneer or sauteed greens, you can switch to a stainless steel or non-stick kadhai.

Spinach

In the 2021, FAQs session, Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar shared, “All kinds of vegetables can be cooked in an iron kadhai. The only exceptions are the ones with khataas (sourness) like imli, spinach, kokum, tomato, etc. For such vegetables, you can use kansa kadhai which is properly tinned.”

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5. Cheesy Or Cream-Based Dishes

Cream, cheese, and butter-heavy dishes are not great matches for iron pans. They tend to stick and burn easily on the hot surface. Also, the milk solids in these ingredients can mess up the pan’s seasoning. Dishes like white sauce pasta, paneer butter masala, or cheesy toasties are better off cooked in ceramic or aluminium pans.

With mindful use and proper care, you can keep your iron pan performing beautifully, without compromising your meals.


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Image credit: Freepik

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