modern clay pots: appa pan

I am writing this article thinking that I can share the informations what I know about Kalachatti, which is also known as stoneware. We all know about kalachatti and its benefits and uses. Once upon a time, it was popular in our villages cooking foods in kalchattis. In every home in our villages, there had at least 2 to 3 kalachattis as common, but when the modern kitchenwares came into our homes, all the old vessels disappeared and we thrown them into the garbage, kalachatti also disappeared along with this, but in old days, it was very common, used to cook foods in kalachattis, especially in South India.

Natural stoneware/kalchatti/stone vessel

Kalachatti is a stone vessel, it is made by a special kind of stone, known as soapstone by rural artisans in remote villages in South India. They are making this kalachatti traditionally for generations with selected soapstones collected from remote villages. The old generations are only involved in making kalachattis now. The new gen peoples are not interested to do this work. The all work related to kalachatti is doing by hand, so the artisan needed more care, patience and efficiency to do this work. The procurement of the soapstone is very difficult and expensive due to the availability of the soapstone is less, so kalachatti making is not profitable now.

Natural stoneware/kalachatti/stone vessel

It is very delicious and tasty by cooking foods in kalachatti and keeping its flavor for longtime. The main feature of kalachatti is it retains its heat for longtime and keep foods as hot more time and keeping its freshness. Because of natural origin, when cooking the foods in kalachatti, we are getting many types of micro nutrients and minerals directly from this vessell naturally.

Natural stoneware/kalachatti/stone vessel

We can use kalachattis for cooking variety of foods like sambar, rasam, curd curries, pickles, fish curries and many more.

Natural stoneware/kalachatti/stone vessel

The above stone vessel specially designed to prepare fish curry, chicken curry, other meat curries etc, but you can cook any item in it that is your choice.