What is it?
A shakuntala pot is a handi in a named traditional profile, drawn in at the shoulder and carried by two strap handles, used for slow cooking on the stove and then set straight on the table.
Also known as a shakuntala handi, degchi, bhagona, peetal serving pot or heritage pot.
What is in the box?
- 1 brass pot
- 1 brass lid
How do I look after it?
- The silver lining inside is kalai — a thin coat of tin, applied by hand over heat by a tinsmith called a kalaiwala. Brass reacts with sour food; the kalai is the barrier between the two.
- Kalai is not permanent. With regular cooking it wears through in roughly 12 to 15 months — sooner on a high flame, later on a vessel used only for storage or ghee. When brass starts showing through the silver, it is time to have it redone. The vessel itself will outlast you; the coating is a service item, like re-soling a shoe.
- Getting it redone: any local kalaiwala can do it, usually for a small charge, usually the same day.
- Cook on a low to medium flame. High heat is what strips kalai fastest.
- Use wooden or silicone tools. Steel spatulas scratch tin.
- Wash by hand with mild soap and a soft sponge, and dry immediately. Never scour the inside.
- Clean the outside brass with lemon and salt or tamarind. Keep abrasives off the tinned inside.
How was it made?
- Hand Hammered
- Tin Lined
