Zishta Tin Vessel-Eeya Chombu

 

Tin Vessel/Eeya Chombu

Congrats on your journey to bring traditional wisdom to your home. Zishta is glad to be a part of this journey and support you with authentic traditional knowledge gathered through our journeys, discussions with artisans, local communities and scientific information.

Zishta in collaboration with artisans of Tamilnadu bring to you most authentic and traditional Tin vessels (Eeya chombu) that are everlasting. These are made using the most traditional technique honed over centuries by our artisans.

What is Tin?

Tin (Sn) is a metal and is neither an alloy nor Lead or Aluminium. Tin has been in use for cooking for 100s of years.

What are the benefits of making Rasam in Tin (Eeya chombu)?

• Cooking in eeya chombu has several health benefits including balancing phlem in the body, prevention of diabetes, improves skin complexion, intelligence & many more.
• As per modern science, Tin is used to prevent or cure bad breath, dental cavities, sensitive teeth, gingivitis, plaque etc.
• Rasam is made in less than 15 minutes in Eeya chombu.

What can be cooked in Tin (Eeya Chombu)?

• Tin has been traditionally used for making Rasam. Tamarind reacts with Tin to give a unique taste, flavour & an unbeatable aroma to the Rasam.
• Tin vessel is also used for setting curd & it gives a special taste to it.
• Some use tin vessel to boil milk.
• In olden days, due to lack of refrigerator, cooked food was stored in Tin vessel to keep it fresh.

Should we season Tin vessel before cooking?

Tin vessel does not require any seasoning. Ensure that the vessel has 1/3^rd liquid in it before placing on the stove. Never do tadka or fry in the vessel.

How to clean and maintain Tin vessel?

Maintaining Tin / eeya chombu is as simple as any other vessel.

• One can use any dish washing liquid or soap to clean it.
• Do not use steel scrubbers as it will leave scratch marks.
• It is absolutely fine to leave it in the sink overnight. Ensure heavy vessels are not placed on top of it.
• It is natural for the vessel to become black inside. Wash it well to reduce the black formation.
• Leave the Rasam in the same vessel after cooking. Tin keeps the food warm for a couple of hours. Transferring to another vessel is not required.
• Do not use dishwasher

Caution while cooking in Tin vessel

• Tin has a very low melting point, around 220 degrees Celsius. So it is important that the vessel is filled at least with 1/3^rd liquid before it is placed on the stove. Else, it would melt immediately.
• Do not do direct tadka or fry in it EVER.
• Cook in low or medium flame & never in high flame.
• Do not use tongs to lift from stove as the metal is malleable. Use cloth.

Some frequently asked questions:

Is it harmful to cook in Tin?

No, it is not harmful to cook in tin. In fact there are several health benefits including balancing phlegm in the body, prevention of diabetes, improves skin complexion, intelligence & many more.

We have heard that it is bad to cook in eeya chombu as it Lead.

Couple of decades ago, eeya chombu was made using only pure Tin.

Due to high cost of Tin, some of the makers in the recent past mixed lead into it. Since lead is harmful, people stopped buying & using Eeya Chombu.

Also, given that in Tamizh language velleeyam is Tin and Kareeyam is Lead, this as well led to a confusion. 

Zishta knows and works with 2 artisans who make pure tin vessels & have been making so for over 7 generations. The purity is tested scientifically in NABL accredited lab.

What would happen if it is kept empty on the stove?

The vessel will melt within seconds.

How do we do tadka when we are cooking in Eeya chombu?

Tadka is done separately in another vessel and is added to the Rasam at the end.

Related Videos:

What Is Eeya Chombu and Its Uses

How to Identify Pure Tin Vessel And How To Correctly Use It

Traditional Eeya Chombu Shapes For Authentic Rasam

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