What unites the first nomads of the Turkic tribe, the endless steppes, the oriental market, traditional weddings, hungry soldiers and the need to feed a huge number of people? of course boiler.
A traditional cauldron is usually made of cast iron, its diameter reaches half a meter. The capacity of a typical boiler is neither large nor small - 50 liters. Widespread in Central Asia, Russia, the Balkans, the kazan can now come in different sizes and shapes, but the essence remains the same - there is no better place to make magical Uzbek pilaf, lamb, vegetable, green chili and chickpea soup - soups or in the hole pasta dish, which was started by Turkic nomads themselves, and other traditional, fragrant dishes of Kazakh cuisine.
Brief history
Born in the wanderings of the Turks, kazan still wanders in the kitchens of various countries. For a number of years, the kazan occupied an important place in the nomads and was never forgotten by the nomads. What makes him special?
Initially, boilers were made from the most readily available material - copper. Over time, people learned to process harder and more heat-resistant metals, so cauldrons began to be made from duralumin alloy and cast iron. Although the physical properties of these metals are indeed different, the result was similar. Due to the particularly thick walls of the cauldron, the food was not only perfectly cooked or stewed, but also absorbed the aroma of fragrant spices - it became even tastier.
At that time, the cauldron, which was not afraid of an open fire, did not have a handle, but this did not bother the neighboring peoples - gradually, the cauldron became an indispensable part of cooking, especially in the preparation of traditional beef. pilaf a meal for wedding guests.
Features of Kazan and other cast iron dishes
When it comes to food health, cast iron cauldron and others cast iron dishes burns kitchen pots or pans made of other materials. Cast iron cauldrons are cast from pure cast iron, enamel is not used in their production. As a result, the cast iron boiler, heated at an extremely high temperature, does not release any harmful, health-threatening substances.
Cast iron boiler, like the others cast iron dishes, such as German Petromax cast iron boilers, is not afraid of scratches, does not change its shape, is durable. Also, the food does not stick, it does not need to be constantly mixed and looked after. In this way, much less oil or other fats are consumed, and the food preserves minerals, vitamins and other useful substances.
A traditional cauldron usually has an oval bottom, which is perfect for cooking over an open fire or grill. A little later, flat-bottomed cast-iron cauldrons appeared, which are more convenient for cooking in ovens. Of course, oval-bottomed cauldrons are more common - it is much easier to mix food in them, and the taste and aroma are distributed more evenly.
The dishes prepared on the cauldron always remain juicy: when baking, boiling or stewing, the heat is distributed evenly from the edge to the bottom, and the cast iron cauldron itself cools down more slowly, compared to other dishes. That is why the kazan has become indispensable at Tatar weddings or other celebrations - it holds more, and the food in it does not get cold so quickly. After removing the cauldron from the heat, the food matures in it calmly - it releases all the taste qualities, so it becomes even tastier.
Care and stock - both will be needed
Now the kazan is widely used for cooking over a campfire, grill, embers or grandma's oven. Although a properly maintained boiler is indeed long-lasting, carelessness can lead to failure. Heat resistant cast iron is quite brittle if we talk about dropping it or sudden cooling. It will not bend, it will not deform, but it will crack.
Also, a cast iron boiler can start to rust if acid or aggressive chemical cleaners get on it. As a result, proper care plays a very important role here:
- Do not leave food in the cauldron. After cooking, it is recommended to put the leftover food somewhere else and wash the cauldron.
- Do not use dishwashing liquid when washing. It is advisable to wash both cast-iron cauldrons and other cast-iron dishes under hot water, without using rough scrubbers. It is also not recommended to wash in the dishwasher. True, there are those who say that it is enough to clean the coating with a paper towel. However, once the virus infects the fish, you will hardly want to feel its aroma in other dishes.
- Allow to dry. If possible, heat on the grill or stove - do not leave moisture that will lead to the formation of rust.
- Apply oil.
- Store in a dry, ventilated place.
If the cast iron cauldron has rusted, do not rush to throw it away. With a little effort, you will definitely bring it back to life:
- First of all, scrub off the rust. Since the cast iron boiler has no coating, you can scrub from your shoulder.
- When scrubbing rust, it is recommended to use coarse salt. If you scrubbed really well, the boiler should have turned gray. When you have completed the scrubbing procedure, rinse the cauldron under hot water, wipe dry and heat over high heat.
- Then apply oil to the cold and dry cauldron - after heating well, a protective coating will form. It is usually recommended to reheat in the oven, but keep in mind that there will be a lot of smoke. So it should be heated for an hour or more, 180–at a temperature of 200 °C. Open the window, turn on the hood.
- In this way, some of the oil evaporates and some drips off. However, the most important thing is that the necessary part of the oil polymerizes and thus forms a protective coating. This procedure should be repeated at least three times.
A cast iron boiler will last forever if you not only carefully prepare its coating, but also take care of it in the future. It is possible that you will damage or weaken the coating by cooking more acidic dishes, the main ingredients of which will be tomatoes or cabbage. For this reason, it is recommended to cook as many different dishes as possible, and if you like more acidic ones, don't forget to take the time for "preventive" heating of the cauldron.
Uzbek pilaf recipe
I wonder how we managed to make traditional Uzbek pilaf in a 3-liter cauldron that fit perfectly on a tourist COBB grill? We made the recipe, the necessary ingredients and the detailed process into a video of several minutes. Let's see!
We also prepared massive vegetable grilling guide for those who are bored with regular grill meals. It's time to add sardines, zucchini, fennel, portobello mushrooms, corn on the cob and other vegetables to your diet.
