How to season cast iron
Your Bhagya arrives pre-seasoned with gingelly oil and ready to cook. Here's how to keep it naturally non-stick for life.
The first question we get from anyone aware of the basics of cast iron cookware is "How do you season it?" — and "How do we re-season it when needed?"
Good news: when Bhagya Cookware reaches your hands it is already seasoned. We've done it for you at the foundry. You can start cooking right away — just be generous with oil for the first 2 to 3 cooks. Though not mandatory, we recommend a round of seasoning before you start cooking, as a best practice.
Wash the pan with warm water and dry it completely on a low flame.
Apply a thin, even coat of gingelly (sesame) oil all over the surface.
Heat on a low-medium flame until the oil smokes and darkens into the iron.
Let it cool, wipe off excess oil, and repeat 2–3 times for a deep season.
Cook generously with oil the first 2–3 times — the season builds with every meal.
The 5-step seasoning, demonstrated
This video from blogger Prasanthy of prashainkitchen.com (used with her permission) demonstrates the seasoning process on a dosa tawa — the toughest exam to pass — and ends with a couple of dosas, all in under 6 minutes.
Daily care
- Wash with warm water — avoid harsh detergents and never soak the pan in water.
- Dry completely after washing, ideally on a low flame for a minute.
- Heat the tawa on a low flame for ~7 minutes before the first dosa — slow, even heating prevents cold spots and sticking.
- A well-maintained cast iron pan lasts generations and only gets better with use.