700 Indian Tawa Recipes | Tawa Vegetarian Recipes

Tava Paneer, Mushroom and Green Pea Subzi

Irrespective of how simple or elaborate the quintessential “dowry” is, the mom definitely gives her daughter a few topes and lids, a kadhaiand of course, a tawa! Whether you are a South Indian or a North Indian, the tawa is truly a kitchen essential. It is indispensable in the preparation of several Indian snacks. 

From Kerala Parota to the ever popular Dosa, from Besan Chila to Aloo Paratha, most Indian snacks require a hand from the able tawa!

Aloo Paratha, Punjabi Aloo Paratha Recipe

South Indian Recipes using the Tawa

The tawa is a must-have in the South Indian kitchen. Be it the regular Dosa made of rice and urad, or the multi-daldelight Adai, be it the Kerala Parota or the Kannada Neer Dosa, the tawais a basic requirement. Variants of dosa are made almost every other day in South Indian households, and it is impossible to cook without a tawa. 

Neer Dosa ( Idlis and Dosas)

Although people often use non-stick tawas to make dosas because of the convenience, traditional South Indians prefer to use an iron tawa as it gives their snacks a unique aroma and special crispness. 

Bonus tip – Seasoning and caring for your iron tawa

1. When you buy a new iron tawa, wash it several times with a mild soap and sponge scrubber to remove the machine oil often used to prevent rusting at shops.
2. Once you are sure the tawais clean, soak it for a day in rice konji. Basically, retain the water used to wash rice and boil it. You will get a viscous liquid known as rice konji. Place your tawa on a large plate and immerse it in konji. Let it stay for a day.
3. Now wash the tawa once more, coat it with oil and heat till it smokes. Switch off the stove. After a while, heat it again till it smokes. Repeat it a couple of times till all the oil dries up.
4. Slice an onion into small pieces. Add a little oil, the sliced onion and salt to the tava, and sauté till the onion turns dark brown or black. Discard the onions. 
5.  Your tawa is now ready to use. Initially use a little extra oil while cooking. After a week or so, your tawa will become as good as non-stick, and you can cook with just a coat of oil.
6. After every wash, apply a little oil on the tawa before putting it back in the rack. This will prevent rusting.
7. Always heat your tawa on a medium flame till it smokes, then reduce the flame and cook. 

Adai, Protein Rich Adai Recipe

Tawa Rotis and Parathas from North India

The tawa is equally, if not more important in North Indian cooking, where every meal consists of one or more Indian breads ranging from the simple phulka and roti, to more elaborate parathas. 

Rotis and parathas made using wheat or other grain flours like nachni, jowar etc. are consumed on most days. Chawal ki Roti, Kashmiri Roti, Saatdhan Paratha, Rajgira Paratha, the list is endless. Additionally, the roti dough is also sometimes fortified with ingredients like veggies or sprouts, such as in the Jowar Mooli ki Roti and Bajra Aloo ki Roti. Similarly, parathas are also stuffed with exciting mixtures to boost the taste and health aspects, such as in the Dal ke Parathe and Paneer Masoor ke Parathe. 

Saatdhan Paratha

You can also make very interesting mini pancakes and parathas loaded with veggies and cheese for your kids to enjoy after school! They will love the Banana Walnut Pancake, which is a tawa version of the popular Banana Walnut loaf. 

Not only that, the tawa is also used to make other delectable North Indian foods like chilas and pankis. Try the Corn and Coriander Panki.

Corn and Coriander Panki

Tawa Vegetables and Tawa Rice too 

The tawa, especially the traditional iron one, imparts a very interesting taste and aroma to dishes. Chefs often capitalize on this to give rice and vegetable preparations an interesting twist. The tawa is heated till it smokes and then the foodstuff is cooked in it with a little oil.

The flat round shape of the tawa also gives the chef an opportunity to arrange and cook foods based on the heat requirement, since the centre gets more heat than the sides. Tawa Vegetables and Tawa Rice have a nice mouth-feel and smoky aroma that set them apart from regular preparations. 

Tava Pulao, Tawa Pulao Recipe

Tawa Snacks

The tawa also offers a healthy alternative to cooking snacks. Rather than deep-frying, you can shallow-fry cutlets and kebabs on the tawa using minimal oil. After it gets evenly cooked on one side, just flip it over to cook on the other side. Once done, you will not know the difference between this and a deep-fried snack! 

The versatile tawa is also an excellent substitute for the tandoor. Although cooking in a tandoor is unique and gives an authentic taste to tandoori dishes, not everyone has a tandoor at home. So, as an alternative you can use the tawa to cook starters like tikkis. 

Have a go at yummy snacks and starters such as the Chana Dal and Cabbage Tikki and Hara Kebab made using the tawa! 

Chana Dal and Cabbage Tikki

Let’s not forget that the tawa or griddle is an indispensable tool in most homes in other parts of the world too. It is used to make a range of international foods ranging from satays to pancakes.

And we being the resourceful Indians use it to cook everything under the sky, including toasts! Try the Toast with Spinach and Tomato Spread. 

Moong Dal Toast, Pan- Fried Moong Dal Toast

No wonder, we have a 650+ and growing list of tawa-based recipes on our website… 

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