Seasoning a Clay Handi: The Method and the Glaze Lead Warning
Why does dal cooked in a clay handi taste different, even when the recipe is identical to what came out of a steel pot the night before? Part of it is real chemistry, and part of it is a glaze you need to check before you buy.
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What actually happens when you cook in clay
Unglazed clay is porous. It breathes a little during cooking, letting steam escape slowly, and it heats and cools more gradually than metal. This slower, gentler heat is genuinely good for long-simmered dishes like haleem, nihari, or a slow dal, because it reduces scorching at the base and keeps moisture in the food rather than boiling it off harshly. The clay itself can also nudge the pH of the food slightly, which some cooks and food scientists believe softens certain sourness and rounds out flavour, though this effect is subtle, not dramatic.
The glaze problem nobody warns you about
Here is the part that matters more than flavour. Many decorative or painted clay pots, especially ones with a shiny, colourful glaze, are finished with glazes that can contain lead or cadmium compounds, particularly cheaper pots not made for food use. When these glazes are heated repeatedly, especially with acidic foods like tomato-based curries or anything with tamarind or lemon, they can leach small amounts of these metals into your food over time. This is a genuine, documented risk with painted or glazed earthenware, not a made-up scare.
Buy plain, unglazed terracotta or a pot explicitly sold as food-safe cookware, ideally from a seller who can tell you it is lead-free. Avoid brightly painted, glossy, decorative pots for actual cooking, even if they are marketed at a bazaar stall as “handi.” If you already own a painted pot and don’t know its glaze, use it for serving cold food or as a plant pot rather than for cooking acidic dishes over heat.
Seasoning a new unglazed handi
A brand new clay pot needs seasoning before its first real use, both to strengthen it and to close some of its pores so it doesn’t crack or leak.
- Soak the new pot fully in clean water for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.
- Let it air dry completely in shade for a few hours, not direct harsh sun which can crack it.
- Rub the inside lightly with a cut raw potato or a thin coat of cooking oil (about 1 to 2 teaspoons).
- Fill it about two thirds with water and place on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, letting it come to a gentle simmer, then switch off and let it cool inside the pot.
- Discard that water, rinse, and cook a plain, non acidic dish (plain rice or a simple dal without tomato) as the first real meal, on low to medium heat only.
Cleaning without ruining it
Strong soap and steel scrubbers are the enemy of a clay pot’s seasoning. Soap can soak into the porous surface and linger, coming out in flavour later, and scrubbing hard strips the seasoning you just built.
- Rinse with plain hot water right after use, while it is still warm, not stone cold.
- Use a soft sponge or a handful of coarse salt as a gentle scrub for stuck bits, rather than soap.
- Air dry fully, upside down or on its side, before storing, since trapped moisture invites mould in a porous pot.
- If it develops a musty smell, boil water with a tablespoon of vinegar in it for 10 minutes, then air dry.
What not to cook in an unglazed clay pot
Very high heat searing, deep frying, or anything that needs a hard sudden flame is not suited to clay; it can crack from thermal shock. Extremely acidic or salty brines left standing in the pot for days can also slowly degrade unglazed clay over repeated use. For everyday dal, haleem, biryani in a sealed dum style, and slow meat curries, clay genuinely earns its reputation.
A clay pot rewards patience and punishes a rushed high flame.
Myth: clay pots “detox” the food or add minerals your body needs
Myth: cooking in clay pulls toxins out of food or loads it with essential minerals. Reality: there is no mechanism by which a clay pot removes toxins from food, and any mineral transfer from unglazed clay to food is minimal and not a meaningful source of nutrition. The real, honest benefits are about heat behaviour and taste, not detoxification.
Slow cooking in earthenware has long been part of South Asian kitchens for dishes meant to develop depth over hours, tied to a rhythm of cooking that predates gas stoves and pressure cookers. It reflects a style of cooking, patient and low heat, rather than any special property claimed for the clay itself.
Try this
Cook your usual moong dal exactly as always, but in a seasoned unglazed handi on low heat for 10 minutes longer than usual. Taste it against your steel-pot version the next day and judge for yourself rather than taking anyone’s word for it.
Cooking in a clay handi
How do I season a new clay handi?
Soak it in clean water overnight, let it dry in shade, then rub the inside with a cut raw potato or a teaspoon or two of oil. Simmer water two-thirds full on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes and let it cool in the pot. Make plain rice or a simple dal as the first dish.
Is cooking in a clay pot safe?
Plain, unglazed terracotta made for cooking is safe. The worry is shiny, painted or glazed pots, since some cheaper glazes contain lead or cadmium that can leach into food, especially sour dishes. If you don’t know what a glaze is made of, don’t cook in it.
How can I tell if a clay pot has lead in the glaze?
You can’t tell by looking, which is why the safest choice is a plain, unglazed pot or one clearly sold as food-safe and lead-free. Bright colours, a glossy finish and painted interiors are the warning signs. Ask the seller directly, and if they can’t answer, treat the pot as decorative.
Can I put a clay handi directly on a gas flame?
Most cooking-grade unglazed handis are made for direct flame. Start on low and raise the heat gradually, and never put a cold or fridge-cold pot straight onto a high flame. A flame tawa underneath gives extra protection on strong burners.
Is it safe to cook tomato-based curry in clay?
In a plain unglazed, food-safe pot, yes. In a painted or glazed pot of unknown origin, avoid tomato, imli, lemon and other acidic dishes, because acid pulls metal out of a bad glaze faster.
Why did my new clay pot crack the first time I used it?
Almost always thermal shock: a dry pot went straight onto high heat, or the soak-and-season step was skipped. Clay needs gentle, gradual heating. Hairline cracks that appear later mean it’s time to retire the pot from the stove.
Can I wash a clay pot with soap?
It’s better not to. Soap soaks into the porous clay and can come back out as an odd taste. Rinse with hot water while the pot is still warm, scrub stuck bits with coarse salt or a soft sponge, and let it dry completely before storing.
Does food cooked in a clay pot have health benefits?
The honest benefits are about taste and texture: slow, even heat means less scorching and moist, well-rounded dal, haleem or nihari. Any mineral that passes from clay into food is tiny, and a pot doesn’t pull anything harmful out of your food.
Why does my clay pot smell musty?
Moisture got trapped in the clay before storage. Boil water with a tablespoon of vinegar in the pot for about 10 minutes, then air dry it fully, upside down or on its side, before putting it away.
Can I fry or make tadka in a clay handi?
Deep frying and hard searing aren’t suited to clay, because the sudden high heat can crack it. A gentle tadka on low to medium heat in a well-seasoned pot is usually fine, but do heavy frying in a metal pan.
How long does a clay handi last?
With proper seasoning and gentle cleaning, several years of regular use. The inside often darkens with age, which many cooks like. Once you see cracks, move it to the garden as a planter.
Choosing between different clay pot types sold locally
Local markets sell several variations: the plain reddish handi common across Punjab, a darker black clay pot found in parts of Sindh and often used for specific regional dishes, and imported glazed versions marketed as decorative cookware. For actual cooking, the plain, unglazed varieties made specifically as cookware, not as show pieces, are the safer and generally better performing choice. If a seller cannot tell you whether a pot is food-grade or purely decorative, treat it as decorative until proven otherwise, and don’t put it over direct heat.
How long a well cared for clay pot lasts
With proper seasoning, gentle cleaning, and careful handling around thermal shock, an unglazed clay handi can last several years of regular use, sometimes developing a naturally darkened, well seasoned interior that many cooks consider improves flavour further over time, not unlike how a well used cast iron pan is prized. Hairline cracks that appear over time from repeated heating and cooling are a sign to retire the pot from cooking, since a compromised structure can fail more seriously under heat later. A pot that has clearly cracked should move to the garden as a planter rather than back onto the stove.
Quick facts
A well seasoned unglazed handi often costs less than a mid-range non-stick pan and, with basic care, easily outlasts it, provided nobody in the house ever puts it straight from the fridge onto a hot flame, since that single mistake is responsible for more cracked handis than years of ordinary daily cooking ever are.
What a first-time buyer should ask the seller
Before handing over money at a pottery stall, ask three things: is this pot food-safe or purely decorative, was it fired at a proper kiln temperature or air-dried, and is there any painted glaze on the interior. A seller who cooks with their own stock, common at stalls that also sell to restaurants, usually has clear answers. One who only knows the pot as a decorative item, common at tourist-facing stalls, often does not, and that uncertainty alone is reason enough to keep that particular pot off the stove.
Once you have your handi seasoned, check our related guide on keeping a pressure cooker safe and well maintained for the other end of the desi kitchen spectrum: fast cooking instead of slow. More everyday kitchen fixes like this one live in our Desi Remedies section.