Change your cookware, change your life

Kaviya Cherian, founder of Kerala-based artisanal cookware brand Green Heirloom, is here to fix the problem, with utensils made for the ages from traditional materials like bronze, cast iron, stoneware and clay. Her story involves finding herself and her calling through this idea. “I was working as an actuarial analyst in Bombay and wanted to branch out and do something on my own. I quit my job and took a one-and-a-half year sabbatical,” she says. During this time, she lived with her grandma and watched her cooking and serving meals in her traditional pots and pans. “She used bronze and cast-iron cookware, stuff that had been with her for 60-70 years, almost indestructible. And the food tasted better!”

Back home watching her mom using non-stick pans did not cut it anymore. “But those were the only kind you could find in supermarkets. I saw a gap and wanted to show people that there is another option, in the form of traditional cookware. I wanted to educate people about the kind of cookware my grandma used, the difference it makes to the food we eat, and how by using it, we don’t consume toxic non-stick coating with our meals,” she explains.

Beautiful Homes: What are some of the benefits of cooking with bronze and cast iron?

Kaviya Cherian: According to Ayurvedic principles, bronze is one of the best materials to cook in. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin and is an excellent conductor of heat; it heats evenly. It can also retain up to 90% of the nutrients in food. Copper also has antibacterial properties…this is why water was put in copper jugs in olden days, to kill bacteria. This isn’t just a holistic wellness claim, it is science-backed! 

BH: Lastly, any special instructions to care for your Green Heirloom piece?

KC: For bronze, wash with regular soap and water. If it gets dull and loses its shine, you can buff it with Pitambari powder or tamarind. For cast iron, simply rinse the pan and use oil when you cook again. When it comes to clay pots, don’t use soap. Clay is porous and can absorb the chemicals in your dish soap. Instead, rinse your clay pot with water and lime, use a natural detergent, or soap nuts.