In her book, Pure Vegetarian, Prema Srinivasan talks about the use of traditional urulis, lotas and patilis, their origin and shapes

The settled and traditional society of Southern India had the leisure to use its creativity in every area of life, even with respect to ordinary everyday objects such as cooking vessels. Shapes and materials were chosen according to the kind of food preparation required.

South Indians delighted in creating shapes for brass and bronze vessels some of which are still to be found in the now more popularly used stainless steel. Thus we find the bhogini, low and wide-mouthed, lending itself to the task of making liquid sweets and the chintamani, with a rounded body and a little button-like holder on the lid, a pretty container.

At this time, North India had fewer classic cooking vessels. Straightsided cylindrical cooking vessels called patila made of beaten metal were the norm. Dekchis and lotas which were curvilinear were the ones in the classical style. Copper and brass coated with tin were commonly used while large aluminium vessels were used for cooking on a large scale.

Traditional Indian cooking used firewood. The earthen stove was smoothened and polished to a fine clean shine. Auspicious flour patterns were drawn on it every day to indicate the sanctity of the fire that was going to be lit. The creativity of Indian craftsmen came to the forefront in devising proper vessels for the food to be cooked on these earthen stoves.

Originally, pottery of different shapes and sizes were used for cooking. These earthen vessels were used till almost the end of the 20th century in temples, orthodox homes and in many villages all over India. To this day, the rice-dal dish pongal on the day of Pongal or Makara Sankaranti, the South Indian harvest festival, is cooked on a new earthen pot that has been bought specially for the occasion.

The shape of each vessel was designed for the cooking of a particular dish. Thus, wide-mouthed pots were used for making kulambu (a thick gravy with tamarind and spices) that needed simmering even after it is removed from heat. Pots narrowing at the neck called eya chombu were used for rasam so that the frothing liquid will not overflow. For frying and seasoning, various sizes of vanali/wok were used. Steamers and adukku (South India), patila (North India) were straight-sided round-mouthed vessels in which different liquid/vegetable preparations could be made, were the other popular vessels used. Brass vessels tinned inside were the order of the day till the 1940s and 50s. Groups of metalworkers would come to the doorstep to offer the service. Many large landowning families used to own such vessels as all family functions including weddings were performed at home. These vessels came to be borrowed by other family members and friends for happy occasions in their own families.

During the 1950s these vessels slowly disappeared from usage as they were cumbersome and difficult to preserve. Their place was increasingly taken by the lighter and easily maintained stainless steel.

Not so surprisingly, we find the old popular brass and bell metal vessels like urulis, rice pots, idli steamers and dosai kals being imitated in the new materials. Till as late as the 1960s, many middle class households could afford the luxury of owning and cooking in the urulis. A product of Irinjalakuda and Mannarshala in Kerala, and Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, the uruli is a heavy, shallow cooking vessel with lathed sides and a gently curving bottom and is made of bell metal (composite of tin and copper, non corrosive, with a smidgen of silver).

The varppu is another beautiful bell metal vessel which is different from the uruli in having an ear on each side, sometimes even two. Bamboo sticks are inserted through the ears to carry this heavy vessel. This was carried by four people while two would serve directly from the varppu from either side.

In those days, when most homes in Madurai boasted of big backyards, the artisans would come home and raise the clay and mud kiln for making the mould. Many might have watched this operation.

While the metal was being poured into the mould, the householder might bring out a bagful of old silver coins and ask that they be added to the metal. This brought out silver streaks in the finished product greatly enhancing its visual appeal. The cast uruli was then turned on a hand lathe to acquire smoothness and a soft sheen.

Some of the most beautiful examples of these ancient cooking vessels are found in many Kerala temples which use giant size varppus for the preparation of sacred offerings. These are usually set into the clay ovens and are never removed. They are always cleaned in situ. The weight of the uruli and its shape made it ideal for cooking on a wood fire as it helped to retain an even temperature so that the payasam would cook gently mostly in its own heat, intensifying its taste. Sweet rice preparations and avials were other important dishes that were cooked in urulis. Popular Kerala recipes like olan and kalan were also cooked in them. There are urulis which are deep-bowl shaped and are used for cooking jelly-like preparations and medicinal substances over a low flame.

Ayurvedic medicines that require a long period of slow evaporation would bubble in them for even 48 hours. Cosmetics decoctions were also boiled in them.

Cooking vessels were never brought to the serving area for hygienic reasons. As much thought went into designing serving vessels as cookware. Design flair was striking in many of the serving vessels used in the past, as they were considered as important as cooking vessels. So we have the elu-kuli, seven containers welded to a central handle where seven different dishes could be carried together and served at once. This helped to serve large numbers at weddings or special occasions. This vessel has variants with two or four vessels round a central stem. The muku chatti (pot with a beak) was used to pour the rasam as it would not splatter. The open-mouthed round bowl with a handle (thukkuchatti) is used to serve sambhar or any other thick gravy and milk payasam.

courtesy Westland