5 benefits of cooking food on a mud chulha (clay stove)

In our fast moving lives, use of a gas stove, microwave and oven for cooking and baking is a part of our existence. But only three decades ago, it was all about homemade clay chulha (clay stove) that used a combination of clay, husk and water. With the change in time, the humble chulha got replaced with the fancy and one-touch cooking range that is supported with chimney and keeps the home smoke free. If you think that the change is a move because of the harmful effects of chulha, you need to read this piece of information which talks about the bright side of the ‘Indian Chulha’.

The traditional way of cooking on mud chulha involves the use of earthen pots, that naturally adds to the flavour of the dish. According to experts, food cooked in earthen pots is nutrient-rich, as they help maintain the moisture and the aroma of the cooked food.

The best part of cooking on a mud chulha is, the flame is not too harsh and thus the food cooked even in aluminium never loses its moisture and nutrients. The slow cooking process keeps all the minerals intact.

If you have ever had the chance to eat food made in the mud chulha, it has a smokey flavour due to the use of cow dung cakes, which ultimately enhances the overall food experience, If experts are to be believed, there are villages in India, where people still prefer food made on mud chulha as it is more flavoursome.

While the new-age people find it a polluting agent, it is believed that the use of mud chulha in the open courtyard for cooking along with cow dung cake helps purify the house and air. It also keeps the house free from mosquitoes and insects.

During the 4-day holy festival of Chhat Puja, the first day begins with cooking rice and bottle gourd on clay chulha. It is believed that when food is cooked on a chulha, a Sattva-predominant environment is created in the area. It takes away the negative energies of the house and welcomes the deities with all positivity. Therefore, any individual who enters there gets the benefit of that environment.

Food cooked on mud chulha is healthy in every way possible. The only thing that one needs to take care of is to use cow dung cake in place of wood or coal, as the latter two are not good for the respiratory system of the human body. So, next time when you visit your ancestral house, do try this mode of cooking and feel the bliss.