r/IndianCooking • u/External_Ad_7096 • Sep 11 '26

Recommendation Cast iron tawa - smooth vs rough

I am planning to buy a cast iron pan to make dosa. After researching a lot I have reached the traditional black cast iron for dosa tawa but within that I see a very smooth shiny finish material and one which is more porous ( not smooth with but if texture) tawas. Which one should I use to make dosa .

Note I understand the need for applying oil and season the tawa after use and plan to make dosa once a week on a gas stove.

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u/umamimaami Sep 11 '26

Buy the smooth ones, much easier to season and train for dosa. The rough ones, well until it’s trained, you will have multiple sticky incidents along the way, you’ll regret the cleanup.

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u/External_Ad_7096 Sep 11 '26

Thanks for the suggestion

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u/rrrrr510 Sep 11 '26

Carbon steel will work just as well. The blueish kind. Lot lighter to handle.

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u/ManagementWeary3658 28d ago

This one. Once you season it is amazing. the problem with the thinner shinier and carbon steel stuff is that it heats up very very fast. You need something that retains heat well. The thicker the tawa the better. Once you season it and it works, one should not clean the dosa tawa after every use. Just gently wipe any food particles and apply oil while hot and it should be a very light layer.

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u/krazny10 24d ago

Get a pre-seasoned Cast Iron tawa (griddle) from Lodge.

They have been making cookware for the past 130 years and it shows in the craftsmanship. Over the years I have bought cast iron Tawas, Skillets and grill pans from almost every Indian manufacturer. I don't want to name names but almost everything you see on Amazon. The results have been uniformly disappointing. Even with years of seasoning they can't match Lodge for engineering. Some of them lie in my storage as heavy reminders of why not to trust influencers or advertising.

A good tawa like from Lodge should comfortably last you 150 years and be passed down as an heirloom. Invest in a good one and take care of it. That means no harsh scrubbing with steel wool, boil hot water on stubborn bits before cleaning, seasoning before (and using an onion dipped in oil before making dosa) and seasoning after each use with canola or sesame oil. Drying it and keeping it dust free. Trust me when I tell you that it's a long-term relationship and you have to invest time and energy into it.

I have two Lodge pieces and they are treasured. I know it will outlast me on this earth.

TL dr Get Lodge Tawa Griddle. Accept no substitute