All About Sage Pans

A delicious table is perhaps the only place where people do not get bored from the first minute. It is this thought that arises at the mention of the saj - a dish of fresh, baked, stewed young lamb with vegetables.

Meanwhile, a saj is not only a dish, but also dishes in which it is cooked and languishing appetizingly. In the East, they say that by inventing a new dish, the author does more for the happiness of people than by opening a new star. Do it - at your service is a universal Azerbaijani saj.

The wise antiquity of Central Asia and other regions left us a legacy of not only a lot of recipes for preparing tasty and healthy food, but also special dishes in which the original product literally turns into a gourmet-laden dish. We are talking about the Azerbaijani Sage and its analogues - Georgian tapas, Bulgarian Sachets, Vietnamese woks and Moroccan tajines. All this is an ancient kitchen utensil, traditionally used for cooking meat on an open fire.

Saj - a special cast-iron pan with a sloping spherical bottom heated by charcoal. This ancient technology of food processing has not only survived to our days, but also occupies a worthy place throughout the world. The central part of the sage is usually used for frying meat, but the peripheral part is for frying vegetables, which is probably due to its spherical surface.

The name of the dish and dishes in which it is prepared was received from the Sajjids, an ancient dynasty of Arab rulers who lived in southern Azerbaijan. Food in those days was cooked over an open fire.

Savvy sajids used both sides of the container for cooking - for barbecue or just frying meat, fish and vegetables, the concave side of the pan, and for pita bread and flat cakes - the convex side. One dish - two dishes, a great item for long trips. Such dishes were made from clay or cast iron, and somewhat later, from steel and other non-stick materials.

Speaking about the merits of Saj, we note the following:

• stores heat for a long time;
• universality - it is used both at home and in nature;
• withstands high temperatures, maintaining its texture and reliability;
• long term of operation;
• after application does not require special care, it is enough to wash the dishes with warm water.

Three types of Azerbaijani saj are now popular and produced.

A marching option involves cooking at the stake. Electric and gas versions of the sage are designed for cooking at home.

Saji are divided according to the material of their manufacture, shapes and sizes..

1. Classic version Azerbaijani saj is prepared according to old recipes on charcoal with the use of dishes of significant size for a large group of comers. Only cast iron utensils are used.
2. Gas sage used for cooking at home. Models are convenient because they are heated by means of a gas stove. This pan is also suitable for summer cottages. The diameter of the product allows you to cook for a significant number of guests. The materials used in the production are different - cast iron, stainless steel, alloys.
3. Electric sages - a compact hybrid of a frying pan and stove. Electrocage is convenient to use not only at home, but also in cottages or outdoors (powered by a battery). Structurally, they are designed for a small number of people and are available in stainless steel, aluminum or ceramic.

They produce sajas, both ceramic and aluminum. However, they are significantly inferior to cast iron and steel products.

The wide distribution of cast iron sajas is explained by the traditions and a number of advantages of this metal:

• with careful attention to the cast-iron sage, it can be used for a long time, and its appearance will not get worse;
• high heat resistance of cast iron products ensures their integrity and safety, despite the constant use;
• the duration of heat preservation by cast-iron cookware contributes to the fact that the dish cooked in it does not cool for a long time;
• thermal conductivity of cast iron provides uniform heating of dishes in all directions;
• the presence of non-stick effect.

Among the shortcomings of the cast iron sage, we note:

• heavy weight of the product is not very convenient when using dishes;
• in conditions of humidity, cast iron is covered with rust, it is important to wipe the dishes after its use;
• rust can also occur during prolonged storage in a pan;
• brittle cast iron with strong impacts can crack.

Stainless steel saj-frying pan models also have their pros and cons:

• significantly less weight than cast iron products;
• when heated, steel does not emit vapors of harmful substances, does not give food extraneous smacks and smells;
• physical damage and food burning do not affect the properties of stainless steel;
• high anticorrosive properties;
• stainless steel dishes have a beautiful presentation, aesthetically pleasing in the kitchen.

When an empty steel pan is heated, stains of blue-green hues appear at its bottom, which, however, are quickly eliminated. If burned oil gets on the outside of the cookware, it is not easy to remove carbon deposits.

The sizes of saj-frying pans are different, and they are usually selected by diameter, guided by the amount of food needed for cooking.

Producers offer saji:

• small, with a diameter of less than 35.5 cm;
• average diameter - 35.5-40 cm;
• large, with a diameter of more than 40 cm.

Small items are designed for two to three people. Often, for obvious reasons, they acquire large-sized sajas. For example, a multifunctional cast-iron sage pan with a diameter of 45 cm (manufacturer China, Forester brand), allows you to cook several types of products, as well as dishes for a significant company.

Proper preparation of the Azerbaijani pan for first use and then systematic, competent care for the dishes are a guarantee of a long service life of the product.

Preparation for the first use of your purchase will vary depending on what material it is made from. So, in cast iron products there is no non-stick coating; for this reason, procedures are needed that add cast iron sage non-stick qualities.

First, pan thoroughly washed with hot water using detergent. After that, it is dried and heated on a fire until the metal is gray. Then, in heated dishes pour salt, which is kept for 10 minutes, until a slight, barely audible crackle appears. Next, the pan is washed with warm water, wiped dry and, heated, greased with vegetable oil.

There are traditional, proven over the centuries, rules for caring for sage:

1. it is not recommended to leave cooked food in cast-iron dishes for a long time - it begins to rust;
2. after washing the pan, it should be wiped dry, and preferably dried on a fire;
3. periodically, it is necessary to wipe the sage with vegetable oil or fat;
4. Store the product in dry places.

Sometimes, over time, rust still appears on the sajah, but this does not mean at all that the dishes have become unusable. To remove contamination, about 1 kg of salt is poured into the tank and heated on a fire for about an hour, stirring heated salt. For the cooled product, further preparation procedures are carried out, as for its first use.

Steel, nickel and chrome sajas do not rust, and therefore their preparation for use is easier than with cast-iron cookware. The pan is thoroughly washed, dried, and then calcined over a fire with the addition of a small amount of oil and a handful of salt. Calcined for 20 minutes, until the first haze. Then the sage is washed, wiped and dried.

The process of caring for stainless steel products is in their washing with a soft brush with the addition of detergents. In case of severely soiled dishes for cleaning do not use substances with abrasive components. It is easier and more correct to boil the sage in water with detergents, and then wash in the usual way. Stainless steel utensils should be stored in dry places and it is better to separate them, so as not to accidentally damage it.

The choice of sajah depends on the number of people who want to try a delicious dish places of use of dishes and preferences of the buyer.

1. Steel Saji are more practical, easy, but a classic dish cannot be cooked on them. From this point of view, buying a cast-iron sage will be the right decision.
2. Teflon coating although it is considered non-stick, a small amount of oil should be used when cooking. In addition, these coatings are short-lived and wear out relatively soon.
3. Electric Sage is made from special alloy. Dishes of small diameter, not designed for a large team. Its main advantage is compactness.
4. Gas the saj is equipped with a burner, and therefore it can be used both at home and in the open air (taking a gas cylinder with you).

Next, watch a video on how to use a saj pan.