It’s 2007. I’m lazily sitting on a couch with a ceramic plate filled with food in front of me. As you rightfully guessed, I’m having dinner. While I don’t remember what I had that day, I do recall the movie I was watching on Star Movies. Outsourced. For those who are unaware of the movie, it’s about an American salesperson who travels to India to train Indians.
This isn’t another article where I talk about how great a movie Outsourced is. I mean, it sure was, but that’s not the point. There’s a scene in the movie where the American goes to a slum area and eats lunch served by a family. He sits on the floor with his legs folded. Roti and sabzi are served to him on a ceramic plate. The rest of the family, however, eats on a steel plate. I explicitly recall this scene because that’s when I fell in love with steel plates.
If you look at a typical Malayali household, ceramic plates, especially the expensive ones are reserved for special occasions only. Mind you, something as small as a crack on these plates is worse than entering your home without your Tupperware. The daily-use ceramic and steel plates often find themselves on the dining table for all three meals. These plates hold less value but are used till the very end. You know, like the tube of toothpaste in your bathroom.
My family prefers having food on ceramic plates. I, however, like it on steel plates. I even have a specification – Steel plates with mounted borders that prevent the food from slipping away from the sides. Yup, that. For me, it’s about convenience. I don’t have to bother about the plate breaking even if it mistakenly falls from my hand. After all, you know the ruckus that comes as a consequence of breaking even a daily use ceramic plate.
Also, believe it or not, steel plates enhance the taste of the food. I don’t have any scientific reasoning to prove this fact. But, out of my personal experience, I can say so.
Comfort food and steel plates go hand-in-hand. Even if you don’t agree, I don’t give a flying fuck. There’s a reason why thalis usually come in steel plates. The authentic way of eating local food is by using steel plates. It adds to the joy of eating a wholesome meal made with pure love.
Someone had to say this out loud, you know. We live in a time when Influencers click cliche top shots of delicious food served on expensive cutlery. These are the same people who grew up eating food on steel plates, each bite served to them by their parents lovingly. So, let’s not diminish the value of steel plates because nothing can beat the vibe of it. Yeah, I said vibe.
Thank you for attending my TED talk. Hope you make the switch.
