How do you crack eggs on a tawa without running away?

Question

My iron tawa looks like the following. It is a bit shallow in the center.

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I pour some oil on the tawa and it gets collected in its center. Then I wait for it to get heated. After that I crack the egg with a blunt spoon and break it on the tawa with my both hands, and after that I run for my life.

The problem is that when the egg touches the tawa, the hot oil spills here and there, and due to that I have often burnt my wrists.

I have observed that the oil spilling problem occurs only when the oil is hot. If the oil is not hot it doesn't spill and also causes the egg to stick to the tawa.

What's the way out?

@SAJ14SAJ how do you calculate amount of oil required for an egg? Besides the tawa is "shallow" at center. It is not flat. — Aquarius_Girl, Oct 01 '13 at 10:38
The tawa should be well seasoned, so even a wipe with an oil soaked rag should be enough. — SAJ14SAJ, Oct 01 '13 at 10:38
@SAJ14SAJ It never stroke me! My tawa is NOT seasoned at all. It has some rust on it. I just wash it with soap and brush before every use. — Aquarius_Girl, Oct 01 '13 at 10:40
I don't have time to search now before going to work, but there are many questions here and many web sites that will tell you how to clean, remove the rust, and season cast iron cookware, although most will be for frying pans. The methods are the same. — SAJ14SAJ, Oct 01 '13 at 10:42
@SAJ14SAJ I wasn't expecting you to do the searching for this. I just expressed my surprise that I didn't know that using a pool of oil might be the problem. — Aquarius_Girl, Oct 01 '13 at 10:43
Certainly no more than a 1/2 teaspoon right where you drop the egg, and does it have to be super hot? With a skillet on a stove eggs are cooked at a very moderate heat. One more thing, instead of cracking the egg over the tawa, can you crack it into a small bowl then pour into the tawa? — Jolenealaska, Oct 01 '13 at 10:44
Not seasoned? There is tons of good advice here. Seasoning your tawa is definitely your first step to success using it to cook eggs. Search for cast iron. — Jolenealaska, Oct 01 '13 at 10:47
@Jolenealaska What about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapati ? I make them on the same tawa. Will the seasoning effect them in some negative way? — Aquarius_Girl, Oct 01 '13 at 10:54
@user462608 the seasoning will have no negative effects (in the worst case if you don't use a pan for a long time it can get stale and you will have to reapply it - but it is certainly better than having rusty pans) - I make my chapati/roti in my big (seasoned) cast iron pan and they always come out perfect =) — Martin Turjak, Oct 01 '13 at 11:02
@MartinTurjak Thanks for replying. I'll definitelty try this now. In recent times, I had totally stopped cooking eggs this way due to fear of burns. :doh: **Could someone put this as an answer?** — Aquarius_Girl, Oct 01 '13 at 11:04
@user462608 Answer the question in the answer and I'll edit it with more information. — Jolenealaska, Oct 03 '13 at 00:58
@SAJ14SAJ Thanks, now I am no longer frightened while frying eggs. I used to use 5 tablespoons of oil before. Eggs fried in less oil taste much better. — Aquarius_Girl, Oct 11 '13 at 15:01

score 8 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:33

Cast iron cookware should always be seasoned. There are many answers here on Seasoned Advice as to the best way to go about it. In order to find the best fit for you, how do you heat the tawa? Well seasoned, you should be able to use very little oil to cook an egg in cast iron. Consider too your heat level, eggs generally do better at a moderate temperature. In addition, consider breaking your eggs into a small bowl and pouring them into the tawa instead of cracking them right onto the hot surface.

This link should get you started: What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet?

How do you crack eggs on a tawa without running away?

1 Answers1