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Growing up in India, I have had only two types of soups. 1. The famous tomato soup which was had only in restaurants on special occasions such as birthdays & anniversaries and 2. The humble chicken soup which was made at home the minute someone comes down with cold in the household no matter the season.  It could be a sweltering 100F, my grandma would be making the chicken soup with ginger, garlic & pepper that the instant it went down your throat, I would have literal steam coming out of my ears & nose!  Year later, I am make it for my daughter on the very first signs of cold and I must say it is very effective. Even otherwise, it is comforting, filling and can be eaten with rice, dosa & chapati. What you need to make the chicken soup: 1lb Chicken with Bones - this is very important. There is absolutely no point in making the soup with boneless chicken. Usually, I use all the bonier pieces from a whole chicken for the soup. Half a medium red onion - roughly chopped 1 medium ripe tomato - roughly chopped 5 cloves of garlic - crushed 1 inch ginger, roughly crushed  1 spring of mint 1 sprig of curry leaves (optional) salt to taste 2 tbsp coriander powder 2 tbsp pepper powder Tips for cooking in a clay cookware Cooking in a clay cookware is like cooking in any other cookware plus the great earthy flavor it imparts to the dish plus the heath benefits minus the harmful effects from some types of cookware.  Increase the heat steadily, do not directly crank the heat to higher levels. Once heated up, terracotta cookware can hold the heat inside very well. Maintain the heat at medium high in most cases. Do not use abrasive spoons or cleaning scrubs. Let's make the soup -    Heat about 2 tbsp of oil and add  Sauté onions till they turn golden brown. Add ginger & garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes and let it    Years later, here am I making this soup whenever my daughter comes home with the "sniffles" It is warm & hearty and instantly makes your feel better     this was the only soup that was made at home at the    How many time have you heard of the phrase "Food is medicine". 

An innocent dinner table conversation with my husband planted an idea. But unlike most ideas that effervesce brightly and fade quickly, grand in their ambition but fickle in their fortitude, this one was unrelenting and stuck around.  What if we could create a space for global art to thrive while catering to the needs of the modern conscientious consumer? Thus was born Terracotta Tales - a small Etsy store. An answer to satisfy this rather obstinate idea that would not go away.  Starting with a carefully curated collection of handmade wheel thrown earthen cookware and functional home decor, marrying the needs of a modern kitchen while keeping the tradition of cooking in clay cookware alive… we set off on this journey in 2016. With increasing support from the community and reception we received from our patrons we are now The Handmade Tales. Focussing on our network of artisans and pouring our creative energy into building functional art that caters to your home-good needs.  We aspire to grow into a brand that brings handmade items to the forefront, a place to honor local artisans and bring local art from every corner of the world into conscientious homes. Through this journey we hope to share a small space in your life to tell of the people who create and the tales of the crafts they have mastered.    Thank you for stopping by!  - Saranya Padmanabhan, Designer & Founder