Implements of yore

The era of microwave ovens and induction stoves has eased the act of cooking, but some of us who have experienced food cooked using strenuous instruments in the distant past cannot forget the lingering taste that is tinged with nostalgic memories of grandmother's nine yards and agraharathu thinnai. Most of these cooking aids/instruments have disappeared from service, having been replaced by mixers, grinders and whatnots; some of them continue to live in the few old-fashioned houses that have barely managed to survive in the era of vertical growth, unused, nevertheless, existing as an heirloom given to the nonagenarian surviving grandmother as a dowri when she was nine. Places like Dakshinchitra exhibit these implements, more to preserve the history than educating the youth, who would much rather watch Aish dancing in Machu Pichu, but then, that would be digression.

Some equipment that are still being used, even if rarely, include:

The venkala panai - bronze pot: This is especially used to cook rice. Since the supernatant water that holds all the excess starch of the rice is drained out, the cooked rice is less sticky and less calorific than pressure cooked rice. When cleaned with tamarind and water, this vessel glitters like gold.

ArivaaLmaNai: This is the traditional cutting equipment ala knife. Many people (including the more competent cook of this blog) continue to use the ArivaaLmaNai to chop vegetables etc. If you notice, the head of the blade is a serrated flat part, that is usually used by the other not-so-competent cook of this blog to grate coconut.

Iluppa Karandi: This is a cast iron ladle used to do the seasoning routine - frying mustard for various dishes etc.

The ammi-kuzavi couple (Image source: ta.wikipedia.org) is what used to be used to grind stuff into paste before the mixer era. Some families still have them, but I am not sure if they use them anymore - the mixie is a lot more convenient. That said, the taste of thogayal (paste) made in an ammi cannot be compared to that made in a modern gadget. Incidentally there is one place where the ammi is still used - in TamBram weddings. The groom places the bride's feet on the ammi and slips the toe ring into her second toe.

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Kallural: Used to make batter. Idlys have never been as soft since the Kallural got replaced by the ugly Grinder.

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The Yanthiram was used to remove husk from rice and lentils and powder dry items.

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The Ural and ulakkai couple was used to make larger quantities of powder

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A more recent equipment that uses electricity to powder large quantites of spices is, what is innovatively called, hold your breath, the "machine". The "machine" of course is not found in homes, but in special shops, also informatively called the "machine shop". You take your kilogram quantities of spice there and through a multi million decibel process, the machine, after quaking enough to offset the Richter scale, produces coloured powder that are used in various traditional South Indian recipes.

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Then there is muram used to separate chaff from grains

Image source: ta.wikipedia.org

The mathu to make buttermilk from yogurt

Image adapted from here.

I am sure the above covers the bare minimum of equipment used in the Indian kitchen. As and when we remember more, we'll put them on. We still have to talk about eeya chombu, marakkaal, aazaakku, padi, maakal kachatti and related stuff.

Stay tuned.