There is a lot going on in an Indian kitchen every day, from the aroma of sizzling tadka over dals to the soothing whistle of the pressure cooker or ringing of the chakla as you roll your belan to dole out some Rotis. Even as modern tools replace the vintage Indian culinary utensils to make our lives 'easier', it’s simply hard to erase them from our memory, and India's culinary history at large. Let's take a closer look at a few of these traditional kitchen equipment seen in Indian kitchens, that may be becoming harder to find with time.
1. Khal Batta (Mortar-Pestle)
A mortar is a bowl-shaped container that is used to crush dry condiments or spices to enhance their flavour. Earlier, the pestle and mortar were both constructed of stone or wood. It could be used for a variety of kitchen tasks, including wet grinding dals for vada and pounding dried red chillies. The huge versions, however, have been replaced by smaller successors. In addition, they are currently used for grinding cardamom, green chillies, garlic, ginger, and other ingredients. These days, they can be found carved of wood, marble, granite, stainless steel, or brass.
2. Sil Batta
Used to make masalas, chutneys, and wet pastes. To facilitate grinding, a flat stone slab called Sil is chiselled to make it rough. The grinding is done with a cylindrical stone called a batta. With the use of a batta, which is held in the hands and moved back and forth to speed up the grinding process, herbs are placed on sil and ground. The earthiness adds to chutneys and masalas for cooking curries is praised by certain people.
3. Kal Chatti
One of the traditional culinary tools used in Kerala, kal means stone and chatti means cooking pot. The soapstone, a type of metamorphic rock, is used to carve a pot. Before using it for ordinary cooking, season it for a few days with hot rice water to prevent the pot from cracking due to fire. Sambar, aviyal, fish curries, etc. all benefit from the addition of kal chatti's flavour.
4. Handi
A handi is a utensil with a thick, broad base and a narrow mouth. It is among the first kitchen tools used in Indian kitchens. The handis were fashioned of earthenware, but today's top cookware manufacturers have adopted the style. To maintain their authenticity and earthiness, they are also available in steel, cast iron, non-stick, copper, brass, etc. This technologically advanced cooking tool preserves the flavour of vegetables and the aroma of spices.
5. Phirni
The traditional Indian muddler, which was once fashioned of wood and included a long handle and a circular base with openings large enough to allow air to flow for that frothy, fuzzy lassi. It was used to thicken soups and to muddle lentils or buttermilk as well. It has different sizes for different functions. Today, a variant in gleaming stainless steel with a reverse push action is available.
6. Coconut Scraper
A coconut scraper is an essential piece of cooking equipment that is more prevalent in South Indian households. Without having to struggle to remove the coconut's shell, this ingeniously constructed device easily grates the interior of a coconut. For instance, the scraping function is performed by a circular blade. Depending on the requirement, one can select either the mechanical or the manual alternative.
7. Lagan
In Muslim homes, lagan, an Indian utensil, is frequently used. It is also a shallow, thick-walled, concave-bottomed utensil that is widely used in Hyderabad. It is frequently used to prepare large chunks of meat, biryanis and pulao. When heat is provided from both ends, it is efficient for slow cooking. Typically, copper and aluminium are used to make them.
