Back to the stone age To please the palate

Vizianagaram: After a long gap the public is again showing interest to purchase country made mortar and pestle to prepare chutneys at their homes. Consumers have lost interest to grind chutneys in electrical grinders. They say that (roti pachadi) is tastier than the chutney grinded in electrical machine.

• High demand for country made mortar and pestle
• Vendors from TN sell them on push carts

The usage of country made grinding stones decreased for the past few years as the women don’t have enough time to grind with hands and they have been using mixers and grinders. Now the families have become nuclear and the women also working at offices and schools so they don’t have enough time to prepare the chutneys in a traditional way.

So the public is forcefully habituated to purchase readymade packaged pickles. But the tendency in the public seems to be changing and now homemade food is preferred as it is good for health. Housewives and working women also prefer to prepare chutneys and other snacks at home as they feel that outside food is not healthy as packaged food contains preservatives and other chemicals.

Now small traders from Tamil Nadu come here to sell these mortar and pestles on push carts going through various streets. Paramasivam who came from Tiruvannamalai district said “We came here with machinery and are making these stones and selling in streets at the cost of Rs 150.

Women are much interested to buy them. Daily I am selling 30-40 stones. A team comprising of 20 members came here and selling them in various towns like Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Bobbili and Srikakulam,” he said. I am earning around Rs 700-1000 by selling them.

K Nagamani, a senior citizen of Natraj Colony told “We used to grind the chutneys in our home till the past fifteen years, but now my children, daughters-in-law are not using the traditional mortar and pestle.

Daily I used to grind different types of chutneys on this stone which was in my mother’s home. Now I am purchasing this again to show how it’s different from the electric machine. These stones are useful to prepare tokku pachadi mangoes, garlic, ginger, even mirchi too..,” she said.

Vasireddy Venugopal, who wrote a special book (roti pacchallu) said “No doubt about it. The handmade chutneys are more delicious than the machine made types. I have mentioned around 100 chutneys in my book and I narrated the recipe too.

The tastes of public are changing and gradually they are walking towards our traditional dishes. I sold around 1000 books and even I’m getting phone calls from the readers and food lovers regarding the preparation of the chutneys. Any how it’s a good signal for us. I am happy for protecting our traditions and culture in the form of this book” he said.

By Koppara Gandhi