Comments on: Mortar and Pestle (Rolu, Pothram) http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/ Cooking with Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a's Recipe and Photo Weblog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:52:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Paul Hamlyn http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-1840721 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:04:01 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-1840721 Many thanks Indira, I'll give that a try. Paul Many thanks Indira, I’ll give that a try. Paul

]]> by: Paul Hamlyn http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-1840461 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:22:57 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-1840461 Hi Indira, the big pestle and mortar looks similar to one I've just brought back from from a holiday in Nepal. It weighs around 5Kg, which I think would be about 17 - 18lb, so not as big as yours. My question is does it need preparing in some way before use? I ask this because when I grind dry it creates a certain amount of stone powder, which I don't imagine would be desirable in the food! Or doesn't that matter? Many thanks for your site, it's excellent. Paul <i>Hello Paul, stones and stone powder are undesirable in any food culture, that's for sure. Stone mortar need seasoning before they put to use for food preparation. What we do in Nandyala area is, place few fistfuls of rice and pound/grind to coarse powder. Dry first and then with few sprinkles of water. Grind the rice and then throw rice-stone powder away. Rice powder acts like sand and seasons/smooths the mortar stone and helps to remove the stone powder. This process has to be repeated three to five times depending on how coarse the mortar is. This was how I did, and I hope you find this method useful. Indira</i> Hi Indira, the big pestle and mortar looks similar to one I’ve just brought back from from a holiday in Nepal. It weighs around 5Kg, which I think would be about 17 - 18lb, so not as big as yours. My question is does it need preparing in some way before use? I ask this because when I grind dry it creates a certain amount of stone powder, which I don’t imagine would be desirable in the food! Or doesn’t that matter? Many thanks for your site, it’s excellent. Paul

Hello Paul, stones and stone powder are undesirable in any food culture, that’s for sure. Stone mortar need seasoning before they put to use for food preparation. What we do in Nandyala area is, place few fistfuls of rice and pound/grind to coarse powder. Dry first and then with few sprinkles of water. Grind the rice and then throw rice-stone powder away.
Rice powder acts like sand and seasons/smooths the mortar stone and helps to remove the stone powder. This process has to be repeated three to five times depending on how coarse the mortar is. This was how I did, and I hope you find this method useful.
Indira

]]> by: Girija http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-1365144 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:18:09 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-1365144 Hello Indira garu, I am an ardent fan of yours. I am young cook :) walking in similar path. I absolutely love authentic ways of cooking and my friends this I am insane for choosing traditional methods over simpler ones. I believe that there is no shortcut for great tasting food. I am a student so I don't go to India often. I found this online and wanted your opinion for getting it. It will be at least 10 times cheaper in India.http://importfood.com/mortarpestle.html. Let me know. I have already 3 types of mortar and pestle including the Indian brass one. I hardly use nonstick. All my kadhai are either Indian iron or aluminum. I will start my blog once I finish my studies. I am an architect and have passion for photography. :) Hello Indira garu,

I am an ardent fan of yours. I am young cook :) walking in similar path. I absolutely love authentic ways of cooking and my friends this I am insane for choosing traditional methods over simpler ones. I believe that there is no shortcut for great tasting food.
I am a student so I don’t go to India often. I found this online and wanted your opinion for getting it. It will be at least 10 times cheaper in India.http://importfood.com/mortarpestle.html. Let me know. I have already 3 types of mortar and pestle including the Indian brass one. I hardly use nonstick. All my kadhai are either Indian iron or aluminum.
I will start my blog once I finish my studies. I am an architect and have passion for photography. :)

]]> by: Paruppu Kari « V I R U N D H U http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-323239 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 19:03:28 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-323239 [...] Now is the time to add the spices. Roast black pepper and cumin seeds seperately. Crush them coarsely in using the mortor and pestle(See Indira’s post). Add garlic and pound a bit more. Garlic should be broken into small pieces and should be mixed with the spices. [...] […] Now is the time to add the spices. Roast black pepper and cumin seeds seperately. Crush them coarsely in using the mortor and pestle(See Indira’s post). Add garlic and pound a bit more. Garlic should be broken into small pieces and should be mixed with the spices. […]

]]> by: Andal Balu http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-54823 Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:31:23 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-54823 For those of you who would like to get their mixie (either Sumeet or Preeti )fixed contact innoconcepts.com. We have all the spare parts to repair those mixies or any mixie. - Andal For those of you who would like to get their mixie (either Sumeet or Preeti )fixed contact innoconcepts.com. We have all the spare parts to repair those mixies or any mixie. - Andal

]]> by: Sri http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-3535 Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:19:57 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-3535 Can you tell me if I can get this mortar and pestle in chennai. Can you tell me if I can get this mortar and pestle in chennai.

]]> by: Shuchi http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-3031 Thu, 02 Mar 2006 04:24:27 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-3031 Dear Indira, I love your blog! I am originally from Delhi, but my husband is from Andhra. We got married only 6 months back. Being new to Andhra cooking, your recipes have been an immense help to me and have helped me make a good impression on my new family :) Thanks!! Regards, Shuchi Dear Indira,

I love your blog! I am originally from Delhi, but my husband is from Andhra. We got married only 6 months back. Being new to Andhra cooking, your recipes have been an immense help to me and have helped me make a good impression on my new family :) Thanks!!

Regards,
Shuchi

]]> by: Tony http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-2970 Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:16:52 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-2970 Oh... these spammer check hits and then spam? Innovative... I want to get spammed lol. Oh… these spammer check hits and then spam? Innovative… I want to get spammed lol.

]]> by: Sneha http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-2933 Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:21:55 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-2933 U brot this all the way from India .. WOW!!! U brot this all the way from India .. WOW!!!

]]> by: Kay http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-2916 Sun, 26 Feb 2006 21:32:25 +0000 http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/02/25/mortar-and-pestle-rolu-pothram/#comment-2916 I agree with you, Indira. Chutneys and Rice flour (for some special dishes) and some more stuff, made with a stone pestle and mortar tastes divine. Even when something's ground to a fine paste, it has a nice texture, when ground with a stone pestle and mortar. Unlike Barbara, I made a mistake of lugging my Preeti chef-pro mixie from India. It's not even an year old and I'm not very happy with it. should have gone with my mom's choice - she's been having the same Sumeet mixie ever since I was 5 yrs old. <i>Indira replies... The sumeet in our house, back home, is atleast 20 years old. I don't know how, but they work great there. I also have sumeet mixer. last month, I left the small jar in the sink with water in it. On that particular day, the temperature went below 0, I left it there overnight, by morning, the motor froze and now the small jar is not working properly. A big headache, I've to replace it now with new one. :)</i> I agree with you, Indira. Chutneys and Rice flour (for some special dishes) and some more stuff, made with a stone pestle and mortar tastes divine. Even when something’s ground to a fine paste, it has a nice texture, when ground with a stone pestle and mortar.

Unlike Barbara, I made a mistake of lugging my Preeti chef-pro mixie from India. It’s not even an year old and I’m not very happy with it. should have gone with my mom’s choice - she’s been having the same Sumeet mixie ever since I was 5 yrs old.

Indira replies…
The sumeet in our house, back home, is atleast 20 years old. I don’t know how, but they work great there.
I also have sumeet mixer. last month, I left the small jar in the sink with water in it. On that particular day, the temperature went below 0, I left it there overnight, by morning, the motor froze and now the small jar is not working properly. A big headache, I’ve to replace it now with new one. :)

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