Health experts increasingly advocate for traditional Indian cooking methods as modern households grapple with lifestyle diseases. Ten time-tested kitchen tools are gaining renewed attention for their ability to promote slower, more nutritious food preparation without complicated techniques.
The stone mortar and pestle, known as sil-batta in Bihar and eastern India, preserves the essential oils in spices that modern grinders often destroy through heat. Similarly, the earthen handi retains moisture and requires less oil, whilst the chakla-belan combination for rolling flatbreads encourages consumption of fresh, preservative-free rotis over packaged bread.
Nutritionists point to the brass or bronze jhara (perforated ladle) for skimming excess oil, and the traditional coconut scraper which enables fresh coconut use instead of processed alternatives. The kada-chhalni (wok and strainer) duo promotes vegetable-forward cooking, whilst hand-operated tools like the traditional dheki (rice pounder) and hand-churn for buttermilk provide both exercise and superior nutrient retention compared to electric processors.
Dr Anjali Mehta from Patna's AIIMS notes that these implements naturally slow the cooking process, encouraging mindfulness and reducing the temptation for ultra-processed convenience foods. The wooden beater for litti preparation and cast-iron tawa complete this list, both promoting iron fortification in diets—particularly beneficial given Bihar's ongoing battles with anaemia amongst women and children.