Wooden Paruppu Maddhu

The thud of the mathu in the sambar pot, heard from the front room.

• What: Paruppu mathu, wooden dal masher
• Size: One, hand length with a ridged head
• Made from: Wood
• Best for: Mashing cooked toor dal for sambar, dal and rasam

What it is

Before blenders, every Tamil kitchen had a paruppu mathu hanging by the stove. The cooked toor dal comes out of the pressure cooker, the mathu goes in and gets rolled between the palms, and the dal turns smooth in seconds.

The ridged wooden head does what a spoon does badly, and it does not scrape the pot the way a steel masher can. It is also the right tool for keerai masiyal, potato for masala and a soft pongal. Choosing between mashers? Wood for dal and greens in any pot; a steel masher for potatoes in bulk; the blender only if you want dal completely liquid.

Tip: Roll the handle quickly between both palms, like churning buttermilk. That spin is what makes the dal smooth.

Goes well with: Udhaiyam Toor Dal, 777 Madras Sambar Powder, Prestige Popular Plus Pressure Cooker 3L

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