Thursday, February 12, 2009

Traditional String Hoppers Contraption (Shevyaa Dantey)


Meet this prized lad of our kitchen - my Mom's Shevyaa Daantey. This is the contraption used to make Rice String Hoppers, amongst Konkan regions in India. Rice paste which ground and steamed is converted into tiny balls good enough to fit the cylindrical chamber. Plonking 1-2 at a time, the steering is gently twisted. Beautiful, pearl white delicate hoppers drip off from the tiny perforations at the bottom of the suspended cylindrical element of this contraption.

This one in the picture is many many decades old and Mom loves this little cute lad. This contraption has fed us many a tasty lunches and breakfast with Shevayee. The metal has got many a dents and has lost his sheen, but thankfully after doctoring him a little, he is fine again now.