Aruvamanai, a unique cutting instrument, used by Tamil women where you have to squat on the floor, press the wooden plank to the floor with your feet and cut fruits and veggies on the sharp, curved menacing looking iron blade. You have both your hands free to hold the veggie and peel and then cut it. The serrated tip pf the boti also served the purpose of grating coconut and it was much faster than any other method I have seen.

Muram

Muram is a traditional sieve used to separate grain from rice(to separate ‘umi’ from ‘ari’). It is made of ‘eeta’ a plant like bamboo. Its sides are covered with cow dung. Still I remember a special rhythmic tone created when my momma separate husk from grain (in malayalam its known as ‘pattuka’). It’s also used for a visual separation of stones from rice.

These days we have the plastic version. Its also used to dry vattals in sun light, dry chillies and corriander for powdering, dry mango and other delicious items. It was a custom to renew the muram with cowdung for all auspicious occasions.