‘Easy cooker’ becomes a hit....

The Hindu, June 7 2009 Staff Reporter
Designed by an NGO, it is simple and cost-effective
Made with bamboo, it cooks the rice with starch
Ten families of Tholapi village find employment through this

[Update: To get an Eco-friendly Easy Cooker please email aidsite@gmail.com  Price including packing and mailing to most India addresses: Rs 290.  The cooker is being made and sold in villages of Srikakulam district for Rs 100 (price without packing and postage).] 

Srikakulam: The Association for India's Development (Aid) India, an NGO working in Tholapi village in Pondur mandal has good news for housewives [home-makers], working women and kitchen managers. The NGO designed an ‘easy cooker’ with the innovative bamboo technology which are selling like hot cakes. Curious customers are placing orders delighted at the cost effective innovative technology from different parts of the State. Pressure cookers and hot boxes sold by branded companies cost about Rs.2000. Named ‘easy cooker’, it is attracting the attention of busy and working women and many are evincing interest in the product. All one has to do is to first boil rice in a vessel. For one glass of rice two glasses of water has to be added.

After cooking on the stove for just 10 minutes the vessel has to be shifted from the stove into a bamboo basket specially designed for the purpose. The rice vessel has to be closeted in the bamboo basket for 45 minutes. The basket lid should not be opened till 45 minutes. After 45 minutes the rice will be well cooked and will remain hot for eight hours.

(right picture: A satisfied user cooks brown rice in the Haybox Easy cooker)

The simple and cost effective technology is fuel efficient as the gas burns only for 10 minutes, says M.Suryanarayana, Coordinator, Aid India. Speaking on the innovative cooking technique, he explained that the cooking technique is environmental-friendly , fuel efficient and cost effective.

So far about 250 easy cookers have been supplied to interested parties. Many bamboo cookers have been supplied to women in Kurnool, Tenali, Hyderabad and other parts of the State. Depending on the need and the quantum of rice one wants to cook, the size of the bamboo cooker matters. The bamboo cookers were being manufactured in three different sizes including 7X9 inches, 9x12 inches and 12x15 inches . Rice quantity can be cooked from 1.5 kilos to 3 kilograms.

The rice cooked with starch is highly vitamin rich and in the above cooking technique rice is not filtered or diluted but the 45-minute duration of cooking in the bamboo cooker will help absorb the starch into the rice making it fresh, hot and vitamin rich.

About 10 volunteers of Aid India were engaged in the production of bamboo cookers which involves integration of bamboo, cloth, paddy husk and thread etc.

Ten families have found employment in Tholapi village. Suryanarayana says that every day telephone orders keep coming asking for supply of easy cookers.

The cost of the easy cooker is just Rs.70 whereas branded companies offer both hot packs and pressure cookers at Rs.2000. Besides rice, daal and kichidi rice can be cooked in the easy cookers.

Parties interested in knowing more may contact the telephone number 08942-271464.

Also contact by email raviaravinda@gmail.com or aidsite@gmail.com for more information. 

Source:
http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/07/stories/2009060751380300.htm