KARIMNAGAR: People in Karimnagar are turning to the old tradition of extracting oil: grinding groundnut and sesame seeds in a wooden mortar and pestle. This is because people want to avoid using mass-produced oils to take care of their health.
The extraction process requires a harnessed bullock which moves around the container, grinding the peanuts. A bullock is harnessed to a large, rotating pestle which crushes oil seeds placed within a fixed mortar, causing the oil to release from the seeds due to friction and pressure, and then drain out through a small opening at the bottom of the mortar.
The oil is then filtered and filled into bottles for sale. P Parameshwar, an oil extractor, said, “People throng to purchase the pure oil to use it for cooking. Every day about 25 litres of ground nut oil is sold from our unit with each litre costing Rs 400.”
K Laxmi, resident of Tirumalnagar, said, “The oil sold in markets is not good for health as it is adulterated with artificial flavours. Even though organic oil is costly, it is also very healthy.”