Kalkittu

Kalkittu is a term that can refer to several things, often related to a type of traditional Indian cuisine or a specific ingredient. In the context of food, it most commonly refers to a preparation method or a dish where ingredients are finely chopped or minced, resembling a coarse paste. This technique is often employed for vegetables, meats, and sometimes even spices, to create a unique texture and facilitate even cooking and flavor distribution.

Dishes referred to as "Kalkittu" can vary regionally within India. For instance, a vegetable kalkittu might involve finely chopping and sautéing various vegetables like onions, tomatoes, and chilies with spices. A meat kalkittu, such as a mutton kalkittu, would involve similarly preparing minced or finely chopped mutton. The consistency is typically thicker than a gravy but not as smooth as a puree. It is often served as a side dish or as a filling for other preparations.

The term can also sometimes refer to the actual stone mortar and pestle, known as a "kallu" or "kalki" in some South Indian languages, used for grinding and crushing ingredients to achieve the kalkittu consistency. The act of pounding and grinding ingredients in such a tool is integral to the preparation of many traditional dishes, and "kalkittu" can, by extension, describe the result of this process.