Adoli – Goan Traditional Coconut Scraper

During my summer holidays, as a little kid, I remember sitting on the floor close to my mother in the kitchen while she sat on the adoli cleaning fish, or skillfully cutting vegetables. I would be fascinated with how effortlessly she would reduce a plump watermelon into bite-sized pieces. I often found the thought itself of sitting on the adoli daunting. However, as years passed, I grew more comfortable with it and now am deft at grating coconuts!

In Goa, we use traditional kitchen equipment called adoli, essentially a multi-utility coconut scraper. It has a serrated, circular knife at the top for grating coconuts and a slightly curved, long blade for cutting vegetables and big fruits, de-scaling, and filleting fish. The blade is movable; one can lift it when in use. The wooden stool is meant for sitting. Since nearly all Goan recipes call for grated coconut, the adoli is used almost daily.

In most Goan households, there are separate adolis for veg and non-veg ingredients. You’d be surprised to know that we have three – an additional one for festive use typically used for Ganesh Chaturthi, Mahashivratri, and so on!

Do you prefer using a knife or the adoli for your everyday cooking? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 🙂