Lassan up, guys

Peter Bindner’s invention, Garlic Rocket One, is meant for India’s much-loved ingredient-garlic

At 60, Peter Bindner, a resident of Denmark has many an invention in his kitty. In the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, he hosted the The Longest Beach Dinner in the World to help families overcome the struggles associated with Covid-19. In the past, he has created a virtual experience of the mid-summer traditional bonfire on DVD for people who could not enjoy one on Saint John's Eve. He also has a quirky ashtray to his credit that's pocket-sized, but can hold up to 10 cigarette butts.

Bindner's latest invention, Garlic Rocket One, revolves around India's much-loved ingredient, garlic, called lassan, lasun back home. A health and sports enthusiast, Bindner tells mid-day that he has long been a fan of the bulb that's part of the onion family. His favourite garlic-laced snack is an avocado toast with a lemon drizzle and garlic. "Garlic is great for the body and immune system. But every time we want to consume it, we have to go through the struggle of sticky, stinky fingers, mess on the table and sometimes, we are left with not being able to get the garlic out. The most common equipment available is the two pins which have to be used to squeeze it; I thought of using a stamp with cylinder power. I didn't need to touch the garlic bud at all," says Bindner.

Garlic Rocket One

How the contraption works is like this: The cylinder is attached to a jar which can hold up to three to four garlic cloves. All you have to do is click and turn the handle on the cylinder. The pins push the garlic mash out of each clove without leaving any inside the jar. All that remain are the skin peels that can be cleaned with hot water.

Bindner has almost met his dream figure on Indiegogo crowdfunding site and says he has enquiries from across the world including India, Italy, America and Canada. Once the prototype goes into production, he hope to sell it for $80 (Rs 6,084) a piece.

Bindner says his friends now call him the garlic man. "Anyone who visits my holiday home, gets a home-cooked meal with a lot of garlic. My all-time favourite is pasta served with organic chicken, tomatoes, lots of garlic and fresh-baked cornbread," he shares. When we tell him that in India, chewing a piece of garlic is considered a healthy practice, he says that is an intense method. Crushing and consuming worked best. "The properties of garlic open up when it is crushed. The process releases the enzyme allicin which is great for cholesterol check and to lower blood sugar. I believe that my invention is a ground-breaking innovation."

Desi Hacks
Until Garlic Rocket One finds its way to India, we've found you some easy hacks to peel garlic

Shake it
In a jar, add individual garlic cloves and close the lid. Now, give it a good, tedious shake. This removes most of the skin and is pretty reliable when you have a lot of garlic to peel.

Poke it
This one will take some practice. Pierce a knife into the backbone and pluck with a twist. Practice makes this technique perfect.

Crush it
The desi style is to crush the garlic with the flat plane of the knife or an upturned bowl and peel the skin away. This is a tedious and sticky method, but pretty handy.