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Indian Kitchen Essentials

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An Indian kitchen is always well-stacked with utensils and other kitchen equipment to churn out the varieties of perfect Indian cuisines. If you are a newbie and have to set up your Indian kitchen for the first time, you could go through the reference guide that follows to get an idea about what Indian kitchen tools should you buy, to start off.


The list of essentials in an Indian kitchen is:

  1. Belan or a Rolling Pin.

Indian cuisine is incomplete without the standard flat breads that are served with vegetables like Chapatis, Paranthas, and Bhatura. These are made by placing dough on a flat, round board and flattening it into a round shape so that it can be baked or fried. A rolling pin thus is a quintessential tool in an Indian kitchen.

  1. Tawa or a Flat Pan.

A tawa is used to bake the flat bread that is made using a rolling pin or Belan. It looks like an American skillet but is much larger in size. It is available as made up of cast iron or non-stick tawas are also readily available in the market.

  1. Ladle or Kalchi.


  1. Indian Kitchen Essentials

    Hamam Dasta.

A very important part of an Indian kitchen is the Hamam Dasta or the Mortar and Pestle used for grinding and mixing spices. It can be useful for creating a curry paste or grinding spices to produce a mixture called Garam Masala that is commonly used in almost all Indian curries. Traditionally made up of stone or wood, nowadays the stainless steel version available in the market can be of good use in your Indian kitchen.

  1. Karahi or Indian Wok.

This Wok is quite different from the traditional one used in China. It is much heavier, deeper and quite small as compared to that and is mainly used to fry and cook ingredients. It is mainly used for deep frying and long-simmering the dishes. It is made up of cast iron and needs to be seasoned occasionally. But nowadays, non-stick Karahis are also available in the market.

  1. Kaddu Kas or a Grater.

Indian Kitchen Essentials

It can be used to grate root vegetables and gourds. You could make the perfect Gajar Halwa by grating carrots or could make Koftas using grated Lotus-root or Ghiya.

  1. Makhan Phirni or Butter Churner.

It is a prominent tool used in Indian kitchens that is made of wood. A larger version of the tool is also called the Phirni.It is mainly used to churn yoghurt to skim butter off its surface. The smaller version is used to prepare lassi, which is traditional drink made using yoghurt. Also, you could muddle the beans for your dal using a Ghotni, that is yet another smaller version of a Churner.

  1. Masala-Daani or Spice Rack.

Any Indian kitchen is incomplete without a spice rack. Traditionally a rectangular wooden box with compartments that have sliding lids, this has evolved from the traditional look and feel to being a metal container that holds small bowls that hold spices or masala.

  1. Chalini.

This is a handheld sieve that helps to filter out solids from the liquids. It can be used to segregate the tea-leaves from the tea due to its perforated surface and is usually made up of brass or stainless steel.

  1. Chimta or tongs.

To make a perfect version of flat bread or roti, you need to let it puff up and cook properly. A chimta can be used to do so. It can also be used to roast the perfect Papad that you intend to munch on while having your meal.


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