EQUIPMENTS USED IN INDIAN KITCHEN

Indian Cooking, like any other cuisine, has its own list of cooking equipment that is needed to
get things working in the kitchen. Indian cooking does not need a lot of fancy and
sophisticated equipment. Traditionally a lot of cooking was and is still done in brass pots
lined with aluminum or even thick stainless steel pots. Here is some of the basic kitchen
equipment that is used in Indian Kitchen.

Pounders and Grinders

Hamam – Dasta (Mortar Pestle) used to pound spices, It is generally made of iron, brass,
stainless steel or even stone.

Sil batta
Sil is a hard, rough stone slab and batta is a small, rough conical or cylindrical stone smaller
then the width of the sil.
It is used to make pastes of masalas. The ingredients are placed on the sil and crushed with
the batta by forward and backward movement and consequent pressure.
It should be chillesed periodically to provide a rough surface which helps in grinding.

Masala Grinder
This is the latest addition in this section. It is basically a mechanical instrument used to grind
spices and to make different pastes. There are different options available but broadly there are
two types of Masala Grinders – Dry Masala grinders and Wet masala grinders.

Containers

Lagan
It is a round and shallow copper utensil with a slightly concave bottom.Generally used for
cooking whole or big cuts of meats or poultry especially when heat is applied from both the
top and the bottom.

Degchi/Patila/Bhagona
Made of aluminium, brass, copper, stainless steel.It is very commonly used cooking vessel,
Traditionally made from brass only.It is straight sided, flate rimmed pot and used for boiling ,
stewing, steaming or braising.

Handi
Handi is a traditional Indian cookery pot, originally used with a lid. They are the most
beautiful cooking pans that can also be used as serving dishes. They add a touch of elegance
to the buffet table.
It is available in a range of sizes. It is always kept on slow heat and when food is cooked on a
slow flame then its natural characteristics flavor, aroma and taste are all preserved to the
maximum extent. It is best for preservation of natural characteristic of vegetables, herbs and
spices.

Features of Handi
  Generally pears shaped
 Thick bottom to ensure that food does not stick
 Broad width
 Narrow mouth
 Made usually with copper, brass, earthenware, iron
 Usually with a non stick coating for easy release of food

Ladles/Spoons

Pauni
Perforated Spoon with a long handle, generally of stainless steel used to take out the dishes
that are deep fried.

Round Spoon
Round shaped spoon with a long handle, used to portion different curries, dal or other dishes
with thin consistency.

Karchi-
This is a Flat Spoon use to stir and scrap the vegetables and/or meat while sauting or
sweating in a kadhai or Patila.It is also used very commonly for turning the sides while
Parathas, omlettes or dosas.
The bigger version of this Flat spoon that is used for volume cooking is called as Palta.

Cutters and Peelers

Dantri
It is a semi – circular blade fixed to a wooden base for slicing fishes and cutting
vegetables.Dantri is also called as Bothi.

Knife
It is one of the very basic cutting equipments used in kitchen for cutting vegetables, meat,
fishes etc.
Knife has a handle and a blade. The blade had a pointed end that fits into the handle. Today
there are varities of knives available for different task, some of the common knives are – All
purpose knife, Bonning knife, carving knife, Saw edge knife, Cheese knife. A chef’s knives
are as persomal to him as an instrument is to a musician.

Peeler
Peeler is used to remove skin of the vegetables and fruits.It has a handle generally made of
wood or plastic and sharp steel part that takes out the skin.

Coconut Scrapper
This instrument has saw like semi circular or spherical edge.It is used to scrape the internal
part of coconut. There are number of choices for it and available in mannulal as well as
mechanical options.
Stainers

Channi
This is a small convex instrument with a handle used to separate liquids from unwanted
particles. It is made of steel as well as plastic. Tea stainer is the most common stainer used in
kitchen, apart from the soup stainer.

Collander
This is a bigger version of stainer.Generally, it is made of stainless steel but other options are
also available. It is used to stain rice, vegetables and any dish that has to be separated from its
liquid.

Kadhai and Tawa

Kadhai
A semi circular pan generally with two handles in the shape of a ring.(Similar to Chinese
wok but it is thick). It is made up of iron, brass, aluminium and stainless steel.

Mahi tawa
This is the version of the griddle shaped like a big round, flat bottomed tray with raised
edges, used for cooking kebabs. Also used for dishes when heat is applied from both the top
and the bottom.

Tawa -
It is a concave shaped sheet with or without a handle.It is generally made up of iron but today
more options are also available in various sizes. Generally the tawa that is used in homes in
of size ranging from 7’’ to 10’’ diameter.this is used for making chapatti, phulka and
parantha.
The tawa used commercially are bigger in size(15’’ to 30’’). The larger surface allows the
food to be moved to the periphery. The food left at the periphery remains hot for a long time
– Pav bhaji made using this tawa.

Roomali Tawa
It is a Dom shaped sheet without any handle.It is generally made up of iron and used to bake
roomali roti.

Other Equipments

Chakla
A round marble or wooden plateform used to roll roti with the help of the belan (rolling pin).

Belan
A smooth cylindrical fitted with handle used to roll chapattis. It is made of wood and some
times made of aluminium. Some rolling pins can move on an axis connecting the two handles
Chimta
A metal tong used for baking chapatti and phulka on the flame.

Parat
A deep, flat and round tray made of brass or stainless steel used for kneading daugh.

Seeni
This is a large thali (round tray) usually used as a lid for the lagan or mahi tawa when heat is
applied from the top. Live charcoal is placed on it and the heat is transmitted through it to the
food.
The indirect heat has the desired effect of browning and cooking the ingredients.

Thali
Metal plate with or without compartments used for serving food.It is also used in kitchen to
keep the misc – en – place.

Katori (Bati)
Small metal bowl used for serving curries, dal, raita and sweets. It is available in different
sizes and also used in kitchen for storing different pastes.

Masala Dani
It is a box with compartments to store dry spices. Traditionally it is made out of wood, but
today we have Aluminium, stainless steel and plastic options also.

Method of Cooking

The cooking of food involves heating it in a variety of ways to make it more palatable. The
heat to cook the food comes from a variety of sources, including electric elements or
hotplate, gas flame from a stove or barbecue, the heat from a conventional oven etc.
Heat can be transferred by three methods:
I. Conduction: The passage of heat through one solid to another, they are in contact
ex. Pot on a hot plate.
II. Convection: it involves the transfer of heat in liquid and gases ex.Heating water in a
stock pot.
III. Radiation: it is the passage of the heat in a straight rays from a hot object ex.
Microwaves, Salamanders, Grillers and Toasters.

1. Dry heat method

  Baking: baking is cooking of food by the action of dry heat acting by convection in the
oven. The degree of dryness heat may be modified by the amount of steam produced from
the items baked. It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies,
tarts, quiches, cookies and crackers.
 Broiling: broiling is cooking by direct heat and is used synonymously with grilling. It is a
form of dry cooking and can be done on grill and pan-broiled. Ex. Oeuf sur le plat,
broiling of whole spices etc.

2. Medium of liquid
 Braising: it is a combined method of roasting and stewing. The meat is first browned in
its fat or small amount of fat and then the meat is covered with stock or water and allowed
to cook on a slow flame for longer period.

 Boiling: boiling is cooking by immersing food in a pan of liquid. Boiling temperature is

100·C or 212·F.
 Simmering: Simmering is cooking in gentle boiling of water at 82·C - 99·C.
 Steaming: Steaming is the cooking of foods by steam (moist heat) under varying degrees
of pressure. It is of two type:
1. Low pressure :
 Direct: Direct steaming is cooking food by placing it on a perforated container eg.
Idly, Momos etc.

 Indirect: Indirect steaming is done by placing food in a closed container, which is

surrounded by plenty of steam from fast boiling water eg. Dhokla, Albert
pudding.
 2. High pressure steaming takes place in purpose-built equipment, which does not
allow the steam to escape, therefore enabling steam pressure to build up,
increasing the temperature and reducing cooking time eg. Pressure cooker.
3. Double boiler: also known as a bain-marie is a stove top apparatus used to cook
delicate sauces such as beurre blanc, to melt chocolate without burning or seizing.

 Stewing: A long, slow method of cooking where food is cut into pieces and cooked in the
minimum amount of liquid, water, stock or sauce. The food and the cooking liquid are
served together.

 Poaching: is cooking gently in simmering water which is just below boiling temperature
(93-95°C).
4. Medium of fat
a) Roasting (with a little fat): The term roasting is generally applied to the cooking of a large
piece of meat on a turning spit on an open fire.
 Spit: is a style of roasting where meat is skewered on a spit - a long solid rod used to
hold food while it is being cooked over a fire in a fireplace or over a campfire.
  Tandoor (no fat): An indian style of cooking. The food is skewered and placed in a
hot tandoor and cooked by revolving the meat chunks time to time for uniform
cooking. Ex. Tandoori chicken.
 Oven: it is cooking in a roasting tray in an oven with the aid of fat and first class
meat, chicken and vegetables are used ex. Poulet roti.
 Pot: It is done in a covered pot or pan. Only good quality meat or small joints or birds
are used.
b) Grilling: is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food,
commonly from above or below.

 Open fire: Grilling on an open fire is done by placing food on wired net or grill bars.
Grill bars should be oiled well to avoid rust.

 Salamander: Grilling in salamander is done from the heat coming from above the grill
bars.

c) Poeling: Similar to pot roasting but the difference is that it is entirely cooked in butter.
Special poeling are known as:
“Encasserole” The food is cooked in butter but without the addition of vegetables.
“Encocotte” The food is cooked in butter and garnished with vegetables.
 d) Frying
 Shallow frying: is done in a very little oil which covers ¼ or lesser part of food.
 Deep frying: The food is cooked by immersing food completely in the fat or oil. The
holding temperature for a fryer is 90°C - 110°C.
 Stir frying: A term used in Chinese cooking in which over a fierce heat a wok is
placed with a very little oil in it, vegetables, meat, fish, or chicken is cooked for a
very short period of time.

 Sautéing: is a term used invariably in continental cuisine in which vegetables, meat or

fish is cooked over a moderate heat and the food should mix well with a coat of fat on
it.
1. En Papillote (French: "in parchment"), or "al cartoccio" in Italian, is a method of cooking in
which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked. The parcel is typically
made from folded parchment paper, but other material such as a paper bag or aluminium foil
may be used. The parcel holds in moisture to steam the food.The moisture may be from the
food itself or from an added moisture source like water, wine, or stock.