When I look at the equipment Indian cooks rely on I find that with the exception of an idli maker, all the utensils have an equally functional U.S. equivalent. Of course, if you do a deep dive into your Indian favorites you might want something specialized. For more help cooking Indian food see my Indian Cooking Basics.
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Do I Need Special Equipment?
For South Indian dosas, idli, or Indian flatbread there may be some equipment that helps make you a pro. The traditional chakla (round wooden board) and belan (rolling pin) for instance are wonderful.
Beyond that, I have found that various sizes of dutch ovens are a perfect substitute for Indian cooking pots. And the ubiquitous masala dabba, or box for keeping essential spices, is too large for a place on my counter. I keep my spices in several places in my kitchen depending on how often they are used.
The good news is that you probably have most, if not all of these tools in your kitchen already, and they are not expensive.
Here are My Indian Food Equipment Essentials
DISCLAIMER - I am not being paid for any of these recommendations. These cooking utensils are all picked because I use them and find them indispensable in my kitchen.
These are just some suggested brands I've chosen based on the Americas Test Kitchen/Cooksillustrated and Serious Eats testing and recommendations! The scale I have is an older model. So for my next scale, I am going with the OXO Stainless Steel Scale with Pull-Out Display, thus the link below.
Visit my glossary of Indian food terms for translations you need:
English to Hindi & Hindi to English
Other Basics for Indian Cooking Beginners
I’d love to hear about your favorite kitchen tools! Please let me know in the comments section below. Thank you! ~Alonna
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