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We think every modern Indian kitchen should have all this. So, check if your kitchen is well stocked

Cookware
Tawas, pots and pans: You could get yourself a range of them. Essentially, what a kitchen must have are:
The flat griddle (tawa) with a handle: Ideal for making dosas, omelettes and parathas.
The concave griddle (tawa): Ideal for chapatis, puran polis, parathas, roasting papads and spices.
Short straight-sided pan with flat bottom: Make quick meals like poha and cutlets.
Fry pan with lid: The lid makes for faster cooking — for vegetables and halwas, etc.
High straight-sided pot with flat bottom: Ideal for making pulao, khichdi, boiling milk, cooking vegetables, noodles and other dishes in large quantities.

Kadai: The Indian wok — you have the typical, steep sided, deep bottomed ones, with handles, which are ideal for deep-frying or stir-frying; or the small, shallow bottomed ones, that can be used for sautéing. It helps to own a couple of wrought iron ones.

Whatever the cookware, the material you choose is as vital as the piece. Stainless steel cookware is the most versatile but, it does not conduct heat well. To combat this, use pans with a thick copper core in the bottom. Copper conducts heat evenly and prevents sautés and delicate foods from burning or getting overcooked. Also, a well-equipped kitchen needs some nonstick ware, too. For one, it makes cleaning up so much easier and more importantly, less fat is needed in cooking.

Peedha/Chakla: To roll out chapatis, parathas and puran polis.

Belan/rolling pin: Pick the one you are comfortable with — the thin, long one, or the stout one.

Tongs: Must have a couple of steady ones — wrought iron or steel. Some even have a rubber coating at the end for better grip.

Airtight containers: Where else will you store your dals, rice, salt, sugar... practically everything? That apart, it’s very useful to keep a small spice box (the one with compartments) with all the spices in lesser quantities. Comes handy whilst cooking.

Casseroles: Cook your food and pack them up in casseroles. The warmth is retained for a long time and food remains fresh, too.

Baking dishes: If you regularly bake cakes or make au gratin, you will need them.

Cook and serve: Cook and serve dishes are a great boon, especially when you have guests over.

Pressure Cooker and pan: The thermally efficient, fuel saver, for some speed cooking — whether rice or vegetables.

Crockery And Cutlery
Serving Bowls: A whole range of sizes and types of material — enamel, ceramic, stainless steel and so on. You might want to keep the ceramic under lock for use on special occasions.

Knives: Keep handy, a chef knife for chopping vegetables, a paring knife for paring vegetables and fruits that are held in hand, a utility knife, for slicing onions and others, a serrated knife, for slicing breads and tomatoes.

Spoons: For starters, you need, cooking spoons or ladles for stirring and turning food, slotted spoons for deep-frying, serving

Gadgets
Vegetable Peeler: A paring knife can be used for peeling veggies and fruits, but more than likely, you will remove more than just the peel. Stick to a vegetable peeler for this.

Chalni: A sifter or a strainer. Keep at least two of them handy — one for liquids and the other for sifting dry ingredients like flour.

Cutting Board: Unless your kitchen has a built-in cutting surface, you will need a cutting board.
Measuring Equipment: You will need glasses, cups, weights (if you are seriously into baking), and spoons, teaspoons and tablespoons — especially for accurate measurements.

Appliances
Food Processor/Mixer/ Blender: Doesn't everyone have one? Years ago, every Indian home had a grinding stone. Now food processors and blenders can take their place in modern kitchens. Garlic, onions and ginger, formerly ground on grinding stones can now be made into a paste in these electrically powered machines in a lot less time. You can also knead dough and batter, as also make pastes, juices and chop vegetables.

Coffee Grinder: Food processors and blenders cannot do all the work of an Indian grinding stone. Dry spices, for example, cannot be ground in them properly. A coffee grinder would do this well, and within seconds. Make sure you clean it thoroughly before grinding coffee beans, or you'll have odd-tasting coffee.

Microwave Ovens: Oh! We all know the use for them. Efficient cooking in minutes. Not just that. There are innumerable uses to a microwave at home.

Oven/Toaster/Griller: Bake the potatoes, toast the bread and grill a sandwich — the OTG has great many uses in a modern kitchen.


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