Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook
Kitchen Equipment
Here is an alphabetical list of some the equipment I use in the kitchen. Don't try and buy all of it at once. Buy a few new items at a time.
Notes On Buying Pans & Knives
For everyday home cooking, non-stick pans are better than ordinary ones. Heavy bottomed pans are better than light ones. Buying cheap equipment now will cost more in the long run as you will probably need to buy frequent replacements! So buy the best you can afford.
Same is true of knives, get the best you can and gradually build up your collection.
| Aluminium foil | |
|---|---|
| Baking tray | |
| Beater | Electic and hand (non-electric) |
| Bread knife | |
| Cake tins | Assorted sizes and shapes. |
| Can opener | |
| Casserole pans | Large and medium, heavy bottomed with a lid. A glass lid is better as you can keep an eye on the food without having to open the lid all the time. |
| Chopping board | |
| Cling film | |
| Coffee maker | |
| Colander | |
| Cooking pans | A couple of different sizes, with handles and lids. |
| Food processor | |
| Frying pans | A couple of different sizes. |
| Funnel | For filling jars. Get heat resistant, small and large ones. |
| Garlic press | |
| Graters | A selection of 2-3 different thickness, including one for parmesan cheese. |
| Grinder | Electric is easiest. |
| Kettle | Electric is easiest. |
| Kitchen apron | |
| Kitchen scissors | |
| Knife sharpener | |
| Knives | A selection, but one good one is worth more than 3 bad ones! |
| Lemon juicer | |
| Measuring cups | A set of 1⁄4, 1⁄3, 1⁄2 and 1 cup. |
| Measuring jug | 1-2 litres, with millilitre markings. |
| Measuring spoons | For measuring small ingredients - a set of 1tbsp, 1tsp, 1⁄2tsp and 1⁄4tsp. |
| Melon baller | |
| Microwave | |
| Microwave safe bowls | |
| Mixing bowl | Medium and large. |
| Muslin cloth square | Large enough to take 2-3 litres. |
| Oven gloves | |
| Oven-proof casserole | Large is good as it can be used for many different amounts. |
| Pepper mill | |
| Pestle & mortar | |
| Peeler & corer | |
| Pressure cooker | It saves a lot of time when cooking beans, lentils and certain meat dishes. |
| Rolling pin | |
| Sandwich maker | |
| Spatulas & ladles | A few assorted sizes and shapes, for frying and cooking. |
| Sprouter | For sprouting moong beans, chickpeas, fenugreek, mustard seeds alfalfa, cress, fennel, rocket and sunflower and many others (not for Kidney beans). |
| Steamer | |
| Tarka ladle | A long handled, large ladle for tempering dals (lentils) etc. |
| Tawa | A griddle for making chapatties/parathas, pancakes and dosa etc. If you don't have one, any old, heavy bottomed frying pan will do. |
| Thermometer | A probe type electronic one is most versatile. |
| Timer | |
| Toaster | |
| Tongs | For cooking chapattis on the flame directly. |
| Ulu knife | For chopping herbs. |
| Weighing scales | |
| Wok | A large one, for making dry vegetable bhajies/curries and a smaller one, for deep-frying. |