We love our kitchens. We want them to be in the latest modular style with bright colors and the best quality fittings. Yet, we have a life outside of it and don’t want to spend all day slaving inside. Nothing is more frustrating when you’re in the middle of food preparation and you just can’t find the right tool for the task. Needless to say, finding a substitute takes up a lot of time and doesn’t do the job half as well.
If you find yourself in such situations often, today’s your lucky day! We have compiled a list of 15 Essential Kitchen Gadgets for Indian Moms. Pick up a pen and paper and start jotting down items for your shopping list!

Note: We assume you have the very basics like pressure cookers, saucepans, kadais, bowls, rolling pin, knives and cutting board. If not, then go get them right now!!

15 Kitchen Essentials for Indian Moms

1. Colander

If you have little people at home, it’s unlikely that you haven’t boiled any pasta or noodles yet. And when it comes to draining and rinsing under cold water, there is simply nothing else that will do – a colander is absolutely essential.

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2. Pizza Slicer

Don’t be misled by its name, this is not a pizza-only gadget. Of course, you’ll get neat slices of pizza, but this is also perfect to cut up rotis, pancakes, parathas, pita bread etc. And yes, brownies too!!

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3. Blender

While a traditional ‘mixie’ will do fine, having a hand immersion blender is super convenient. You don’t have to dig out the heavy machine and its various jars with this one. Nothing’s stopping you from making all those healthy smoothies and milkshakes now!

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4. Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ah, what would we do without these ! Yes, we agree they’re great for getting all your ingredients just right for a flawless dish, but there is another benefit. These cups and spoons are quite kid friendly and can really encourage them to help around in the kitchen. What’s more, these are perfect to learn fractions !

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5. Cheese Grater

When kids ask for pizza, you better be sure there’s cheese on it, or else there’s going to be trouble ! And you can’t use a chunky box grater for it, you need a fine cheese grater for the purpose. And when you need to grate veggies so finely that they can be disguised in any dish – this is the guy you’ll turn to.

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6. Kitchen Scale

Another educational gadget for kids in the kitchen – the kitchen scale. When your recipe is in grams, converting everything to cups and spoons can be a pain. (It’s also a great way to know if the local vegetable vendor has been fleecing you)

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7. Egg Slicer

Anyone who’s tried to slice a boiled egg with a knife knows how messy it can get. Get an egg slicer to make things easier. And it’s not just eggs, anything soft like strawberries or peaches can be cut with the slicer. Salads and sandwiches are just a slice away!

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8. Kitchen Timer

Now, if there’s just one thing you’ll buy from this list, this has got to be it. How else would you know that the eggs are boiled, the idlis are done, the cake is baked and the dough is proofed? Yes, this little guy is available in a variety of shapes and sizes, so take your pick!

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9. Moulds for Idli, muffins and chocolates

Idlis, muffins, chocolates are all hits with kids. To make any of these you need moulds. The best ones you can use with your microwave, can easily clean and are food grade material.

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10. Whisk

While a hand whisk is sufficient for day to day tasks, having an electric whisk takes things to another level, especially if you bake often. Whisks are great for dosa/appam batters, omelettes, pancake batter, pasta sauces, salad dressings and much more!

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11. Vegetable Peeler

Yes, yes, vegetables and fruits with the peel are healthier, but sometimes, you just have to peel them. You know how little foodies can be very particular about their cut fruit sometimes ! You could do it with a regular knife, but be prepared for knicks and cuts on your hand, along with large pieces of fruit like mangoes falling apart with the peel. A peeler is also good for getting fine ribbon-like slices, which you can use to garnish anything from biryanis to cakes !

12. Can Opener

We are the supermarket generation and sometime, you’re bound to bring home a can of something or the other. So unless you have a can opener the next time you have a can of Milkmaid, you’ll end up stabbing the top of the can like a maniac. Don’t frighten the kids, get a can opener and make life easy.

13. Kitchen scissors

This is something many kitchens in India sorely need, but rarely have. You can use a pair of good quality kitchen scissors for a variety of purposes – chopping up herbs, cutting meat or fish, slicing sausages etc. Some also come with additional features which help you open bottles and crack walnuts. All in all – a must have !

14. Slicer and Grater

Since we Indian use vegetables in everything we cook, there’s a LOT of cutting, chopping, slicing and grating involved and that’s why a good slicer, dicer, grater and chopper is an essential for everyone.

15. Rotimatic

Probably the staple of all Indian homes, roti is a healthy bread and much loved by everyone. But only the mom who stands in the sweltering heat of the kitchen, rolling out and making those rotis on a hot tawa understands how difficult it is to create them. Rotimatic is a revolutionary product which is the answer to all Indian mothers’ prayers. From kneading the dough to baking the perfect, round rotis, it does everything. Unfortunately, Rotimatic in India, is still a dream, however many low cost variations of this are there in the market. I for one would want to invest in the real thing because it truly is an investment that will keep giving (hot rotis) for a lifetime.

There’s our list of 15 kitchen equipments for Indian Moms! Now that you know what’s missing in your kitchen, you’re all set for your next shopping trip!

Do you have all of these essentials? Is there anything you’d like to add to the list?