Maharashtrian kitchen tools in the US महाराष्ट्र
Modak moulds for Ganeshotsav, a chakli press for Diwali faral, a polpat-latne for everyday poli. Here’s what to order in the US and which stove each one needs.
Jump to ukadiche modak, chakli, poli and bhakri, tawa, khalbatta, masala dabba, steaming or phulka.
Ukadiche modak उकडीचे मोदक
A mould shapes the rice-flour shell evenly. Steam them on an idli stand in a pressure cooker with the weight off, or in an Instant Pot on steam.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Of Arts Modak Mould Set | No stove contactHand tool. | Even ukadiche modak shells | Search on Amazon |
| DiBha Modak and Gujiya Moulds | No stove contactHand tool. | Modak for Ganeshotsav and gujiya for Holi | Search on Amazon |
Chakli चकली
Use the star disc for chakli; the fine discs make shev.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapsi Stainless Steel Kitchen Press | No stove contactHand tool, no stove contact. | Idiyappam plus murukku and sev from the same press | Search on Amazon |
Poli and bhakri पोळपाट-लाटणे
A heavy marble board doesn’t slide while you roll.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaipur Ace Marble Chakla, 10 inch | No stove contactRolling board. | Rolling roti, poli and puri without the board sliding | Search on Amazon |
Tawa तवा
Bhakri wants a hot, heavy tawa. Flat cast iron works on any stove, including induction.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Indus Valley Cast Iron Tawa, 11.8 inch | Works on inductionListed as induction friendly. Flat cast iron is magnetic. | Dosa, adai, chapati and bhakri on any stove | Search on Amazon |
| Prestige Cast Iron Tawa, 28 cm | Check the baseThe listing names gas stoves only. Cast iron is magnetic, so check the base is flat. | A lighter cast iron tawa | Search on Amazon |
Khalbatta खलबत्ता
For thecha and fresh masala in small amounts.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOMZ Stone Kalvam, Boat Shape | No stove contactHand tool. | Small amounts of chutney, thecha or podi | Search on Amazon |
| MYNAKSHA Granite Mortar and Pestle, Large | No stove contactHand tool. | Heavier grinding; the closest thing to a rolu or shil-nora you can order | Search on Amazon |
Masala dabba मसाल्याचा डबा
Seven or eight spices within reach of the stove.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Three Sisters Masala Dabba | No stove contactStorage. | Spice names etched on every canister | Search on Amazon |
| KSJONE Masala Dabba, 7 compartments | No stove contactStorage. | A classic 8-inch round dabba with spoons | Search on Amazon |
Steaming
The same stands steam modak and idli.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkins Stainless Steel Idli Stand | No stove contactGoes inside a pressure cooker, so it works wherever your cooker does. | 12 idlis in a 5-liter or larger pressure cooker | Search on Amazon |
| Tabakh 5-Rack Idli Stand | No stove contactGoes inside a cooker or an Instant Pot. | 20 idlis at once in a 6-quart Instant Pot | Search on Amazon |
Phulka
A roti jali puffs phulka over a gas flame.
| Tool | Stove or rating | Good for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| KSJONE Roti Jali | Gas flame onlyPuffs roti over an open flame. | Puffing phulka and roasting papad or baingan | Search on Amazon |
Stove notes
Roti jali needs a flame. It won’t puff poli on induction or a glass top. On those, press the poli with a cloth on the tawa instead.
For puran poli, a puran yantra (a sieve press for the chana dal filling) is sold under that name: search puran yantra.
Also for this kitchen
Other regional kitchens: Tamil, Kerala, Andhra and Telangana, Punjabi, North Indian, Bengali.