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Indian restaurant equipment list | Indian kitchen equipment list

Typical equipment list for an Indian restaurant:

1. Cooking Equipment

• Tandoor Oven: Essential for making naan, tandoori dishes, kebabs, and other traditional items.
• Gas Burners and Ranges: High-heat burners are key for Indian cooking, which often requires quick stir-frying (tadka) and searing.
• Fryer: For making deep-fried dishes like samosas, pakoras, and bhaturas.
• Flat Griddle: Used for cooking parathas, dosas, and chapatis.
• Pressure Cooker: A must-have for quickly cooking lentils, rice, and other staples.
• Steamers: Used for cooking idlis and steaming vegetables.
• Large Pots and Kadhai (Woks): For curries, biryanis, and frying. Kadhai is traditional for deep-frying and stir-frying.

2. Preparation Equipment

• Masala Grinder / Spice Grinder: Essential for grinding spices fresh.
• Food Processor: To chop and blend ingredients for chutneys, pastes, and marinades.
• Mixers and Blenders: Blenders for pureeing, and heavy-duty mixers for kneading dough.
• Vegetable Cutter: Speeds up chopping for large-scale vegetable prep.
• Meat Mincer/Grinder: For making minced meat for kebabs and fillings.
• Rolling Pins (Belan): Used for rolling out flatbreads like naan, roti, and paratha.

3. Storage Equipment

• Walk-in Cooler / Freezer: For bulk storage of perishables.
• Refrigerators: Separate for vegetables, meats, and dairy.
• Dry Storage Shelves: For storing dry ingredients like spices, grains, and lentils.
• Spice Racks: Essential for organizing and accessing a variety of spices.
• Rice Storage Bins: Large airtight bins for rice and flour.

4. Utensils and Smallware

• Stainless Steel Pots and Pans: For cooking curries and sauces.
• Ladles, Skimmers, and Tongs: For handling different dishes.
• Mortar and Pestle: Used for grinding spices in small batches.
• Sieves and Strainers: For flour, rice, and lentils.
• Serving Dishes: Copper or stainless steel bowls and plates for traditional Indian presentations.

5. Cleaning and Maintenance

• Dishwasher: For cleaning large volumes of cookware and serveware.
• Grease Trap: Necessary for managing grease disposal, especially with fried items.
• Exhaust Hood and Ventilation System: Essential for handling smoke and high-heat cooking.
• Waste Disposal Units: For efficient kitchen waste management.Indian restaurant equipment list | Indian kitchen equipment list

6. Safety and Compliance

• Fire Suppression System: Especially crucial with high-heat and open-flame cooking.
• First Aid Kit and Fire Extinguisher: For emergency preparedness.
• Thermometers: For temperature control in fridges, freezers, and cooked dishes.

7. Service Equipment

• Serving Trays: For carrying dishes to the dining area.
• Bain Marie / Hot Holding Units: To keep curries and sauces warm for service.
• Soup Kettle: If serving soups or traditional Indian stews.
• Chafing Dishes: For buffet-style service, which is common in some Indian restaurants.

Detail equipment list for a common Indian restaurant:

1. Tandoor and Bread Station

• Tandoor Oven: Essential for naan, roti, tandoori chicken, and kebabs.
  • Recommended Size: Medium to large clay tandoors for a typical restaurant, around 36 inches in diameter.
• Rolling Pin (Belan) and Board: For rolling naan, chapati, and parathas.
  • Size: 10-12 inches for the rolling pin.
  • Material: Wood or stainless steel.
• Dough Mixer: Industrial dough mixers for naan and roti dough.
  • Capacity: 10-20 liters for small to medium restaurants.
• Dough Divider and Rounder: For portioning and shaping naan or roti dough quickly.

2. Frying and Appetizer Station

• Commercial Fryer: Ideal for frying items like samosas, pakoras, and bhaturas.
  • Size: 30-40 lbs. oil capacity.
• Kadhai (Indian Wok): For deep-frying and making stir-fried appetizers.
  • Size: 16-18 inches.
  • Material: Heavy-gauge stainless steel or cast iron.
• Prep Table and Cutting Boards: Stainless steel prep tables with designated cutting boards.
  • Size: 24″x48″ to 30″x72″, depending on kitchen size.
  • Material: HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or wood for cutting boards.

3. Curries and Sauce Station

• Gas Burners and Ranges: 6-burner gas stove for multi-pot curries and sauces.
• Pressure Cooker: Used to cook lentils, meats, and rice quickly.
  • Size: 10-20 liters.
• Stock Pots and Sauce Pots: Essential for making large batches of curry and sauce.
  • Size: 20-40 quarts, depending on expected volume.
• Hand Blenders: To blend sauces to a smooth consistency.

4. Rice and Biryani Station

• Rice Cooker/Steamer: For perfectly cooked rice, pulao, and biryani.
  • Capacity: 10-20 liters for larger kitchens.
• Large Saucepan or Degchi: Traditional Indian vessel for biryani and rice dishes.
  • Material: Aluminum or stainless steel.
  • Size: 10-15 quarts.
• Biryani Pots with Lids: Heavy-bottomed pots for layered cooking.
  • Material: Copper or stainless steel.

5. Chutney and Spice Preparation Station

• Masala Grinder: To grind whole spices fresh, essential for Indian flavors.
  • Size: Medium countertop model.
• Food Processor: For grinding chutneys and pastes like ginger-garlic paste.
  • Capacity: 3-5 liters for small to medium kitchens.
• Mortar and Pestle: For grinding small quantities of spices or herbs.
  • Material: Stone or marble for durability.

6. Dessert Station

• Milk Boiler or Heavy Bottom Pans: Used for boiling milk and making Indian sweets.
  • Size: 5-10 quarts.
• Whisk and Hand Mixer: For whipping cream and mixing batter for desserts like gulab jamun or barfi.
• Double Boiler: If you plan to make milk-based sweets or chocolate-based desserts.

7. Service and Holding Equipment

• Bain Marie / Steam Table: Keeps curries, dals, and gravies warm during service.
  • Capacity: Varies, with multiple compartments for different dishes.
• Chafing Dishes: Ideal for buffet-style service of curries, rice, and desserts.
  • Material: Stainless steel, with fuel or electric options.
• Soup Kettle: Keeps daals, rasam, or other soups hot.
  • Capacity: 10 liters.

8. Storage and Refrigeration

• Walk-in Refrigerator and Freezer: For bulk storage of perishables and frozen goods.
• Spice Racks and Dry Storage Bins: For storing spices, grains, and lentils.
  • Material: Airtight plastic or stainless steel.
• Rice and Grain Bins: Large, airtight bins for staples like rice and flour.
  • Capacity: 50-100 lbs.