Indian Woks

[Fat Guy]

Can somebody explain the difference (if any) between an Indian wok and a Chinese wok?

What are woks used for in Indian cookery?

[Jason Perlow]

Youre referring of course, to the Karahi:

Karahi are thicker walled than the chinese wok and not as deep, and flat bottomed. But fundamentally are very similiar. They are used for making curry and stir fry dishes, and also for making certain kinds of indian flatbreads.

There's also the Tawa (although I've also heard of this sometimes called a Kadai, and the Tawa being this circular griddle thing specifically for making flatbreads), which is deeper than a Karahi. Pretty much the same thing as a wok, but like the Karahi, thicker walled and also flat bottomed.

[A Scottish Chef]

There's also the Tawa (although I've also heard of this sometimes called a Kadai, and the Tawa being this circular griddle thing specifically for making flatbreads), which is deeper than a Karahi. Pretty much the same thing as a wok, but like the Karahi, thicker walled and also flat bottomed.

Clearly there are different types of Tawa, then. I have two. One is round and flat and is used by me for making chapati, the other is long, rectangluar and flat that I once (unsuccessfully) tried to use to make naan's with.

One major difference between a chinese wok and the karahi is weight. I wouldn't fancy trying to toss food in a karahi as I can in a wok.

[Suvir Saran]

The only tawas I have ever heard of are flat.

And yes they come in several sizes.

Used mostly for making breads, sometimes they are used in the preparation of other stuff.

[indiagirl]

Jason

Karahi and Kadai are just alternate English spellings of the same Indian word. And what does Indian word mean anyway? In both Hindi and Marathi (two Indian languages) Kadai/Karahi are used to describe the kitchen utensils in discussion here. Both languages have 3 or 4 letters for varieties on the "d" sound - hence the variation.

In any case, one major difference between a kadai and a wok is that kadai's are not designed to deliver the high heat, flash frying, stir frying effect that woks are. The shapes vary but are almost always more or less round bottomed.

And tawas are always flat.

But the reason I write, where on earth did you find those gorgeous kadais in the photographs in your post.

I want one.

[Jason Perlow]

Its interesting that you say that tawa are always flat... because at a local Indian restaurant, Kinara, in NJ, they have a dish on the menu called "Chicken Tava" which they refer to as a wok/stirfry chicken dish.

Do they use the Tawa in this dish, or is their some meaning to the alternate spelling with a V?

PS: the Karahis are made by Le Creuset. And yes, I want one too..

http://www.lecreuset.co.uk/castiron/adventurous.asp

It appears that they only have the Karahi in the UK catalog, not the US one:

http://www.lecreuset.com/new/productguide_lc.php

[indiagirl]

Jason : So after a brief drooly detour to the LeCreuset links (thanks!) and a quick assessment of whether I could buy them in the UK if I visit London in spring as planned and then carry them back (no!)

I'm back.

Anyway, yes, I've wondered about the Tawa dishes too - and here is what I think it is.

I think the dishes are cooked in regular woks and then flash fried in a tawa with butter just before serving. This is something commonly seen in Indian street food vendors (have you heard of pav bhaji? to die for) and something was quite popular in restaurants in India when I was still living there.

I do not know if it is a traditional form of Indian cooking or a new one ...... and I'm not an expert by any means... so .......

Edited February 18, 2003 by indiagirl (log)

[Suvir Saran]

Tawa cooking is a style by itself. Pav Bhaji ( I agree with Indiagirl, is absolutely a dish to die for, we have had discussions about it on other threads) is made on a tava. Sardars in Tardeo in Bombay makes the best.. or you can all come to my home for a taste of it when my father is well and I am back in NYC. I make it often.. and friends eat it as if it were going out of fashion.

Tawas are always flat.

Tawa dishes were and often are still prepared on these flat griddles. Many a times you will hear a taka tak sound that comes from banging the knife like implements that are used to cook stuff on these flat griddles. These dishes are stir fries made on a flat surface. Mirchi is a restaurant in NYC that introduced tawa in NYC.. I remember taking Gael Greene to Mirchi and soon after, it became a favorite of hers and of many others... She still raves about some of their tawa dishes... and we mourn the loss of the recipes they used when they first opened... alas they have changed some....

Karahi is an Indian wok.. and karahi dishes are different.

Sadly, most Indian restaurants make tawa dishes in Karahis.

[anil]

The only tawas I have ever heard of are flat.

And yes they come in several sizes.

Used mostly for making breads, sometimes they are used in the preparation of other stuff.

While that is mostly true, in some places in Northern Uttar Pradesh (I gather that portions of that have split off) a reverse tawa is like a shallow Kadhai; and is placed reverse in a coa fired oven (angithi) - This is used mainly for preparing roomal-roti.

The use of these types of tawas are predominantly in muslim households in awadhi region.

[anil]

Can somebody explain the difference (if any) between an Indian wok and a Chinese wok?

What are woks used for in Indian cookery?

Mainly it is size and thickness of the sheet metal.

In India, a wok similar to chinese in shape (Kadhai) uses a thicker sheet metal than the chinese wok. Small woks are used for "tadka" - and sometimes for refrying or reheating with ghee and onions, leftovers from the night - dals,etc (mostly black lentils).

Many of the wok-like-functions are also performed in round, brass utensils of various sizes called paatilas, and finally there are tawas - which suvir and othes have described.

[Suvir Saran]

Glad to see you are back Anil.

We have missed you.

[indiagirl]

a reverse tawa is like a shallow Kadhai; and is placed reverse in a coa fired oven (angithi) - This is used mainly for preparing roomal-roti.

yes, i remember my dad using an kadhai placed upside down on a gas stove until it heated up and then making rotis on the sides, as an experiment

it was very successful and we made rotis (not roomali) that way for years!

[Suvir Saran]

At Diwan Hemant Mathur is making roomali rotis using a kadhai placed upside down over a tandoor.

Makes for good roomali rotis.