10 Best Kadai for Indian Cooking (2024) – Everything You Need to Know

The delicious dishes prepared every day in the Indian kitchens have one thing in common—the distinct cooking method. Indian cooking is all about frying and slow-cooking the food along with various spices to enhance its taste. Unlike other cuisines, you need the best kadai for healthy cooking in India.

Indians have been cooking and seasoning their food for a long time in kadai that is ideal for preparing Indian cuisine. Sometimes, the food you cook at high temperatures burns down the bottom of Kadai, ruining the vessel’s taste and surface.

Moreover, during deep-frying, the pan’s lack of depth or inadequate material makes turning over food difficult. For this reason, choosing a high-quality material is essential for a kadai.

Stainless steel and cast iron are the most preferred materials for the best kadai for Indian cooking. Non-stick coated aluminium cookware also have distinct advantages. Their deep design helps your food cook nicely and is paired with a lid to facilitate speedy cooking.

We want you to enjoy the mouth-watering Indian cuisine. So here in this article, we share the top ten of India’s best iron and steel kadai that could be the perfect addition to your kitchen and safe for health for 2024.

10 Best Kadai for Indian Cooking & deep frying

Review of the best kadai in India (2024)

High heating efficiency of durable material

The Vinod platinum kadai comes with 3 layers to increase the induction of the vessel and make it cooking-friendly. They made the first layer of the kadai with stainless steel. The innermost surface of stainless steel has a food-grade of 18/8. This is the highest food grade for stainless steel and gives it the quality of being rust-free.

The second layer is an encapsulated layer of aluminium right through the cookware. It ensures even heat distribution, less cooking time, and minimum burning of food. The third layer consists of a stainless steel 430 magnetic layer, making it friendly to an induction cooktop.

Easy and Safe to operate

Usually, kadais do not have any handles. Still, the new Vinod platinum kadai has strong riveted handles that offer support and facilitate easy food-management inside it.

The sturdy handles make the lifting of hot kadai an easy job. The handles come with stainless steel material but lack insulation. So, you cannot hold them with bare hands when heated. Along with these handles, the lid is made up of the same material. The lifting of the lid becomes easy and portable.

Best for Indian Cooking

If you worry about foods that stick and burn near the bottom of the kadai, you should go for this product. This product is not non-stick but prevents the food from sticking on the walls. If you like deep-fried foods, this stainless steel kadai can take care of it by letting you use minimum oil.

Indian cooking involves a lot of spice and oil, for which you need a specialized kadai. After researching and analyzing various factors, we found this kadai is perfectly suitable for such requirements.

Also Read: Best Pressure Cookers in India

Decent and classy outer-appearance

The Meyer trivantage cookware kadai is a popular brand known for its durability and strong body made of stainless steel.

The outer body of this kadai is extremely visually appealing. It has a mirror-polished outer body which is very beautiful to look at. The pan interior has an emery finish and gives a very good look overall.

Even Heating by Food-Safe Material

Meyer made this kadai with three layers. The quick and evenly distributing core of the base is made up of aluminium. This aluminium core is sandwiched between the two layers of stainless steel.

The first layer is 100% non-toxic and safe with food-grade stainless steel. The other layer is induction-compatible, magnetic stainless steel. Since it is used in the best kadai in the market, it helps for efficient heating of food to be cooked without any inconvenience.

The Durable Kadai Retains Nutrients

The lid comes with tempered glass, which is extremely durable and resistant to breaking even if it falls by any chance. This adds to the durability of the lid. The kadai retains the moisture and nutrients with it. The temperature rises quicker than the usual kadai. The nutrients stay intact, and this makes the food that is cooked healthier.

Enhanced Operating Safety

The handles attached to this stainless steel kadai are sturdy. They are permanently riveted and cool down easily. This quality is imparted by the silicon covered with stainless steel. The insulation helps to handle the kadai conveniently.

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Easy Operation With Adequate Safety

A lot of Indians use the Vinod platinum kadai. The primary quality of this product is that it is extra deep than the usual kadai made in India. Its extra depth allows us to cook more quantities of food. You can mainly use it for deep frying since it is extra deep.

This platinum kadai has long riveted handles. The attached handles are extremely strong and dependable. When the quantity of food is more, mixing spices and vegetables becomes difficult. The mixing gets easy, and the handling becomes simple.

Less consumption of cooking oil

The interior of the kadai comes with stainless steel. The smooth results of even distribution of oil and the total amount of oil consumed are less than the average oil level used. Since the level of oil consumption is less, the costs are cut down, and energy is saved.

Reduced Cooking Duration

This kadai has three different layers of coating of stainless steel and aluminium. The first layer is of food-grade 18/8 stainless steel. You can consider it to be a healthy layer. The second is the encapsulated layer of aluminium that goes through the cookware and facilitates even heat distribution.

It also results in the minimum burning of food, and the time required for cooking reduces greatly. The third layer has a SS 430 magnetic stainless-steel layer which makes the kadai induction friendly. It is considered to be one of the best kadai available in the Indian market.

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Prestige is one of the most renowned brands in India. The cookware and other kitchen items are completely trusted and of supreme quality. It has an impressive record that proves the company’s potential to provide the best kitchenware.

Large capacity kadai

The prestige omega deluxe granite non-stick kadai offers a bigger size for fast cooking and easy handling. The length of this kadai is 37 cm long while the width is 31 cm wide and the height is 13cm. Also, the base is 2.8 mm thick. Along with this, the kadai has a holding capacity of 3.25 liters of liquid.

Durable granite finish

The granite finish is attractive, smooth, and the most appealing quality of the kadai. The food gets cooked faster with a higher heat transfer. Beneath the granite layer is 5 more layers of coating, which makes it extra-durable and the best kadai for Indian cooking under 2000 INR.

The superior non-stick surface (as mentioned above) makes it the best non-stick kadai for cooking in India. For this reason, the wastage of food becomes minimal. The small chunks that usually burn during cooking also remain the same. Hence, removal and washing of the vessel become easy.

Highly Durable and Hazard Free Kadai Lid

Sometimes, kitchens get messy. Dropping vessels, banging them against other utensils or walls is possible. To avoid breaking or any kind of hazard, the lid comes with shock and is shatter-resistant. As the durability is high, the chances of anyone getting hurt by its breaking is minimal.

The glass lid has a small opening on the top, regulating the continuous outflow of small amounts of vapor into the atmosphere. Due to this, you can cook food faster and with better taste.

Coverage of all damages

The company covers all kinds of reparations within 2 years of the warranty. If any manufacturing defects are present, it can be replaced within the stipulated time. If the non-stick cookware is harmed beyond the warranty period, the company will not be held responsible.

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Dynamic cookware makes high-quality non-stick kadai for Indian cooking. Its features aren’t as vivid as other kadai by the shape, and the dimensions make it user-friendly. You can use the cast iron kadai for deep frying when the quantity of food is less.

Multifunctional All-In-One Kadai

This dynamic cookware kadai has multiple functions. You can cook food normally like it is done in every Indian kitchen. But you can also use it for stir fry, deep fry, pan fry, saute, bake and toast. With so many options, a person can make a variety of dishes within this single vessel itself.

Since it has multiple purposes, it replaces several other cookware in the kitchen. The space used up becomes less, and hence your kitchen gets less crowded.

High Heating Efficiency

The kadai has a base that is thick and facilitates slow and even heating all over the body. The thick-based vessel length is 33 cm, and the width and height of 26.7 cm and 8.4 cm, respectively. Due to the small height and thick base, the cooked food catches up more heat than usual and tastes even more flavorsome.

Health-Friendly Surface

The surface of this vessel is pre-seasoned with cold-pressed organic gingelly oil. The brand did not use any harmful chemicals, and hence it is a non-toxic, user-friendly kadai. Gingelly oil has reduced amounts of cholesterol. Since it is cold-pressed, users can take advantage of it. Apart from that, the surface is glossy and smooth so that the food can be released easily while serving.

This Alda tri-ply kadai is the most commonly used kadai in Indian kitchens. The reason behind this is simple. Its easy-heating bottom and accessible riveted handles. Also, the price of this kadai is lower than that of other products available online. Hence, its low price makes it popular amongst the Indians.

High Heat Conductivity

Alda manufactured the inner surface of the kadai with food-grade SS 304 stainless steel. They built the outer surface with magnetic SS430 stainless steel which supports induction cooking. It prevents hot spots when used for conventional cooking.

An encapsulated third layer, which is made of heat diffusing Aluminium, is highly heat conductive. It maximizes the even spreading of heat, minimizes sticking, and gives tastier, more evenly cooked food with less stirring. This quality of the vessel makes it the best stainless steel kadai for Indian cooking.

Reduced Food and Energy Wastage

The total thickness of 2.5 mm, and therefore the food does not get burnt and is cooking evenly. Since most of the Indian food is to be cooked slowly, some portion of burning is inevitable. The thickness imparts an advantage, and hence, Indians prefer buying this product over other kadai. The energy wastage is minimal, and food wastage is as well.

Built-in Spillage Reduction

Strong die-cast Stainless Steel handles riveted are firmly attached to the cookware. All rivets used are also in Stainless Steel. Hence, the handling gets simple. People can pick up and place down the kadai easily, and the chances of spillage are minimal.

Many Indians use Meyer’s non-stick kadai all across India. It comes with many special features that distinguish it from all other cookware present in the market. It is renowned as the best kadai for deep frying in India. Its unique design contributes to the positive preferential opinion of the people.

Hassle-free lifetime warranty

By any chance, if you happen to mishandle the kadai or break it at any point, do not worry! The company has it all covered. Meyer presents this kadai with a lifetime warranty, and hence, you need not worry about its maintenance. Just use it in a worry-free manner.

Chemical-free and pre-seasoned kadai

The base provided in this kadai is 100% toxin-free. There is no presence of enamel nor any chemical on either side. Cast iron is naturally non-stick in nature. Apart from that, it is pre-seasoned with 100% pure vegetable oil. This enhances the flavor of the Indian dishes we prepare in the kadai.

Unibody design

The non-stick kadai has a one-piece design which is pretty unique. There are no screws present. Hence, the cleaning becomes easy. Other than that, the constant worry of loosening the screws can be ignored. The body is strong enough to function without screws and can be easily used, making it the most useful cast iron kadai for Indian cooking.

Craftsman India earthen kadai is a positive step towards nature. This eco-friendly kadai, though made out of sand, is durable and would last even if it had rough use. If you are looking to save nature, this earthen kadai can be a great choice.

Made out of deep burned clay pot

It is a traditional technique of pottery in which the clay is kilned two times. The burning is done with wood and hay at a temperature of around 1200-degree Celsius. This makes the pots strong and durable. Due to this quality, earthen kadai can withstand high temperatures and be used on a gas stove.

Beneficial to our health

Clay pots give our body all the Phosphorus, Iron, Magnesium, and several other minerals required for our body’s growth. Clay being alkaline helps in neutralizing the pH balance of the food. This happens by interacting with the acid present in the food. Clay is of porous composition, which allows heat and moisture to circulate evenly. This makes the recipe juicier, as you can cook it perfectly without overheating & burning.

High durability and long lasting

It is a hand-made product, so the size and shape may vary a little. Craftsman added more sand to the pots to make them more durable, long-lasting, and rough. They also seasoned the vessel with corn starch (natural). The seasoning of starch makes the surface appear glossy and slippery. But that is just for the external appearance of the kadai.

Completely natural

There are no harmful chemicals used in the making of this product. The brand made it out of naturally excavated clay. The temperature change makes it red or black depending upon the heating or cooling. This makes it one of the best Indian kadai with clay material.

Prestige- being a popular brand, has several products that Indian customers prefer to use. This tri-ply kadai appears to be one of them. The tough handles, deep curved interior, and shiny coating make it used in an Indian kitchen. So, it is one of the best kadai for Indian cooking you will find in the market.

Uniformly distributed heat

This kadai has a uniformed diameter of 220 mm, which allows the heat to distribute evenly throughout the kadai surface. The uniform distribution of heat doesn’t allow the settling of food onto the vessel’s surface. It prevents food from being burned.

Lifelong provision of warranty

Break it or bend it. You can correct any mishandling at any given time. Since prestige provides a lifetime warranty for this stainless-steel kadai, it can long for many years together. Hence, you can tag this product as the best stainless-steel kadai in India.

Although no one can challenge this product’s durability, the costs will be covered if someone mishandles it. 

Heat insulation in handles

The handles heat up most of the time, and it becomes difficult to handle the vessel on the stove. But these prestige kadai handles are insulated. This prevents heating, so the vessel can be touched even if its base is hot. It is beneficial for frying, and this makes it one of the best kadai for frying. These handles might get hot if you heat them for too long, but that does not happen in most cases.

If you wish to prepare food in the traditional Indian manner, this kadai Is what you are looking for. The metal content of the bronze kadai has its contribution of nutrients and taste to the food. Since it is pre-seasoned, there is no need to season it. The brand applied Tin before the sale of the products.

No maintenance worries

Since it is made out of alloyed metal, there is no need to worry about maintenance. It will retain its luster even after multiple uses. You can use it in modern stoves since it has a flat base. Mannar craft polished the kadai well, and it will not look worn out even after years of usage.

Cooking for the small crowd

Since you can use this type of kadai for preparing meals for around 4 to 5 people, you can use it for small-scale cooking. You can use it mostly for serving purposes. It is great for preparing Indian dishes with vegetables, chicken, fish, and sweets like payasam.

Also Read: Best Vegetable Chopper in India

Free of harmful chemicals

The body is made of bronze, which makes it pretty clear that there is no other material used. Its metallic content helps in the conductance of heat, which is necessary for speedy cooking. The lack of usage of chemicals makes it toxin-free for Indian cooking.

Benefits of having the best Kadai at your kitchen

Every Indian must have experienced cooking in kadai at least once in their life. The smell of the seasoning and the mixture of spices together create wonders in Indian cuisine. 

No doubt that we can make delicious food in the kadai, but what if it accompanies various health benefits?

Why not desire a pan that is beneficial to us in many ways rather than a single one?

Let’s look at how having a good kadai can be beneficial to us.

Less energy consumption

It is necessary to work our lives so that our resources are not exhausted in a futile manner. Gas, oil, and electricity, once depleted, will not come back. These resources are like treasures that need to be guarded by us. To ensure that they are used judiciously, kadais that take up less time in heating are used.

A kadai with less oil consumption ensures that oil usage is controlled and is not wasted. The even heat distribution in the kadai heats the food quickly, reducing gas consumption. Amazingly, quality cookware can save lots of energy, gas, and oil for many years, making it the best kadai for cooking Indian dishes.

Great investment for Indian cooking

Once you buy a kadai, usually it longs for many years. May it be any kind of kadai, it will last for at least a year. The average durability of a kadai is about 2 to 3 years. They don’t break even if banged with full force on the wall and can withstand high temperatures. All in all, it is a great investment once purchased.

Serves as a multi-purpose vessel

May it be deep fry, pan fry, saute, mixing, or shallow fry. Everything can be done in one kadai if you correctly purchase it. You can use it for all of these purposes together. If you think of buying different cookware for every single of them, it might take up space in your kitchen cabinets. Kadai is versatile in its function, takes up only a small place in the cabinet, and fulfills all the kitchenware needs.

Most of the kadais are visually appealing, which adds another purpose to the list. You can use the smaller size of kadais for serving purposes, and the large ones when there is some large-scale function.

The Best Kadai promotes health

If you are a fitness-conscious person, you may be thinking about- which kadai is best for health?

Since most kadais take up less oil while cooking, health-conscious people can stay relaxed about their high cholesterol percentage. The reduced oil consumption makes the food healthier and lighter to eat. So, all the people who are worried about getting fat should be relaxed too.

Buying guide to choose the best Kadai for cooking in India

Usually, the best quality and the budgeted price are the topmost considerations for buying a good kadai. But there are other factors that play an important role in selecting the most useful kadai for Indian cooking.

Here are some factors that could help you choose the kadai that you desire!

The Built-in Material

Generally, people go for a Kadai that is affordable and has a quality of heating up faster. But most of them forget that it is the pan material used to make the kadai that determines the heating. The common materials used for manufacturing kadai are-

• Stainless Steel
• Granite
• Cast Iron
• Aluminium
• Non-stick

Stainless Steel Kadai

Stainless steel kadai heats up the fastest amongst all the kadai. Since they are alloys of iron and carbon, they tend to heat faster than all other materials used for making a kadai. As it is an alloy, the surface of the kadai is rust-free and hence can be used for a long period.

Granite Kadai

Nowadays, the use of kadais made out of granite has increased a lot. This is because the heat distribution in these kadais is better than that of the stainless steel. The oil consumption is less, and they look better as cookware in the kitchen. Granite can be considered the best kadai material in India.

Cast Iron Kadai

The cast iron kadais are extremely reliable, and there is no doubt that they will last long. Heating of this kadai is the same as stainless steel, but it may differ in some minutes. The heat retention in the cast iron kadais is the greatest due to their thick base.

The thick coat over the surface renders the kadai rust-free thus increasing its overall durability. Although they are heavyweight, their non-stick coating grips the heat correctly.

Aluminium Kadai

Indians prefer the aluminium kadai due to its quality and lightweight. Not many kadais made of stainless steel or cast iron are as light as the aluminium ones. The handling becomes easy. But aluminium kadais should only be bought if you are not planning to cook anything acidic or alkaline in them. The pH of the food affects the surface highly and may lead to corrosion of the metal.

Apart from these materials, non-stick cookware and hard-anodized cookware are also widely appreciated. This material is basically aluminium coated with a hard-anodized layer for further protection.

Overall, the kadai is the one that you can handle nicely and must be of the material that retains the best heat and must corrode easily. They must be good enough to withstand the effects of pH, high temperature, and moisture in simple words.

Size and shape of kadai

Another factor that plays a crucial role in buying the best kadai for cooking in India is the size and shape. While buying, we should consider the size. For the people living in a nuclear family, the ideal size for a kadai would be the one for small-scale cooking. The size is small and might not take up much space in the kitchen. A kadai is designed similar to a wok, but with steep walls.

For people who have to serve many people simultaneously, the bigger kadai (approx. length – 37cm) can be used. You can cook a lot of food simultaneously and serve all of them in the same kadai.

Curved-base Kadai

The shape plays an important role in the cooking of food. The kadais having a curved base pose a big problem for people. The curved base cannot balance lots of food, and the healing takes time. It slows down the process of making food and thus uses up a lot of time.

Flat-bottom kadai

Now, flat bottom kadai is available in the market, which is relatively more useful than the kadais with curved bottoms. The flat base balances the food better than the curved ones, and the heat distribution is even. This is because the gas stove supplies an equal amount of heat to the entire surface area. The heating time is reduced, and the retention time is increased.

The thickness is another important factor that you should consider. When the base is thick, the heat conducts faster, and your food cooks quickly. Since it has a thick base, the food will not stick or burn at the base. This quality makes the kadai purchase-worthy. So, one must always look for the best kadai with a thick base for Indian cooking.

Operating safety

When buying a kadai, ensuring that the kadai can be operated easily is necessary. The pan’s sturdiness, strength of the cooking lid, and the screws’ attachment all play a crucial role while buying.

Riveted handles sometimes loosen up and might cause a hazard to the one who is operating them. The handles must be sturdy enough to hold its food capacity. If they are loosely attached, it might cause imbalance while serving and spilling the contents on the table.

Apart from that, another thing that you should consider while buying is the handles’ heating rate. Without insulated handles, they will heat up very easily. This leaves them untouched, and it becomes difficult to handle the kadai. Choosing a kadai with insulated handles would be beneficial. Even if the vessel becomes hot, these handles can be touched with bare hands.

You must observe the screws of the lid must while purchasing a kadai. Sometimes, the screws tend to get loose and might fall while lifting the hot lid. It can be dangerous, and hence, lids with tightly attached screws must be purchased wisely. The best stainless steel kadais have tightly attached screws.

compatibility with Induction Cooktop

Most Indian households have gas stoves in their kitchens. The kadais were only gas stove compatible. Now that the times are changing, modular kitchens’ introduction has changed the Indian kitchen’s scenario. They have induction pre-installed. Hence the kadai must be both gas stove and induction compatible.

Even if you do not have a modular kitchen, you can install an induction cooktop separately. So, buying a compatible cooktop is necessary. While buying, keep in mind that the kadai must be of the type that can withstand high temperatures and quick heating and cooling as induction cooktops tend to do the same.

Brand selection for Indian Kadai

It is normal to buy cookware only after consulting many people. On average, more than 70% of people will suggest you buy cookware from a renowned company. The brand selections become important since many companies will have a brief history. The success rate, quality, warranty, replacement of the product- the brand ensures everything. Choosing a specific brand can get difficult.

Choose a brand that will present you with the pros as well as the cons of the cookware. A good brand will always have more no. Pros and positive reviews and will enlist the best kadai for cooking in India. Apart from that, the quality can be tested visually as well as with use. Asking for a demonstration is possible. All of this increases the possibility of getting home a good kadai with great features.

Frequently Asked Questions on Kadai

Conclusion

If you look into the market, you might get confused about finding the best healthy kadai for Indian cooking in 2024. With this article, we have made your selection process simple with stainless steel, cast iron, hard anodized, and non-stick cookware. We hope that our reviews have made your decision process easy and helped you find your ideal kadai. You choose a kadai that is best for cooking.

We have enlisted all the pans in this article from reputed companies. All of them sell products that are free from chemicals and have additional nutritional qualities. Apart from the mentioned products, Hawkins Futura Nonstick Deep-Fry Pan is also an excellent kadai for cooking. While listing out the kadais, we have mentioned all the health-related qualities. If you are health-conscious, you can make wise choices of kadai easily.

Also, keep the compatibility of cooktops in mind. You would not want to spend more money because of your lack of awareness. We have mentioned the cooktop compatibility of the kadais for each product.

Buying a kadai allows you to enjoy cooking and preparing delicious, flavorsome food. Do not miss out on the features mentioned in the article. Give it a thought and choose your beautiful kadai wisely.

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