Kitchen Items for an Indian Grad Student - I

 A few of my friends have been asking me what they should take with them when they go abroad for the first time so I've prepared a list of things that I took and refined it a bit.

Let's start with the pots and pans:-

Everything that I bought was from Prestige or Futura. Here's my exhaustive list:

• Prestige 3-Liter Clip-On Cooker
• Futura 1.5 Liter Saucepan
• Prestige Die Cast Plus Tawa with Heat Indicator
• Futura 3.75 Liter Deep-Fry Pan (Kadai) - I recommend getting a non stick kadai instead of this though
• Stainless steel rice pot that fits inside the cooker with a lid
• 1 rolling pin and board for making roti
• 1 knife
• 1 peeler
• 4 spoons
• 2 forks
• 1 shallow serving spoon
• 1 deep serving spoon
• 1 spatula (for flipping roti/dosa)
• 1 tumbler/cup
• 1 spill-proof lunch box
• 1 plate (microwavable)
• Spare parts for the cooker (gasket, weight, etc.)
• 1 vegetable chopper [Optional]
• 1 cutting board [Optional]
• 1 hot pot clip handle [Optional]
• 1 sieve [Optional]
• 1 idli tray that fits in the cooker [Optional]

Stainless steel pot that fits inside the cooker with lid

Important Notes:

• Everything must be INDUCTION compatible!
• The stainless steel pot is VERY convenient for cooking rice and dhal at the same time and not getting the cooker dirty. Simply keep the rice in the pot with the required amount of water and the dhal on the top tray with water, turmeric, and oil. Add water to the pressure cooker, put the pot in and cook as you normally would cook the rice and both items would be ready in no time. The dhal does not spill and the cooker does not get dirty if the pot is correctly placed with the right amount of ingredients.
• If you are short on space, you can leave out the sauce pan and the kadai. The pressure cooker can be used as a kadai/sauce pan as well. These are easily available abroad.
• You can get spoons, forks, plates, plastic containers, salt and pepper shakers, cups, cutting board sheets at the DollarTree. Do not buy a knife here. 
• It is not advisable to use plastic items while heating food. I recommend buying a 10-piece Pyrex set on arrival. 
• The vegetable chopper is convenient if cooking in bulk. Otherwise, it is a hassle to clean.

To know about what spices and food items to take, check out Part - II!