Kadai redirects here. For the language family, see Tai-Kadai languages.
A wok sits next to a karahi on a Western-style stove. Note that the flat-bottomed karahi (right) is sitting on an ordinary burner cover, while the round-bottomed wok is balanced in a wok-ring. Karahi often have round (loop-shaped) handles, though the one shown does not.
A karahi (also spelled karai - both pronounced the same "ka-rai") is a type of thick, circular, and deep vessel (similar in shape to a wok) used in Indian and Pakistani cooking. It is useful for shallow or deep frying of meat, potatoes, sweets, and snacks like samosa and fish, and for simmering of stews (which may also be called "karahi").
Karahi are traditionally made out of cast iron, although other materials like stainless steel and copper are sometimes used, and non-stick varieties do exist.
Kadai
A kadai (also spelled "kadhi," "kadahi," or "kadhai") is a kind of dish cooked in a karahi, though the word is also used in some areas of India and Pakistan to refer to the cooking pot itself. Dishes in India are often presented "kadai fresh," like kadai chicken, and kadai paneer, where the dish is served with a miniature kadai and hot coals underneath it to give the impression of being hot from the stove.
A balti is also a dish cooked in a karahi, though in this case the term likely originated in BirminghamEngland[1]. Baltis are based on the food of Baltistan, an area of Pakistan close to the Chinese border that is home to a sizable ethnic Tibetan population. As such, balti are differently spiced and contain somewhat different ingredients than the Northern Indian food more familiar to Americans and Europeans.
