Mini Karahi Serving Dish, 13cm Hammered Steel with Brass Handles
This mini karahi serving dish is 13cm (5.5 inches) across, made from stainless steel with a hammered interior, a polished exterior and two gold-coloured brass side handles. It is the classic individual curry dish of Indian and Pakistani restaurants, sized for one generous portion of curry or daal, or for sauces and sides to share.
The silver and gold finish makes simple home cooking look like a restaurant meal, and the sturdy metal body is made for repeated use at home, in restaurants, in catering and on buffets. Its small size also makes it easy to store, so a set of six or eight takes up very little cupboard space.
Key features of the mini karahi serving dish
- Size: 13cm (5.5 inch)
- Body: stainless steel
- Handles: 2 brass side handles, gold-coloured
- Interior: hammered texture
- Exterior: polished stainless steel
- Use: sauces, curries, daal, rice and side dishes
- Quantity: 1 piece
One portion, served beautifully
A 13cm mini karahi serving dish holds a single main portion: butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, palak paneer, tadka daal or chana masala. Give every guest their own and the table looks like a restaurant order, with naan in a basket and rice in a bowl in the middle. It also suits a side of vegetables, a raita or a sharing chutney.
The listing photos show it with biryani and curry, which is exactly how it is used in restaurants.
Matching sizes
This 13cm dish sits between the smaller 11cm serving pan and larger pans and bowls. Many hosts use 13cm dishes for mains and 11cm ones for sauces and chutneys, so the whole table matches.
Restaurant-style serving at home
Indian and Pakistani restaurants bring curries to the table in individual metal dishes because they keep a dish looking neat and generous, and because each guest can help themselves. A mini karahi serving dish does the same at home: spoon the hot curry, daal or rice into it just before serving, finish with fresh coriander, a swirl of cream or a few sliced chillies, and set it on the table beside naan and rice.
Several matching pieces in a row turn an ordinary dinner into a spread, and the polished silver catches the light from candles or a pendant lamp.
Warming before serving
Food stays hot for longer in a warm dish. Fill the mini karahi serving dish with hot water from the kettle for a minute, tip the water out, dry it quickly and add the food straight from the pan. Never heat it empty on the hob, in the oven or over a flame: the listing describes it for serving, not cooking.
For chilled dishes such as raita, salad or fruit chaat, do the opposite and keep the dish in the fridge for half an hour before filling it.
Care and cleaning
Wash the mini karahi serving dish by hand in warm soapy water soon after the meal, especially after turmeric, tomato or tamarind, which can leave a tint if left to dry. Use a soft sponge and dry it straight away with a tea towel, which stops water spots on the polished surface. A paste of bicarbonate of soda and water on a soft cloth lifts stubborn marks.
Avoid steel wool, scouring powder and bleach, which scratch and dull polished steel. Store pieces side by side, or nested with a cloth between them, so the hammered surface is not scratched.
Hosting a curry night
For a curry night, cook two or three dishes, a rice and a daal, then plate each into its own serving piece just before guests sit down. Set the mini karahi serving dish and its neighbours down the middle of the table on boards or a runner, add bowls of raita, sliced onion and lemon wedges, and a basket of warm naan. Everyone helps themselves, and every dish still looks freshly served at the end of the meal.
Hammered steel suits other cuisines too: Middle Eastern stews, Moroccan tagine-style dishes, chilli con carne or a mac and cheese for children all look good in it.
For restaurants, catering and gifts
Restaurants, hotels and caterers choose stainless steel serving ware because it does not crack or chip, it resists stains and smells, and it keeps its look through heavy daily use. At home, a mini karahi serving dish makes a thoughtful gift for a new home, a wedding or Eid, especially for someone who loves cooking and hosting.
Brass handles
Brass gives the handles their warm gold colour. Over time it can darken slightly with use and washing; a soft cloth with a little lemon juice and salt brings back the shine, after which the mini karahi serving dish should be rinsed and dried. Hot food warms the handles, so lift the dish with a cloth when it is full.
Ideas beyond curry
A mini karahi serving dish is just as good for a portion of mac and cheese, a single shepherd’s pie served from the pan, a cobbler or crumble for one, or a scoop of ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. At a party, line several up with different dips, nuts or sweets, and guests can pick and choose.
At a glance
- Mini Karahi Serving Dish, 13cm
- Stainless steel body
- Hammered interior
- Polished exterior
- 2 gold-coloured brass handles
- For serving
Mini Karahi Serving Dish questions
What size is it? 13cm, or 5.5 inches, across.
What is it made from? A stainless steel body with brass side handles.
Can I cook in it? It is described for serving; cook in a pan and spoon the hot food into the dish.
What can I serve in it? Sauces, curries, daal, rice and side dishes.
Do the handles get hot? They can when the dish holds hot food, so use a cloth or heat protection.
How do I clean the mini karahi serving dish? Hand wash in warm soapy water and dry it straight away.
Is it suitable for restaurants? Yes, as well as catering, buffets and home dining.
How much does it hold? One generous main portion of curry or daal, or a sauce or side to share.
Looking for more like this serving dish? Browse the full Dinning & Serving collection or the rest of the Kitchen Utensils shop. To learn more, see this overview of the karahi.
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