Andaza Converter
Ammi says “ek katori chawal” and “do mutthi atta”. Pick the measure and the ingredient, and see it in grams, ml and cups, or go the other way round.
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Desi measures in grams: quick table
Levelled measures, with a US cup of 240 ml, a small katori of 150 ml, a tablespoon of 15 ml and a teaspoon of 5 ml. Flours are spooned in, not packed.
| Ingredient | 1 cup | 1 katori | 1 tbsp | 1 tsp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk (doodh) | 245 g | 155 g | 15 g | 5.2 g |
| Atta (chapati flour) | 120 g | 75 g | 7.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Maida (plain flour) | 125 g | 78 g | 7.8 g | 2.6 g |
| Besan (gram flour) | 91 g | 57 g | 5.7 g | 1.9 g |
| Suji (semolina) | 170 g | 105 g | 10 g | 3.5 g |
| Rice flour | 160 g | 99 g | 9.9 g | 3.3 g |
| Basmati rice, uncooked | 185 g | 115 g | 12 g | 3.9 g |
| Rice, cooked | 160 g | 99 g | 9.9 g | 3.3 g |
| Daal / lentils, uncooked | 190 g | 120 g | 12 g | 4 g |
| Kabuli chana, dried | 200 g | 125 g | 12 g | 4.1 g |
| Chickpeas, boiled or tinned | 165 g | 100 g | 10 g | 3.4 g |
| Sugar (cheeni) | 200 g | 125 g | 12 g | 4.1 g |
| Salt (namak) | 290 g | 180 g | 18 g | 6 g |
| Ghee | 215 g | 135 g | 14 g | 4.5 g |
| Butter (makhan) | 230 g | 140 g | 14 g | 4.8 g |
| Cooking oil | 220 g | 140 g | 14 g | 4.6 g |
| Yogurt (dahi) | 245 g | 155 g | 15 g | 5.1 g |
| Cream (malai / single cream) | 240 g | 150 g | 15 g | 5 g |
| Milk powder (full cream) | 125 g | 80 g | 8 g | 2.7 g |
| Desiccated coconut | 84 g | 52 g | 5.2 g | 1.8 g |
| Seviyan (broken vermicelli) | 53 g | 33 g | 3.3 g | 1.1 g |
| Onion, chopped | 160 g | 100 g | 10 g | 3.4 g |
| Tomato, chopped | 180 g | 110 g | 11 g | 3.8 g |
| Ginger or garlic paste | 265 g | 165 g | 16 g | 5.5 g |
| Red chilli powder (lal mirch) | 120 g | 75 g | 7.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Turmeric (haldi) | 145 g | 90 g | 9 g | 3 g |
| Ground spices (dhania, zeera, garam masala) | 96 g | 60 g | 6 g | 2 g |
| Whole cumin seeds (zeera) | 100 g | 63 g | 6.3 g | 2.1 g |
| Loose black tea (patti) | 96 g | 60 g | 6 g | 2 g |
| Honey (shehad) | 340 g | 215 g | 21 g | 7.1 g |
| Oats, rolled | 84 g | 52 g | 5.2 g | 1.8 g |
| Daliya (cracked wheat) | 175 g | 110 g | 11 g | 3.6 g |
| Cornflour (corn starch) | 125 g | 80 g | 8 g | 2.7 g |
| Makai ka atta (maize flour) | 140 g | 87 g | 8.7 g | 2.9 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | 220 g | 140 g | 14 g | 4.6 g |
| Icing sugar | 120 g | 75 g | 7.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Gur / jaggery, grated | 190 g | 120 g | 12 g | 4 g |
| Almonds, whole (badam) | 145 g | 90 g | 9 g | 3 g |
| Nuts, chopped (badam, pista, kaju) | 120 g | 75 g | 7.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Raisins (kishmish) | 150 g | 93 g | 9.3 g | 3.1 g |
| Dates, chopped (khajoor) | 145 g | 92 g | 9.2 g | 3 g |
| Sesame seeds (til) | 145 g | 90 g | 9 g | 3 g |
| Rajma or lobia, dried | 185 g | 115 g | 12 g | 3.9 g |
| Peas (matar), frozen | 145 g | 90 g | 9 g | 3 g |
| Paneer, crumbled | 120 g | 75 g | 7.5 g | 2.5 g |
| Khoya, grated | 130 g | 82 g | 8.2 g | 2.8 g |
| Condensed milk | 305 g | 190 g | 19 g | 6.4 g |
| Coconut milk | 240 g | 150 g | 15 g | 5 g |
| Tomato puree | 250 g | 155 g | 16 g | 5.2 g |
| Lemon juice or vinegar | 240 g | 150 g | 15 g | 5 g |
| Kasuri methi (dried leaves) | 24 g | 15 g | 1.5 g | 0.5 g |
| Baking powder | 190 g | 120 g | 12 g | 4 g |
| Baking soda (meetha soda) | 220 g | 140 g | 14 g | 4.6 g |
| Cocoa powder | 86 g | 54 g | 5.4 g | 1.8 g |
| Cornflakes | 29 g | 18 g | 1.8 g | 0.6 g |
The old Pakistani weights
- Tola: 11.66 g. Still used for gold, and in old recipes for saffron, khoya and dry fruit.
- Chatank: one sixteenth of a seer. The old chatank was about 58 g; today shopkeepers usually mean a quarter pao, 62.5 g.
- Pao: a quarter of a seer. In shops today a pao is 250 g, so “aadha pao” is 125 g and “dhai pao” is 625 g.
- Seer: 80 tola, about 933 g. Many people now say seer for 1 kg.
How to measure andaza recipes
- Find your katori size once. Fill it with water and pour it into a measuring jug. Most steel katoris hold 150 to 200 ml.
- Measure your mutthi once. Take a handful of rice and weigh it. Write it down for each family member who cooks.
- Spoon, don’t scoop. Scooping atta or besan with the cup packs it down and adds up to 20% more.
- Salt and spices by taste. Use the converter for a starting point, then taste before adding more.
Want to change how spicy a recipe is, or cook it for more people? Use the spice level adjuster.
Questions people ask
How many grams is 1 katori?
It depends on what is in it and how big the katori is. A small 150 ml katori holds about 115 g of uncooked basmati rice, 75 g of atta, 155 g of yogurt or 150 g of water. Use the converter above for other ingredients.
How many grams is 1 cup of atta?
About 120 g when spooned into a US cup (240 ml) and levelled. Packed atta can weigh 140 g or more.
How many grams is 1 cup of besan?
About 90 g. Besan is lighter than atta, so swapping cup for cup by weight will not work.
How many grams is 1 pao?
In Pakistani shops today, 1 pao is 250 g. Four pao make 1 kg.
How much is a mutthi?
One closed-hand handful is about 3 tablespoons, roughly 35 g of rice or 22 g of atta. Hands differ, so weigh your own once.
Is a Pakistani chamach a teaspoon or a tablespoon?
“Chai ka chamach” is a teaspoon (5 ml). “Khane ka chamach” or “bara chamach” is a tablespoon (15 ml). When a recipe just says chamach, it usually means the bigger one.
Last updated 25 October 2026. Found a mistake or want a feature? Tell us.