Collection: Bowl for Gravy, Soups & Dessert

The small bowls that do the big work - katoris for dal, soup bowls for winter evenings, dessert bowls for kheer and chutney bowls for every snack.

Katori Bowls, Soup Bowls & Ceramic Bowls for the Indian Table

Every Indian thali is built around the katori. One for dal, one for sabzi, one for raita and one for something sweet - small bowls are what turn a plate into a meal. At Whites & Pastels, this collection brings together katori bowls, curry and dal bowls, soup bowls, dessert bowls, chutney bowls, ghee pots and a porcelain dal handi - in porcelain, ceramic, borosilicate glass and gold stainless steel, all in our palette of white, ivory, pastels and warm gold.

For large sharing bowls for the centre of the table, visit Serving Bowls. This page is about individual portions and small serving pieces - the bowls that sit beside each plate.

What Is a Katori?

A katori (in English, simply a small bowl) is the shallow individual bowl used on an Indian thali to serve dal, sabzi, curd, raita, kheer or chutney alongside rice and roti. Katoris are traditionally made of steel or brass; today they also come in porcelain, ceramic and glass. A standard household katori holds roughly 150-200 ml - which is why many Indian recipes still measure ingredients in "one katori".

Katori Sizes - Which Bowl for Which Dish?

Different dishes need different sizes. Use this guide to match the bowl to the dish:

Porcelain & Ceramic Katori Bowls

Our flower-shaped porcelain katoris are inspired by French ceramics. The Lotus Dessert Bowl measures 5 inches across and 2 inches high with a 180 ml capacity - ample space for curries, salads, appetizers or desserts. The Cherry Blossom Dessert Bowl is 5 × 4.5 inches and 1.5 inches high with a 150 ml capacity, ideal for small portions of curry, raita or sweets. Both are high-quality porcelain, designed to work as functional tableware or decorative accents.

For matched sets with plates, the Cherry Blossom and Lotus Dessert Bowl & Plate Sets pair an embossed porcelain bowl with a matching plate - perfect for festive sweet servings.

Curry Bowls & Dal Bowls

For everyday Indian meals, the European Embossed Grey Curry Bowl is a 4.7-inch ceramic bowl with a luxurious embossed pattern, made for curries, dal and gravies or as a dessert bowl. It is microwave, oven, refrigerator and dishwasher safe, and pairs with our Grey Embossed and White Victorian pieces. The playful Duck-Shaped Food Bowls come in medium (150 ml) and large (270 ml): the medium for desserts, puddings and dry fruits, the large for fruit, soups, curries or small portions of noodles.

Soup Bowls

A good soup bowl is wide enough to cool the soup and deep enough to hold it without spilling. The Victorian White Ceramic Pasta & Soup Bowl features a delicate grey Victorian print with scalloped edges and a wide-bottom design, ideal for soups, stews, gravies and curries. It is microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator safe, and made of durable ceramic that retains heat.

To serve soup or dal for the whole table, the Porcelain Dal Handi holds 2000 ml - enough for up to six bowls of soup - and comes with a matching lid, a stainless steel filter and a ceramic spoon. It is microwave, dishwasher and oven safe, with a wide mouth for easy filling and cleaning, in sage green, light yellow and off-white/ivory. Pair it with the Gold Soup Ladle with Spout for drip-free serving.

Dessert Bowls

For a golden table, the Gold Stainless Steel Dessert Bowl with Matching Spoon holds 170 ml and has a glossy gold PVD exterior with a matte interior; it works as a dessert bowl, curry bowl or dip bowl, and hand washing is recommended to maintain the finish. The Luxury Ceramic Dessert Bowl with Glass Cloche & Wooden Tray is a 3-piece set with an 8 cm ceramic bowl, a 12 cm wooden tray and a 10 cm glass dome; the bowl is oven and microwave safe, so you can bake and serve in it. The Gourmet Dessert & Grazing Bowl in heat-resistant borosilicate glass comes in 10 cm and 12 cm sizes. For more, see our Bowls collection.

Steel Katoris, Chutney Bowls & Dip Bowls

Steel katoris are an Indian kitchen staple - and ours come in gold. The Mini Dip & Chutney Bowl is a 3.5-inch katori in 304-grade stainless steel with a classy matte gold PVD finish - durable, food-safe and resistant to rust and corrosion - for chutneys, dips, snacks, desserts or dry items. The Stainless Steel Dip Bowls with Lids are premium 304-grade steel in 40 ml and 70 ml sizes, in gold (PVD) or silver, with matching lids that make them handy for office lunches and picnics.

For colour, the Mini Heart Dip Bowls come in pink, red, blue and yellow porcelain and are microwave and dishwasher safe, and the Mini Ceramic Dip & Chutney Bowls with Handle are glossy, food-safe ceramic, sold singly, as a pair or as a set of six colours.

Ghee Pots

No Indian kitchen is complete without a ghee pot. The Porcelain Ghee Pot with Lid & Spoon holds 300 ml and measures 3.5 × 3 inches. It comes with a colour-coordinated porcelain lid and spoon, is microwave, oven and dishwasher safe - so you can warm ghee directly - and comes in white, off-white, pastel green and light purple. The Small Porcelain Ghee & Sugar Jar with a wooden base and spoon suits sugar, spices or ghee on the dining table.

Katori Materials Compared

How Many Katoris Do You Need?

A practical rule is three to four katoris per person for a full thali - one each for dal, sabzi and raita, plus a dessert bowl - and two or three extra small bowls for chutneys and pickles on the table. For a family of four, that means around a dozen katoris in mixed sizes, plus a few dip bowls. Mixing materials is part of the charm: gold steel for chutneys, white porcelain for dal and raita, glass for dessert.

Katoris for Festivals & Guests

Festive meals mean more dishes - and more katoris. For Diwali, weddings and pujas, gold steel katoris and embossed porcelain bowls bring a sense of occasion to a thali. Serve kheer or rabri in the Lotus Dessert Bowls, keep chutneys in gold Mini Dip & Chutney Bowls and bring dal to the table in the Porcelain Dal Handi. A set of katoris also makes a thoughtful housewarming or Diwali gift - see our gifting collection.

How to Set a Thali with Katoris

• Rice and roti: in the centre and at the front of the thali.
• Katoris at the back: dal, sabzi and curry in a row along the rim.
• Raita and chutney: smaller bowls to the side.
• Something sweet: a dessert katori at the end.
• Ghee: a ghee pot within reach for everyone.

Pair your katoris with our plates & platters, gold cutlery and serving spoons for a complete setting.

Care Tips for Katoris & Small Bowls

• Microwave & dishwasher safe: the Grey Curry Bowl, Victorian Soup Bowl, Dal Handi, Ghee Pot and Heart Dip Bowls, as stated on their product pages.
• Oven safe: the Grey Curry Bowl, Dal Handi, Ghee Pot and the ceramic bowl in the cloche set.
• Gold Stainless Steel Dessert Bowl: hand washing is recommended to maintain the gold finish.
• Mini Dip & Chutney Bowl: dishwasher safe, but hand wash and pat dry with a soft cloth for long-lasting shine.
• Always check the product page before using any bowl in the microwave or oven.

Why Choose Whites & Pastels Bowls?

Our katoris and small bowls are designed for real Indian meals - dal, raita, kheer, chutney, soup - but finished to look beautiful on a hosting table. Every product page lists size, capacity and care, so you can choose exactly the bowl you need.

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