Katori & Household Measures (ICMR-NIN) | Hormone India

§1The reference utensils

Graduated steel katori set with glass and spoons

A standard graduated set: large → extra-small steel katoris, small steel tumbler, tablespoon & teaspoon.

Illustrative photograph (AI-generated). Sizes below are the official published volumes — actual utensils in homes vary widely, which is exactly why NIN standardised a set.

“Due to substantial variances in home measures such as measuring cups, spoons, or katoris, it is difficult to collect accurate information regarding food intake or measurements… For scientific purposes of determining portion sizes, a set of standardized measuring utensils are used.” — ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, p. 112 (General Considerations for Measuring Food Items)

C6Large katori

360 ml

“Big” katori used in diet charts for bulky leafy vegetables (e.g., 25 g methi ≈ 1 full big katori).

C7Medium katori

200 ml

The default unit of the adult meal plans — “Measures: 1 cup/Katori = 200 ml”. One full = 100 g vegetables or 100 g fruit.

C8Small katori

155 ml

Written as “150 ml” in the charts — NIN notes a ~5 g difference is not visually apparent in the bowl.

C9Small katori (bold)

115 ml

Printed in bold by NIN to distinguish it from the 155 ml katori. E.g., 40 g bajra ≈ ½ of this katori.

—Small steel glass

100 ml

“Curd/Milk 100 ml = one small steel glass”; 50 ml = half glass, 150 ml = 1½ glasses.

—Spoons (level)

15 / 5 g

Tablespoon = 15 g, teaspoon = 5 g. NIN uses spoons to standardise most small measures.

Full NIN calibrated cup series (C1–C12): C1 = 1500 ml · C2 = 1100 ml · C3 = 900 ml · C4 = 700 ml · C5 = 470 ml · C6 = 360 ml · C7 = 200 ml · C8 = 155 ml · C9 = 115 ml · C10 = 95 ml · C11 = 70 ml · C12 = 25 ml. Only the four household-common cups (C6–C9) are used in the guidelines. All quantities in the diet charts are raw (uncooked) weights, weighed on a diet & kitchen scale (Seca Culina 852).

§2Size comparator — drawn to true scale

Top view of each vessel drawn to the same scale (volume → radius assuming a hemispherical bowl). Click a katori to select it for the fill simulator below.

10 cm

§3Fill simulator — which katori holds your portion?

Vessel Food (raw-weight reference, per NIN Annexure II) Fill level: 100%

200 ml

= 1 full medium katori (NIN unit)

§4Raw-food ↔ household-measure conversions (NIN Annexure II)

Type to filter — e.g. “rice”, “katori”, “teaspoon”.

Food (raw)	Weight	Household measure per NIN
Rice	10 g	2 teaspoons
Rice	40 g	4 tablespoons or ¼ of a small (150 ml) katori
Rice	100 g	¾ of a small (115 ml) katori
Wheat flour	10 g	3 teaspoons
Wheat flour	40 g	¾ of a small (115 ml) katori (flour)
Bajra / jowar	10–40 g	2 tsp (10 g) → ½ of a small (115 ml) katori (40 g)
Ragi (flour)	10–40 g	3 tsp (10 g) → ½ of a small (150 ml) katori (40 g)
Rice flakes	10 g	4 teaspoons
Dal / lentil (raw)	5 g	1 teaspoon
Any dal (raw)	10 g	2 teaspoons
Chana / rajma (raw)	5 g	1 teaspoon (≈8 beans/seeds)
Chana (whole)	15 g	1 tablespoon
Kidney beans / rajma	15 g	2 tablespoons
Boiled rajma / black beans	20 g	¼ of a small (115 ml) katori
Green leafy vegetables	20 g	¾ of a medium (200 ml) katori
Green leafy vegetables	50 g	2 full medium (200 ml) katoris
Green leafy vegetables	25 g	½ of a big (360 ml) katori
Vegetables	100 g	1 full medium (200 ml) katori
Vegetables	25 g	¼ of a medium (200 ml) katori
Fruits	50 g	½ of a medium (200 ml) katori
Fruits	100 g	1 full medium (200 ml) katori
Nuts	10 g	2 teaspoons or ≈8 pieces (cashew)
Nuts	20 g	4 teaspoons or ≈16 pieces (cashew)
Groundnut	5 g	1 teaspoon or ≈11 nuts
Oil / ghee	5 g	1 teaspoon
Oil	10 g	1 tablespoon (as used in meal plans)
Milk / curd	100 ml	One small steel glass
Milk / curd	50 ml	Half small steel glass
Milk / curd	150 ml	One and a half small steel glasses
Egg	20 g	½ egg
Meat / fish (minced)	20 g	1 full tablespoon

§5Context: “My Plate for the Day” (~2000 kcal)

Source: ICMR-NIN “My Plate for the Day” (2018; carried into DGI 2024). Eggs/fish/meat may substitute part of pulses; sugar ≤ 25–30 g/day; salt ≤ 5 g/day.

§6Caveats before you use these numbers

Raw weightsAll NIN quantities are raw (uncooked) equivalents — 40 g rice means uncooked rice, not cooked.

Homes varyReal kitchen katoris range ~115–360 ml even within the NIN set; commercial charts quote 150–250 ml. Calibrate your own bowl once with a jug.

Other standards differPractising-dietitian charts use katori = 210 ml, cup/glass = 250 ml; classic clinical practice ≈ 150 ml per katori. Always check which standard a chart uses.

Research useFor scientific dietary assessment NIN itself weighs food (Seca Culina 852); utensils are portioning aids, not precision instruments.

§7References

ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, Revised Edition 2024. Annexure I (p. 111): Suggested measuring katori/cups and spoons; pp. 112–125: General considerations & raw food item measures using household utensils. nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf
ICMR–NIN. My Plate for the Day poster & policy brief (2018/2024). nin.res.in/downloads/My_Plate_for_the_day_J24.pdf
Gopalan C, Rama Sastri BV, Balasubramanian SC. Nutritive Value of Indian Foods (NIN/ICMR) — food-composition companion for applying these raw weights.
Example of divergent practice chart (katori = 210 ml, cup = glass = 250 ml): iamdiet.in/household_measure.

Illustration: AI-generated reference photograph (not a calibrated instrument). Sizes per ICMR-NIN DGI 2024 Annexure I.

Katori & Household Measures for Food in India