Have you ever tried following a recipe only to find the measurements are in “ounces” or “US cups” when your kitchen uses grams and milliliters? Or perhaps you found a traditional Kerala recipe calling for “a glass” or “a small bowl,” leaving you guessing how much to measure?

Cooking should be fun and stress-free. Whether you are baking a delicate cake or simmering an authentic curry, getting the proportions right makes all the difference.

In this guide, you will find simple, easy-to-read conversion tables covering the most common measurements used in Asian, Indian, US, and UK kitchens—along with a quick interactive converter below!

Spoon measurements are standard across most modern recipes:

Kitchen Tip: In Indian cooking, a “tea spoon” in older family notes is roughly 5 ml, and a “table spoon” is 15 ml. Always level the spoon with a flat knife rather than heaping it, unless the recipe specifies “heaped.”

Not all measuring cups are the same! Depending on where the recipe was written, a “cup” can mean different volumes:

• Metric Cup (India, Australia, New Zealand, Commonwealth): 250 ml

• US Standard Cup (USA): 240 ml (or 8 fluid ounces)

• Traditional Indian / Asian “Tea Glass”: Usually around 200 ml to 220 ml

Here is how standard measuring cups translate to milliliters and tablespoons:

For savory dishes, curries, and meat (such as chicken, mutton, or fish), weight is the most reliable way to measure:

Unlike liquids, 1 cup of flour does not weigh the same as 1 cup of sugar because ingredients have different densities:

Many traditional stovetop recipes can also be baked in an oven or air fryer. Here is the quick temperature guide: