The East Indians of Bombay

Liquid Measures

1 Cup = 8 oz
2 tbsps = 1 fluid oz.
½ cup = ¼ pint
2 cups = 1 pint
4 cups = 1 quart

Metric Equivalents:

1 oz. = 30 gms
2 oz = 60 gms
3 ½ oz = 100 gms
4 oz = 114 gms
8 oz = 225 gms
12 oz = 340 gms
1 lb. = 450 gms
2.2 lb = 1 kg
5 fluid oz. = ¼ pint = 1/8 litre
1 pint = ½ litre
1 oz = 28.41 millilitres
1 ¾ pint = 1 litre
1 gallon = 4.456 litres

Old measures:

1 seer liquid = about 1 bottle = 750 ml.
1 seer = ¾ lb. = 340 gms
1 tola = 11.66 gms
1 tipree = 450 gms

36 Tanks = 1 Tipari
2 Tipari = 1 Ser
4 Sers = 1 Payali or Adhali
16 Payali = 1 Pharo or Faro
8 Pharas or Faras = 1 Khandi
23 Pharas = 1 Muda
17 ½ Payalis = 1 Phara of Rice or other grain
8 ½ Payalis = 1 Phara of Lime or Chunam

For Salt
1 Adhvalli ( approx. 4.1 pint)
10 ½ Adhvalli = 1 Pharo or Faro
100 Phara = 1 Ano
16 Ana = 1 Ras

Approx Dry measures:

Wheat flour 1 tbsp. = 7 gms
Gram flour 1 tbsp. = 8 gms
Maida 1 tbsp. = 7 gms
Rice flour 1 tbsp. = 9gms.
Coriander powder 1 tbsp. = 10 gms
Chillie powder 1 tbsp. = 10 gms
Chillie powder 1 tsp. = 2 gms
Turmeric powder 1 tsp. = 2 gms
Sugar 1 tbsp. = 14 gms

1 lb. flour = 3 ½ cups
1 lb. sugar powdered = 3 cups
1 lb. rice uncooked = 2 ¼ cups
500 gms wheat flour = 4 ½ cups
500 gms sugar granulated = 2 ¼ cups
500 gms dal = 2 ¼ cups.

“Ma-fo ek Phooti Cowrie nay hai” meaning “i do not have any money”. The word “Phooti Cowrie” was the lowest value of exchange. Today we have 1 Naya Paisa. Naya Paisa was different from the 1 Paisa mentioned below, as Naya Paisa followed the metric system. 100 Naya Paisa = 1 Rupee

3 Phooti Cowries = 1 Cowrie
10 Cowries = 1 Damri = ¾ Pie
2 Damris = 1 Dhela
2 Dhelas = 1 Paisa
1 Anna = 6 Paisa
16 Annas = 1 Rupaiya

4 Annas was 25 naya paisa, 8 Anna was 50 naya paisa and 16 Annas was 1 Naya Rupaiya.

“Sola Anna Sach” loosely translated as 16 Annas of Truth, meaning that “its the whole truth”. Derived from 1 Rupaiya (16 Annas) being the whole amount/truth. In those days very few people had 1 Rupaiya with them, unless they were very rich.