I have trouble getting good gravy, masale, and chutney consistencies. In videos, desi mixer/grinders seem more powerful and handle a wider range of textures.
TLDR: What are US-based NRI's minimal (not-too-many-appliances) solutions for:
non-gritty coconut-based curries
grinding spices finely, especially when the masale have dry and fried components.
Details/Context:
I am not Indian but my friends are. They don't cook extensively. So I have plenty of people who can tell me a dish tastes wrong, but not many with ideas for improvement.
I currently have 4(! D:) appliances:
Blender: Vitamix S30, 790W. Works for puréeing wet things but can't handle coconut or too little liquid.
Mini Cuisinart food processor: works ok for chutney but struggles with coconut or hard/whole spices.
Spice grinder: a glorified coffee grinder. Can't use for wet things (eg fried spices), and has trouble grind hard spices like cinnamon into a true power. Small, and a pain to clean (can't get it wet).
Immersion blender
It seems like Indian mixies have a one-size-fits-all approach and can handle mixtures of dry spices, spices fried in oil, and hard things like coconut.
Here are some options I've considered:
Upgrade my vitamix: other mixers have 2x more horsepower and some have dry mixer containers. These are very expensive, and reviews for the dry mixer part are mixed.
Import mixie from India and use step-up transformer to convert voltages: Won't work. Current at 220V will be half of what it expects and so motor's torque will be halved.
Get Indian mixie rated for 110V, like: https://a.co/d/bolDw8u Reviews are mixed; some say it doesn't work as well as in-India version.
Spice grinder with removable containers: I was going to get this https://a.co/d/jbo4bIt, but tried my parent's and it works worse than mine.
Manual labor: Get a big mortar/pestle or grinding stone and get to work.
Change coconut strategies. I currently use
bags of ground frozen "fresh" coconut from the local Indian store
pre-chopped hunks of coconut from Whole Foods.
Some things I've wondered:
Are, e.g., konkani curry recipes using a softer form of coconut that blend easier than the very thick and hard fleshed kind I can buy?
Would scraping fresh coconut by hand change the consistency into something that will blend better?
Any thoughts/opinions? Thank you!
Videos
What are the components of a mixer grinder?
A mixer grinder comprises key components that work together to deliver powerful performance.
- Motor – The core of the mixer grinder machine, typically a universal motor, provides the high-speed rotation needed for grinding and mixing various ingredients.
- Jars – A mixer grinder jar is designed for different functions like grinding spices, making chutneys, or blending liquids. Models usually include multiple jars for specialised tasks.
- Blades – Durable stainless steel blades inside each mixer grinder jar ensure fine grinding, smooth blending, and efficient pulverising of ingredients.
- Control Mechanism – A user-friendly control panel or speed selector switch allows you to operate the mixer grinder machine at different speeds based on the requirement.
Additional features may include a mixing rod, container cushions for jar stability, and dedicated modes like pulse or whip for better control over consistency.
How long will a mixer grinder last?
What is the ideal RPM for a mixer grinder?
I am confused which mixer grinder to order. Please share from your personal experience.