Granite Pestle and Mortar or something else/electric?

Mr Badger

Mr Badger

Mr Badger

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27 Dec 2009
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My main method of reducing ingredients to tiny bits/paste is to chop them up with a chef knife and if necessary stick them in the food processor. However, this doesn't really work for small quantities e.g. if I want to make a bit of fresh garlic and ginger paste or some curry paste to marinade a piece of chicken.

For some reason I don't seem to have ever owned or used a pestle and mortar. Is the solution and if so my Google results suggest that granite ones are the best. Is this the way?

Or should I be looking at some sort of small spice grinder or blender?
 
Mr Badger said:
A big one sounds like it will fill the need, but will it make my wrist get tired?
Click to expand...

Theres something satisfying about having a big one and it certainly gets the job done quickly when your really pounding it, but can be a bit of a strain on the wrist so case try changing hands half way through.

Its also worth putting a tea towel under the mortar so you don't scratch your work surface when your going to town :)
 
Siliconslave said:
Theres something satisfying about having a big one and it certainly gets the job done quickly when your really pounding it, but can be a bit of a strain on the wrist so case try changing hands half way through.

Its also worth putting a tea towel under the mortar so you don't scratch your work surface when your going to town :)
Click to expand...

I often find it’s worth putting a towel down when you’re really pounding away with a big one.
 
OK, you guys have painted a graphic picture of what I need.

Can you just clarify whether you prefer to use any oil, or do you go in dry for the big pounding?
 
If it's a small quantity of just 2/3 garlic cloves say, I grate that directly into the hot pan(or marinade dish) and use finger to wipe & clean remains off grater ..
if you were using a pestle, you'd be wasting it on the pestle&mortar which you can't clean out to the same degree, same for ginger
 
After 2 weeks it will sit at back the door unused, and it's a great place for keeping your backdoor keys, shed garage etc :)
 
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Mr Badger said:
My main method of reducing ingredients to tiny bits/paste is to chop them up with a chef knife and if necessary stick them in the food processor. However, this doesn't really work for small quantities e.g. if I want to make a bit of fresh garlic and ginger paste or some curry paste to marinade a piece of chicken.

For some reason I don't seem to have ever owned or used a pestle and mortar. Is the solution and if so my Google results suggest that granite ones are the best. Is this the way?

Or should I be looking at some sort of small spice grinder or blender?
Click to expand...
I used to sell a crazy amount of these to Bangladeshi families:

So many I remember the model number. The little grinder mill - they seemed to be peak for grinding spices for curry pastes etc.

I don't know what model replaced it, but that's my shout for pastes.

Granite pestle and mortars are too much work for pastes.
 
As long as you don't care too much about homogeneity and can cope with the weight/ anxiety about breaking the work top or your toes with accidental drops I should add
 
I've gone the opposite way and now use a Ninja hand blitzer for everything, including curry bases.

See Stein a while ago mention that no Indian kitchen would be without its electric spice blender.
 
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