Wet grinder uses aside from dosa/Idli?

[BAPyessir6]

I love southern Indian food, and I love Idli, but I've made it 10 times and keep messing it up, it's never as fluffy as I want it to be.

Enter my crappy, turns off every 10 seconds grinder, that says it can be used on wet foods but no not really. Soaked Idli rice and urad dal get way too hot in it, thus ruining the batter. I've tried a blender and food processer both, all with ice water to keep the batter cold, but it's almost impossible. So I'm really considering getting a proper stone wet grinder. Price isn't as much an issue (I'm blessed in that way) but I don't really want a uni-tasker.

Is there anything else that a wet grinder can be used for aside from Idli/dosa/appam? I only make Idli once a month to once every few months, and I want something that's about 200$ to be used a good amount.

 

[dragnlaw]

Not being familiar with wet grinders for food and having just looked them up, seems they are specific to your Indian food you like so much.
Are you perhaps putting too much in your grinder? Or maybe you could just do half amounts at a time?

 

[Badjak]

Same as @dragnlaw : not familiar with them. Just wondering if you could not use a mortar and pestle maybe?
Just double checked and that would probably not work or only work for small amounts.
The alternative I could find would be a mixer/grinder. It seems more versatile.
Do you maybe have any Indian friends you could ask? Or ask at an Indian restaurant when they are not busy? Esp one specialisng in dosa?

Please give us some feedback as I am always interested in cooking methods and appliances I am not familiar with

 

[pepperhead212]

@BAPyessir6 I don't have a "wet grinder" either, but I used my Vitamix the first time I made idlis, and ran into the heat problem, like you do. While I was thinking of some way to take care of that problem, I thought of what I often do when grinding grains or legumes - I put them in the freezer in a jar for 30-40 minutes, or in the fridge for a few hours, and in 40-45 seconds, they grind up, barely warmed at all. This made me think - why not grind the urad dal and rice first, then soak it? I left the rice a little coarse, but the urad dal I ground fine, with the fenugreek. And to ferment, I use that Instant Pot, in the yogurt mode, and adjust to the low/jiu niang, which sets it around 90°f. I used a little less water, and let the rice flour soak, then added a little more, to get the right hydration.

 

[pepperhead212]

Double posted.

 

[dragnlaw]

So that's good news for you BAP, now you don't have to get rid of your current wet grinder! Freeze it, or chill a lot before even putting it in the grinder.
Good on you pepper, knew you had to have an answer for her!
BAP sure hope that works for you, let us know!