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Grains, lentils, and spices can be ground into smooth pastes or batters using wet grinders, which are multipurpose kitchen tools. Although grinding the components is simple, employing the proper water-to-ingredient ratio is crucial to getting the desired texture and consistency.
A mixture that has too much water will be liquid and not be able to keep its shape while cooking, while too little water may strain your machine, resulting in coarse, uneven batters. This balance differs greatly depending on the item, ranging from rice and lentils for batters of idli-dosa to nuts for butter and spices for pastes.
The correct modification of water ratios between different ingredients determines the outcome of your recipes and enables you to achieve the desired paste and batter textures precisely. Below are some important suggestions for different batters and sauces discussed, which you can easily make in your Usha's wet grinder with the correct water ratio.
Grain-Based Batters
Use a water-to-rice and dal mixture ratio of roughly 1:1.2 to 1:1.5 for the idli or dosa batter. This means that 1.2 to 1.5 cups of water would be needed for every cup of rice and dal mixture. There are many differences in millet batter; pearl millet requires a water ratio of 2.5:1, whereas barnyard and foxtail millets require a 3:1 ratio. Water absorption is directly impacted by soaking time; grains that are soaked for a longer period of time need less water when being ground. The batter will naturally thin during fermentation, so it is necessary to have a thicker initial consistency for fermented recipes.
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Chutneys And Sauces
The water ratio in a wet grinder is determined by the consistency you want when making chutneys or sauces. For example, coconut retains moisture effectively, so the chutney usually needs less water. To make a smooth but thick paste, start with a modest amount of water—roughly 1/4 cup for every cup of coconut and modify as necessary. When making tomato chutney, you may need more water, especially if you are using fresh tomatoes. To achieve a saucy consistency, use approximately half a cup of water for each cup of tomatoes.
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Nut And Seed Pastes
Special attention to water ratios is needed to grind nuts and seeds into smooth, spreadable pastes free of lumps. For cashew nut paste, one part water to three parts nuts is needed, resulting in rich, viscous pastes ideal for gravies and desserts. Due to their dense structure, almonds need a little more moisture—about ¼ cup of water per cup of soaked nuts. When making peanut or sesame pastes, start with a water-to-ingredient ratio of 1:4, then progressively increase if necessary.
Curry Paste And Spices
In order to maintain a thick paste that is easily incorporated into marinades or sauces, the water ratio for curry pastes is frequently kept to a minimum. Use around ⅓ cup water per cup of blended ingredients to make a basic South Indian curry paste. Increase the water to 1:0.5 when making Thai curry pastes containing fibrous ingredients like galangal and lemongrass. To avoid overheating when grinding dry spices, use as little water as possible—not more than 1-2 teaspoons per cup of spices. The natural moisture in fresh chillies is enough to turn them into hot sauce or paste; only add one to two tablespoons of water per cup of chillies for grinding. Add two tablespoons of water per cup and a tablespoon of oil for ginger-garlic paste.
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Dessert Batters
When making dessert batters in a wet grinder, like for cakes or pancakes, a different method is needed to achieve the proper sweetness and binding properties. For example, the water-to-flour ratio for banana pancake batter should be around 1:1. You may need less water if the bananas are ripe. Maintain a thick consistency with little water for traditional rice flour-based sweets like adhirasam; use a flour-to-water ratio of about 1:0.5 and add jaggery liquid to meet the moisture needs. Use a 1:1.5 ratio of rice flour to water while making the paniyaram or sweet appams batter. The water ratio will be very low since you're using cream cheese and eggs in cheesecake batter. For smooth blending, use 1-2 tablespoons for each cup of cream cheese.
