Grind foods with a mortar and pestle.
If you are accustomed to using a food processor to grind foods you prepare, consider the humble mortar and pestle for processing foods instead. From spices to herbs to even small vegetables, you can grind small amounts of food into pastes or powders that may amaze you with their strong flavors. Use a small mortar and pestle for tiny grinding jobs or a larger mortar and pestle to make enough salad dressing for a large salad. Once you grow comfortable with the mortar and pestle technique, you will effortlessly process your fresh foods to incorporate them into your favorite recipes.
Instructions
1. Place fresh herbs or whole spices into the bottom of the mortar (the bowl). Grasp the pestle in your hand and bring it down firmly directly onto the herbs or spices. With the pestle firmly over the food in the mortar, grind the pestle back and forth to crush the food. Lift the pestle slightly and reposition it onto the food with more pressure to continue grinding the food. Continue working at the food with the pestle until you achieve the desired consistency.
2. Fill the bottom of the mortar with peeled garlic cloves or quarters of peeled onion. Use the pestle to crush the garlic or onion. As you crush the garlic or onion, you will release juices in the mortar that will combine with the small pieces of food. Continue crushing the food with the pestle until it is as fine or as coarse as you desire.
3. Place whole nuts into the bottom of the mortar. Grind the nuts coarsely or finely with the pestle by pushing the pestle down firmly over the nuts. Continue pressing the pestle over the large pieces of nuts until you grind the nuts into coarse pieces or a fine powder.
4. Make a salad dressing with your mortar and pestle by grinding the herbs along with one or two garlic cloves. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the ground ingredients in the mortar until the salad dressing is a runny consistency. Add salt, vinegar and pepper to taste.
5. Wash the mortar and pestle by hand with dishwashing detergent and a dishcloth. Rinse the mortar and pestle under warm water, dry them with the dishtowel and put them away.
Tags: mortar pestle, bottom mortar, food with, salad dressing, with pestle, crush garlic, crush garlic onion