Grinding seeds

[Lee989]

One recommendation, keep your grinder either for grinding coffee or grinding spices.  The twain should never meet I think.  Perhaps a coffee expert can confirm  ;D
PS, i don't think leaving the cabbage out of CT's base will impact on its quality too much  ;D

You're probably right, although im no coffee connoisseur. As long as it's strong and the spoon stands up in it, it's perfect wake up juice in my eyes. Although i'd no doubt ensure whatever grinder i get can be cleaned to some extent, otherwise it would make for some interesting coffee flavours (i did find a coffee with ground cardamom in on my quest for pre-ground cardamom, so maybe it tastes nice?).

[Peripatetic Phil]

Cardamom is a vital part of Arabic coffee, so if you don't mind the combination you could indeed use one grinder for both.  In fact, you will grind 100 times as much coffee as cardamom (at least, I do !), so although the first two or three grinds of the coffee beans after grinding the cardamom pods will have a slight cardamomy flavour, it will soon wear off after that.  But I wouldn't recommend the "one grinder for all" approach : cardamom and coffee, OK; cardamom and other spices, OK; but other spices and coffee, almost certainly not.

** Phil.

[martinvic]

Hi Lee

As you seem to be worried about the vegetables (cabbage, carrots, celery etc.) that are added to some of the bases, don't be.
The Base should be blended until really smooth, leaving you with basically a thinnish, lightly spiced vegetable (mostly onions) soup/stock.
So you won't have pieces of these vegetables in your finished curry.

This base sauce is usually then used in conjunction with Garlic and Ginger paste, Tom puree, various spices, pre-cooked meat/vegetables etc., to make the different types of curries found in the recipes here.

Hope that helps a bit
Martin

[DalPuri]

Hi Lee,
If you do get a grinder and are worried about cross contaminating flavours, just run a small handful of rice through it(couple of spoons) and you'll be fine. Any rice will do(super saver 40p).
It's what i do with mine and havent noticed any odd flavoured coffee yet.

Frank. 

p.s. I Hate cardamom coffee!! And Masala tea. ;D

http://kitchenoperas.com/2013/09/17/masala-chai-spice-blend/

[Invisible Mike]

There's loads of ground cardamom on ebay. I bought some from a health shop when I was in Wales and it's handy to have. Just put a pinch in your pilau if your feeling lazy. You don't spend half the meal picking out pods either. Ps this thread ties in to a question I was actually just about to put up in a different thread but might aswell ask it here seeing as it is still "on topic". Can anybody recommend a good brand of grinder? I have asked Father Christmas for one you see.