Spice paste blender

[Macneil]

I’ve got a stick blender from Aldi but when I try to make a paste for a curry the ingredients stay quite coarse and the results aren’t great. I’ve seen products claiming to make pastes but are they any different to what I’ve got?

[Shaw Tarse]

Pestle & mortar, coffee grinder?

[Zarco]

Are you adding a splash of water? I'm not sure how dry spices would make a paste without.

I've used a spice grinder in the past to grind whole spices to dust. Better than a pestle and mortar.

[Macneil]

When the recipe calls for it I add water but if it’s say an onion and some ginger there’s plenty of liquid there.

I do have a pestle and mortar but the blender does work, up to a point. I just wonder if it’s a bit too all purpose and a more specific cutter profile would better

[Semmelweiss]

Zarco said:

Are you adding a splash of water? I'm not sure how dry spices would make a paste without.

I've used a spice grinder in the past to grind whole spices to dust. Better than a pestle and mortar.

Ditto. Just use a cheap spice grinder. Once ground, tip into bowl and add wet ingredients.

[21TonyK]

You need to be making enough of whatever you are blending to completely submerge the blades and it needs to be wet enough to flow and mix as a liquid. Blenders are no good for whole spices, they chop, they don't grind.