Are there any gadget lovers in the house today? Hiiiiiiiiiii there!
I can safely say that I’ve converted to become a gadget lover and hoarder over the last two years as a food blogger. But all along, the food processor was something I always stayed away from because you know space. Growing up, I’ve seen my mum struggling to fit a bulky food processor in the limited kitchen space that we had and failing miserably, and I had no plans of going through that in my teeny tiny Bangalore kitchen. I own a small little Bajaj chopper, and while it works, it’s now been relegated to the darker corners of my kitchen shelves because it always needs such large quantities of everything to do a good job. So when KitchenAid sent me their 14 cup food processor, I was expecting a major space crunch.
Instead, out came a really sleek red processor, which looked beautiful and needed just enough corner space not to make a big difference. What a workhorse this machine is! I started by chopping a ton of onions for some mutton curry Denver was making one Sunday. And we kept experimenting till it became one of the most used appliances in the kitchen!
Ain’t that pretty? This KitchenAid Food Processor is exciting enough for me to dedicate an entire blog post to it and go on for like ten thousand words. But before we jump into what you can really do with this machine (eye-opener alert!), I have a confession to make. This 14 cup food processor, which can also convert into a 7 cup (how awesome is that!) in a jiffy, comes with its own set of attachments, which I have really never used. Because you know, lazy. And I didn’t need to. The primary blade is such a workhorse that you can do pretty much everything with it. But I’m sure the other blades can do better. If you end up using this and figure those out, I would love some tips!
But seriously. I’m just going to jump in and tell you 5 exciting ways to use a food processor, particularly in our Indian kitchens!
Here Are Exciting Ways to Use Food Processor
1. Churn Homemade Butter
Churning butter may be a good upper arm exercise, but I’m not a big fan of aching arms and staring longingly at the cream, hoping it would turn into butter. But bring in the food processor, and this tedious chore is tackled in under 2 minutes. Just place the cream into the KitchenAid food processor, and it magically turns into butter in exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds.
2. Making Atta Dough for Chapatis and Parathas
This is definitely my favorite way to use the food processor. The first time I tried it, I wasn’t too sure this would work. Once again, bid aching arms goodbye and see the food processor turning atta or whole wheat flour into a soft, smooth, and supple dough for chapatis, parathas, and kulchas in minutes. Place 2 cups atta and add ons (salt, spices, etc.) in the food processor and pulse for 10 seconds to mix everything. Now switch on the processor at Speed #1 and slowly pour in a water cup down the chute. The flour will start resembling crumbs, and as it soaks up water, it’ll form into a ball of dough. If you want to get on this immediately and start trying out your food processors dough making skills, try out these fenugreek or Kasuri methi parathas!
Note: I used the primary chopping blades to do this, but the KitchenAid food processor comes with a dough blade, perfect for this.
3. Grinding Meat for Kebabs, Meatballs, Etc.
Personally, I hate buying ground meat from the butcher shop, simply because I’m not too sure if it’s cleaned well. I’ve always wanted to pick up a meat grinder, but umm, my kitchen won’t hold up to one more gadget. This multi-purpose food processor is strong enough to make mince out of chunks of lamb and so easy to use that I dump all the ingredients for my one pot mutton kofta curry or kebabs and let the KitchenAid food processor do its job!
4. Making Chutney
Obviously! It’s the simplest, fastest, no-spill, no splatter way of making chutney! Slowly pour in water or liquid as required down the chute, and you’ll have the most delicious, chunky coconut coriander chutney of your life. The only issue I faced while making chutney was the quantity. The KitchenAid food processor easily converts into a 14 cup or 7 cups as required, but I wish there were a 3 cup convertor. Smaller quantities of chutney didn’t work very well, so you’ll have to make a big batch if you are making chutney, which in our house is never a problem.
5. Chopping Vegetables
This is the most obvious way to use your food processor, but I couldn’t leave this one out. Every time I make a curry, I feel like I’m chopping up copious amounts of onions and tomatoes. Between wiping away my tears and trying not to cut my hand, it’s not my favorite job. It doesn’t matter if you want to chop 2 onions or 5, this will do all the work! And it’s perfect for our everyday Indian curry masala that’s going to save you every time you want curry in 20 minutes!
Are you a gadget freak and an electric food processor lover like me? If you don’t have one, I would really really love for you to find out the magic of owning one and giving your busy life a break.
And if you do, I want to know if there’s anything more exciting you do with it! Leave me a comment, and let’s swap food processor tips and stories because we are little nuts like that.
See how this is turning into a food processor love affair?