OP here - thanks PPs. So I cannot wash a coffee grinder? Sorry, I am not a coffee drinker and have no idea about it. What I have heard is that coffee grinders do not take anything "wet" like garlic or green chillies. Is that right?

I have two mortar and pestles. One is a stone one that an Indian friend brought me from India. As much as I like the result, I hate lifting it up to counter, then cleaning and then putting it away. That thing is seriously heavy. The other one I have is a steel one I bought here. The pestle is so skinny that it doesn't even get one garlic under it.

The spice grinders PPs have suggested are not to be used with wet ingredients like garlic and ginger, because you can't wash them. I use them exclusively for dry spices. To "cleanse" between different spice blends I run a small handful of cheap rice through the grinder and wipe out with a dry paper towel.
If I were to make, say, the exact spice blend you've mentioned, I'd grind the cinnamon and chillies in the spice grinder, but use a microplane for the garlic.

Anonymous wrote:for such small quantities I use a mortar and pestle.

+1

I also keep individual dry spices that I use often in pepper mills. Good for small amounts in recipes and for topping dishes with a little fennel seed or sumac or whatever.

for such small quantities I use a mortar and pestle.

I also use a coffee grinder.

I have heard good things about the magic bullet for grinding spices. I think the women from showmethecurry.com use one to make ground spices.

Agree. I use an old coffee grinder for just spices. Braun and Krups make great ones for $10-20 that will work well. You'll want the blade kind, not the burr ones.

Try a coffee grinder. I use a Braun one.

What is a grinder that will grind the smallest quantities? For example some of the Indian recipies call for spice mixture of say 2 garluc cloves, little cinnamon, two chillies etc. Any suggestions please? TIA.