One of my most enjoyable moments is walking into the supermarket and finding the shelves stacked with fresh produce that’s not commonly available. And so I was delighted to find big green avocados neatly lined up in rows, vying for attention amid the other fruit. It’s not popular in Indian cuisine, therefore rather hard to come by locally. My thoughts immediately went to the multitude of dishes that I could make.
Another reason that avocados are hard to come by is that they are highly perishable. These were just the right shade of dark green and yielded slightly to the touch. The very hard ones are not a good buy, as they don’t always ripen uniformly. The avocados that I found were also the ‘Haas’ variety, which are large ones more commonly used in Mexican cooking. The smaller ones that grow in India aren’t as fleshy on the inside and discolour rather quickly.
In India, grocers refer to it as butter fruit. Indians like to eat it mashed with some sugar. The pulp, when ripe, is as velvety smooth as butter and has the same luscious yellow tinge. Avocado is in fat and this lends it a creamy richness in texture. The flesh can literally be lifted off with a butter knife. The fats, however, are all good. They are rich in monounsaturated fats, omega fatty acids, folate, Vitamin K and potassium and are healthy for the heart and the brain. An avocado spread on toast is a great alternative to the bread-and-butter breakfast. Avocados are also beneficial for the skin and are used in face packs and cleansers.
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The ones I bought looked like they would be ready to eat in 48 hours. The children waited eagerly for me to make their favourite guacamole to accompany the crispy tortilla chips. Avocados are bland in taste and take well to being infused with all kinds of flavours. The classic combos are lemon, coriander, green chilli and rock salt. The lemon also helps keep the colour intact, as avocado flesh discolours fast when exposed to air.
Once the guacamole cravings were satiated, I decided to experiment with a salad. Another ingredient that I like to pair the avocado with is boiled egg. One morning I served leftover guacamole with boiled egg. So now I decided to take that combination to the next level as a wholesome salad for dinner. On a large glass platter was arranged crisp iceberg lettuce leaves, tender green broccoli florets and boiled egg rings. The last step is to cut open the avocado by running the blade of the knife along the length. One twist and the halves come away leaving the flesh and large seed exposed. The seed pops out quite easily. If it doesn’t, use the knife blade to pierce it and turn it out.
Once the avocado flesh joins the other ingredients, a final dressing of green chilli vinegar, lime, salt and olive oil is whisked together and poured. It’s refreshing, healthy and, above all, delicious.
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They are popular in desserts thanks to their creaminess and neutral flavour. Avocado ice-cream and mousse are much-loved variations. So try your hand at cooking with avocados.
Read more about food at Shanthini’s blog www.pinklemontreerecipes.com