Guacamole - Mexican Avacado Dip

Guacamole (gwaka – mo – lee) is part of Mexican cuisine that originated with the Aztecs. It essentially means a sauce (mole) made with ahucatyl (avocado). Its popularity spiked with American football games and now it’s a household dip of choice in America! India is just warming up to the idea of guacamole as Mexican cuisine gains popularity. When I was a little kid, my dad used to mash up avocados with sugar and we used to enjoy them chilled. We called it Butter Fruit Ice Cream J So I am already a big fan!

I love guacamole but it is really difficult to make. The difficulty arises not in the process but in the sourcing of ripe avocados. There have been more than a dozen times that I have come home happy with avocados and then been a grouch when I cut into them and realized they are unripe or a brown slimy mess! And seriously there are no failsafe options to figure this out. Every time I cut into an unripe avocado, I have rushed back to the computer and trawled Google for an answer. Wrap it in a brown paper bag to ripen it…store it with ripe bananas to get it soft…place it on a hot oven to ripen it…let the outer skin turn brown…let it rest in a cool dark place…so on and so forth! But none of these things have helped and I continue to be sorely disappointed every time I have to throw a fruit away (and they don’t come cheap!).

This time the story as usual repeated itself. I looked at one fruit – it looked suitably ripe (slightly yielding in some places). I cut it open – voila, perfect avocado. My guacamole was going to be made! Then with the spiked confidence, I cut into the other one and as soon as I slipped my knife in – I knew it was a lost cause. Hard, unyielding fruit! (You get a tummy ache if you eat unripe avocados) You win some you lose some right? Sigh…

P.S. Found this tip later on the net. Check for ripeness by gently pressing on the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past its prime and not good. In this case, taste test before using.  

Aqua De Pepino - Cucumber Cooler

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 14th June 2012.

No, the cooler does not taste vegetal. If anything, it’s brilliantly refreshing. And this was the recipe that I said, you could make side by side with the Tzatziki. (It’s such a waste to be throwing away fresh cucumber juice!). Or if you’re in no mood to grate, strain, squeeze and extract the juice of one cucumber – just use prepackaged cucumber juice. (Though I strongly recommend the fresh version – the colour is unbelievable!). You can either use vodka or a gin with this recipe, substituting one for the other brings no great change in taste. If you are a teetotaler or are making this for a younger audience, by all means skip the alcohol. It’s just as exciting to serve on a balmy summers eve.

 Aqua De Pepino – Cucumber Cooler

Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

What you need:

400 ml Cucumber Juice (from 2 Cucumbers)
5 tsp Sugar Syrup
120 ml Vodka
2 Lemons (Juice of)
Lemon and Cucumber slices to garnish
Ice Cubes to serve

What to do:

Wash, peel and cut the cucumber in half. Scoop out the seeds. Now grate the cucumber coarsely and spoon into a strainer. (Do this to remove the water from the cucumber. Collect the cucumber juice and reserve. After you are fairly certain that you have pressed out as much water from the cucumber as possible – press into strainer again. Surprised? Yes there will still be some more cucumber juice you can extract. Reserve.

In a cocktail shaker add the vodka, lemon juice, sugar syrup and cucumber juice. Mix well. (Don’t shake it too much to avoid the cucumber juice from frothing). Now strain into a whisky glass filled with ice cubes. Toss in some cucmber and lemon slices for a fun cocktail. Enjoy.

Here's what was featured in Tastespotting.com

Thai Fish Cakes with Coriander, Lime Mayo

I love fish cakes. Especially the ones made with Sear fish. Sear fish is a delicacy in South India and Sri Lanka and is generally the costliest fish in the market after Pomfret. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu it’s called “Vanjaram” and in Kerala its christened “Neimeen”. Some people also refer to them as king mackerels. I am partial to the seer, because a. it’s an ocean fish, b. it cooks beautifully in a curry or a fry, c. It’s isn’t riddled with too many bones, d. It’s so tasty! My mom-in-law makes the best fish cutlets (south Indian style with loads of masala!) and the co-resident can’t stop eating them. Since I can’t compete with the mother recipe, I din’t try to replicate it. Instead I found one that uses thai red curry paste to give a fantastic spin to the basic fishcake recipe. It’s really simple to make. You can even make the cakes in advance and refrigerate them, just pull out and fry before serving. Now isn’t that what we all strive to do? – reduce time in the kitchen and increase time actually savoring the dish! Though I guarantee this will get over the minute it hits the plate from the frying pan. Kŏr hâi jà-rern aa-hăan! (That’s Bon Appétit in Thai :P)

Thai Fish Cakes

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooling time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Makes: 8

What you need:

100 gms Sear fish fillet (poached)/ 100gms can of flaked Tuna

2 Tbsp Thai red Curry paste (I used Real Thai)

1 tsp Vegetable Oil

¾ cup chopped Spring Onion

2 Medium Potatoes (skinned, boiled and mashed)

1 cup fresh Breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

To serve:

½ cup Mayo

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

What to do:

Poaching the fish: Place the sear fish in a saucepan and pour just enough water to cover the fish.  Season with salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 7-8 minutes or until center is opaque and fish flakes easily when tested with fork. Remove fish with slotted spatula. Keep aside. (If you are using a can of tuna, then you can omit this step).

Remove bones from fillet. (there is generally just one big bone). Flake the fish into a big bowl. Fry the thai red curry paste in a teaspoon of oil for 3 mins. Add the paste, spring onions, potatoes and bread crumbs to the fish. Combine gently to bring the ingredients together. Divide into 8 portions and shape into flat, round cakes. Chill for 30 mins.

Meanwhile combine the mayo, cilantro and lime. Season with salt and a dash of black pepper. Chill in the refrigerator.

Now fry the fish cakes in oil, over a medium heat until crisp and golden. (Medium heat is important otherwise the outside will burn while the inside remains uncooked). Drain on a paper towel. Serve the hot fish cakes with the cool lime and coriander mayo. Fantastic!

Red Bell Pepper Soup with Lime

I bought a new cookbook (yes, the umpteenth one!) and paid a ridiculous price for it. (Come on, 1000 photos don’t come cheap). I have so many cookbooks that I just stare at the pictures and sing myself a foodie lullaby. So this time I was determined to cook something from the new book, just so that I can redeem the guilty feeling of not having used it at least once! I admit that the reason I even made this recipe is because the color looked so gorgeous. Bright orangey red! And the fact that there was lemon rind in the recipe didn’t hurt either. I think Lemon rind adds a zing that is unmatched by anything else (Ok, maybe Basil). I must warn you that this soup is not some soothing balm before you start the meal. It’s more like a jolt that wakes you up and gets your belly fire started. Hot and Tangy, I give you Red Bell Pepper Soup with Lime!

Red Bell Pepper Soup with Lime

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4 (but I think it’s more like 6)

What you need:

1 tsp Olive Oil

4 Red Bell peppers (seeded and chopped)

1 large Onion, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, crushed

1 small Red Chili, sliced

3 Tbsp Tomato Puree

1 Lime (Juice and the rind grated)

3 ¼ cups Vegetable/ Chicken Stock

Salt and Ground Black Pepper

To Garnish: shreds of lime

What to do:

Heat the oil in a pan over low heat. Add the peppers and onion, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 5 mins until softened. Toss in the garlic and chilli, stir. Add the tomato puree, sauté. Add half the stock and bring to a boil. Cover the pan again and simmer for 10 mins.

Leave to cool slightly, and then ladle the soup into a food processor or blender. (In batches, if necessary). Process to a puree. Return it to the rinsed out pan. Stir in the remaining stock, the lime rind and juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring the soup back to the boil, then ladle it into warmed soup bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with a few shreds of lime rind and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.