Category: Avocado

Avocado~Methi Paratha

When culinary comfort is needed, it has become a habit to go into the kitchen to make parathas. Parathas magically transform dull looking meal options into a centerpiece meal, perfect for weekday eating but also special enough for that potluck party. Simply combine wheat flour with a favorite ingredient, rollout and cook, you have created something rich and tasty. For today, it was luxurious avocado and ultra-soulful fresh methi, gently kneaded into durum wheat flour and made into soft and satisfying parathas.

Avocado

Avocado-Methi Parathas
(for 8 medium-sized parathas)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe avocado cut, seed removed and ripe flesh smoothly mashed
1 cup, finely chopped fresh methi leaves and tender stems

Method:
In a bowl, sieve wheat flour with salt. Add avocado and methi. Mix well and gently knead. Add couple of teaspoons of water if necessary to make firm dough. Keep covered for at least 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal sized pieces and shape them into smooth rounds. On a wooden board or on a clean countertop, take a paratha dough piece, dust with flour and roll into 6″ diameter circle with a rolling pin.

Place a tava or griddle on stove-top and heat. When the tava is hot, place the paratha and cook on medium-heat to golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot with some curry or yogurt or pickle.

Avocado Methi Paratha with Methi Chole
Avocado Methi Paratha with Methi Chole ~ For Meal Yesterday

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Going Ga Ga for Guava: Guava Guacamole

Last Saturday, I was surprised to see bushels of guava at Fiesta, a local Mexican market.

From a distance the guava looked like good quality limes. They were small, pale yellow in color and smelled promisingly sweet. At pound $ 1.99, I couldn’t resist those yellow beauties.

After mangoes and cherries, guavas are my favorite fruit. I don’t know what it is about them, I could easily go into nostalgic ga ga over familiar fruits. Here I was in 2006, going on and on about guava. They inspire such longing, don’t they?

After I had my fill of raw fruit, which were delicious and sweet, I’ve thought of making something new with guava today.

Guavas with salt and pepper are a common roadside snack growing up in Bharath. These guavas I purchased are from Peru. To honor their origin, what’s better than an addition of avocado? Like I’ve imagined, the guava gave the avocado some sweetness and nice hint of aroma. Plain guacamole is always good, but guava guacamole tasted supreme. I loved this Aztec and Bharath combination for my meal today.

Guava Guacamole
(makes about two small cups)

1 big-sized, semi ripe avocado
3 lime-sized, semi ripe guavas
1 lime, for juice
Pinch each – salt and red chilli flakes

Cut avocado to half. Take out the pit. Cut the fruit to tiny pieces.
Cut guavas to small, bite sized pieces.
Place avocado and guava pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle salt and red chilli flakes. Squeeze lime juice. Gently combine. Serve.

Meal Idea: Generously apply guava guacamole on a warm chapati, paratha or pizza for a taste that defies description. We had it with thin crust pizza for dinner. Good meal.

Guava Guacamole
Guava Guacamole ~ For Meal Today

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

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Guacamole ~ My Version

Avocados from Chile

Small, grape like tomatoes from our backyard, Texas

Chilli-Garlic powder from home, Nandyala

Key limes from Mexico

Himalayan crystal salt probably from Himalayas

This is such a culinary bounty from different parts of the world. The moral to this melting pot: It does not matter who you are, what your origins are, or what you imagine you can do. Destiny awaits and you will be rewarded for embracing complexity through simplicity of flavor.

With this nugget 🙂 I wish you a sensible weekend.


Guacamole on a Rusk

Guacamole ~ My Version

2 ripe avocados
1 dozen grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic-chilli powder
2 key limes for juice
4 sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Cut avocados to half, and remove the flesh from the pit. Place the avocado in a bowl. Add the garlic-chilli powder, lime juice and salt. Mix and mash the avocado with a fork or spoon.

Add grape tomatoes and cilantro. Combine well. Chill the guacamole to preserve before serving, if prepared ahead. Serve at room temperature for best taste.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Avocado Summer:
Jalapeno Guacamole from Sreelu

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Avocado Puffed Rice (Avocado Borugulu)

Avocado and Puffed Rice
Avocado and Puffed Rice

Puffed rice is to rice, like popcorn is to corn. Puffed rice, known as borugulu in Telugu, is a staple food in many parts of Andhra, India. Traditionally they were made fresh daily by heating rice in a sand-filled oven. The processing makes rice less perishable and the puffed shape, the crunchiness makes them quite a favorite among all age groups.

We often prepare upma style breakfast called (B)Uggani with puffed rice. While making this today, I thought, “why not add avocado?” Why not, indeed. This is how I introduced avocado to parents. It was great and we all loved the avocado borugula breakfast this morning.

Avocado Puffed Rice (Avocado Borugulu)

(for four for a light meal or breakfast)

8 cups crisp, puffed rice
1 avocado – ripe flesh finely chopped
1 large red onion, finely sliced
1 semi ripe tomato, finely diced
4 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
½ tsp each- turmeric and salt
1/4 cup- cooked chickpeas or roasted peanuts
Few sprigs of fresh cilantro and one lime or lemon
1 tablespoon- peanut oil
From masala dabba: cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves

The preparation is a two step process.

Step 1: Take a big pot and fill half of it with water. Add puffed rice in it and with your hands push the puffed rice into water to soak them well. After about 5 minutes, take handfuls of puffed rice and firmly squeeze the water out. Place them in a colander. This is done to clean the puffed rice. What must stay behind in water is any sand, dust and chaff of the puffed rice. To see this process in photos, click here.

Step 2: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add and fry a sprig of curry leaves and a pinch each – mustard seeds and cumin to fragrance. Add onions, green chilli and tomatoes. Saute for five minutes to tender. Add chickpeas, turmeric and salt. Stir and fry for two more minutes and turn off the heat.

Add the puffed rice to this hot onion mixture. Add avocado, cilantro and lime juice. Combine well gently. Serve as soon as you prepare. Tastes great when still hot.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Traditional Borugula Recipes:
(B)Uggani for Breakfast
Borugula Laddu for Dessert

Avocado Puffed Rice
Avocado Borugulu ~ for Breakfast Today

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Strawberry Salsa

Avocado and Sweet Strawberry
Avocado and Sweet Strawberry

To add a touch of spring sweetness to classic salsa, start with fresh avocado. Mix ripe strawberries, a hint of tropics with limejuice and a zing of black pepper. That’s it. A sweet salsa that is quite different from the traditional chopped onion-tomato mixture. This fruity version is great on chapati or on toasted bread.

Strawberry Salsa
(makes about two cups)

1 Avocado – seed removed and pulp mashed to smooth
1 cup strawberries – finely chopped
1 Small lime/lemon – cut to half
1/2 teaspoon – Black pepper, cracked
1/4 teaspoon – Sea salt

In a big cup, take avocado and strawberries. Sprinkle black pepper and salt. Squeeze limejuice. Combine.
Enjoy this sweet salsa with chapati/crusty bread/chips.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari

Strawberry Salsa to Celebrate the Spring Season
Strawberry Salsa ~ for Lunch today

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