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Mexican cuisine is the birthplace of many culinary masterpieces, which are increasingly becoming part of the modern life of people from all over the world every day. The classic recipe for guacamole with avocado is a unique combination of products that create a unique taste. The wide range of applications of this pasty snack makes it extremely popular and in demand.
How to make avocado guacamole
This appetizer is a thick, paste-like sauce. The history of the dish goes back centuries, when the ancient Aztecs made this simple composition from avocado fruits. Despite the long development of Mexican culinary traditions, the ingredients necessary to prepare this snack have remained unchanged for centuries. The most important components of guacamole are:
- avocado;
- lime;
- spices.
The most important ingredient for making a classic guacamole sauce recipe is avocado. Due to its structure, this fruit easily turns into a paste, which is then seasoned with various fillings. Thanks to its unique composition, avocado is not only extremely tasty, but also very beneficial for the body.The finished product is often considered a dish recognized by many experts in dietetics and nutrition.
Lime juice allows you to add an additional flavor and aroma note to the puree. Since avocado has a rather neutral taste, lime juice completely changes the palette of flavors in the snack. Some chefs replace lime with lemon, but this approach does not allow the dish to be completely authentic.
As for spices, salt and hot pepper are traditionally added to guacamole. Salt is needed to bring out the brightness of the lime and balance the flavor of the dish. Red pepper adds a spicy kick that is so revered in Mexico. At the same time, in different countries the set of spices may vary depending on the taste preferences of the population. Thus, in Mexico, spicy notes predominate, while in the USA and Europe, consumers prefer saltier options.
Currently, there are an incredible number of options for preparing this snack. In addition to the classic version, you can find recipes with the addition of onions, fresh herbs, garlic, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers. There are also more sophisticated cooking methods - cooks add shrimp meat and even red fish to guacamole. It is believed that the taste of a dish is difficult to spoil with such additives. However, such experiments should be treated with caution.
In many countries, ingredients such as mayonnaise, sour cream or olive oil are often used to reduce the cost of production.Since avocado is a rather expensive product, manufacturers are in no hurry to provide a completely authentic version of the dish on store shelves. To get the full range of flavors of your favorite snack, experts advise preparing it yourself at home.
Classic avocado guacamole recipe
To prepare the right Mexican appetizer, you need to be especially careful when choosing ingredients. When buying an avocado, you should pay attention to its appearance - the skin of the fruit should be uniform in color and without external damage. When pressed, the fruit should be soft and elastic. Limes should not be too dry. Their skin should be thin and free from signs of damage. To prepare classic guacamole sauce with avocado and tomatoes you will need:
- 2 avocados;
- 1 lime;
- 1 tomato;
- 1\2 red onion;
- 1 chili pepper;
- a small bunch of cilantro;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- salt.
The primary task for preparing a snack is to properly chop the onion. It is necessary to chop it as finely as possible to obtain maximum juiciness of the finished dish. Experienced chefs advise first cutting the onion into half rings, and then using a large knife to chop it.
Garlic and chili pepper are crushed as much as possible, then mixed with each other. The resulting mixture is lightly sprinkled with salt to speed up the release of juice. Next, you need to press down the chili and garlic with the flat side of a knife to turn them into a paste. Finely chopped onions and chopped cilantro are added to them.
You need to remove the tough skin from the tomato.To do this, place it in boiling water for a couple of minutes. The peeled tomato is cut into slices and the seeds are removed. The remaining pulp must be cut into small cubes and added to the rest of the vegetables.
You need to remove the pit from the avocado. To obtain the pulp, you can either peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler or knife, or scoop it out with a large spoon. Grind the pulp with a fork until a paste of uniform consistency is obtained. The resulting slurry is transferred to a bowl with the remaining ingredients.
Cut the lime in half and squeeze out the juice. The faster you add juice to the avocado, the faster the oxidative processes in it will stop - thereby the fruit mass will not change color. The whole mass is mixed until smooth. If desired, you can add a little salt to balance the taste of the finished dish.
What do you eat with avocado guacamole?
In Mexican cooking, guacamole is considered a universal dish. Although it can be eaten as a separate dish, traditionally this appetizer is prepared as an addition to other recipes. The excellent taste of the snack makes it easy to combine it with a variety of ingredients to create real culinary masterpieces.
Traditionally in Mexico this sauce is served with corn chips. They are used to scoop guacamole from filled bowls. In European countries, chips are often replaced with thin, crispy pita bread. Since they have almost the same structure, the combination of flavors is perfect. In addition, you can use the sauce as a spread on bread or a crispy baguette.
Guacamole is widely used in Mexican cuisine. A striking example of its use is fajitas and burritos - dishes reminiscent of shawarma. Meat, vegetables and corn are wrapped in a flatbread. The finished sauce perfectly complements and reveals the flavor range of all ingredients. In addition to fajitas, avocado guacamole is positioned as one of the sauces in another Mexican dish - tacos.
A very successful use is to use avocado sauce as a pasta dressing. Its introduction into pasta allows you to add an unusual piquancy to it. In combination with additional meat fillings, the pasta turns into a gastronomic masterpiece.
Modern chefs skillfully combine this sauce with various meat and fish dishes. In many restaurants you can find beef and chicken, which comes with a portion of guacamole. It is also said to pair well with salmon and tuna. In addition, guacamole can be included in complex sauces, combining its taste with other vibrant ingredients.
Avocado guacamole sauce calories
The calorie content of any composite dish varies greatly depending on the ingredients included in it. It can increase when adding products such as olive oil or high-fat mayonnaise. It is believed that the calorie content of classic avocado guacamole sauce per 100 g is 670 kcal. Such high rates are explained by the excessively high fat content of avocado fruits. The nutritional value of such a dish per 100 g is:
- proteins - 7.1 g;
- fats - 62.6 g;
- carbohydrates - 27.5 g.
It is worth noting that such indicators are typical only for the so-called pure guacamole with avocado and lime juice.Adding tomatoes and onions when cooking will significantly reduce such a high calorie content.
Terms and conditions of storage
It is believed that freshly prepared guacamole sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, within a few hours after cooking, it begins to change its color towards darker shades. Loss of presentation occurs due to oxidation of the avocado. There are several ways to create an impenetrable air barrier aimed at preventing this misunderstanding and extending the shelf life of the product:
- Sour cream. The finished sauce is placed in a bowl and leveled with a spoon. Place a layer of low-fat sour cream 0.5-1 cm thick on top. The sour cream must be leveled so that it completely covers the sauce. After this, the bowl is covered with plastic wrap - it should fit closely to the sour cream. Deprived of air flow, guacamole can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Water. Guacamole is prepared a little thicker and compacted tightly into a bowl. Level the sauce with a spoon. The bowl is filled with water to the brim, and then wrapped in plastic wrap. This air barrier also allows you to extend the shelf life by several days.
Don't forget that you can always buy the finished product in the supermarket. Manufacturers often use various preservatives during production that can extend the shelf life to very long times. The choice is up to the consumer - to use a homemade and natural sauce or to use a product that contains a large number of chemical compounds, but is more unpretentious in terms of storage conditions.
Conclusion
The classic recipe for guacamole with avocado is the pearl of Mexican cuisine.This sauce is popular all over the world due to its unique spicy taste. Its widespread use in combination with other dishes makes it an integral part of modern cuisine.
