How to Make Guacamole

It all started out with the Aztecs who worded out guacamole as 'ahuaca-mulli', meaning avocado mixture / sauce. The Spaniards found that the main ingredient avocado, a fruit that was important to include in dishes, growing slowly in popularity amongst them. They'd mix it with either salt or sugar, sometimes adding both to make it interesting to the palate. The fruit, when it comes to taste, is pretty much tasteless and needs spice to bring out its subtlety in flavor.

This dip is a dish that can be eaten with practically anything. In that I mean, you can pair it up with a side of tortillas, or wrap it in a burrito, or just use carrot sticks or anything you can get your mind around when gorging down this dip. Like I say to all home cooks, do not be afraid to experiment with spices; every time you will discover something new to play with and even yummier to incorporate in a dish.

Traditional Guacamole Ingredients

Using fresh produce is key while cooking, since flavors are more accentuated when it is fresh. Always buy everything the same day you prepare a dish, to have it tasting as good as it should. When it comes to the ingredients of guacamole, the traditional way of preparing this dish was to include the following.

Onions: White onions are used to make this dip since it gives off a strong flavor that is hot in taste and not sweet, like that of other onion types.

Avocados: Haas avocado is the best type of this fruit that you can use for this recipe; in case you can't get your hands on these, you can always substitute it with another kind.

Tomatoes: These need to be firm, and a little ripe to benefit from its juicy yet tough texture. Being slightly acidic in nature, it gives the dip a different take on taste especially in present day cooking, when it is coupled with a spritz of lemon juice.

Chilies: Jalapeños can be used for this dip, but most preferred when in the traditional method, is the use of the serrano chile. You can use either of the two, but you need to be careful when adding the serrano chile, since it can be quite pungent.

Cilantro: Known as either coriander or Chinese parsley, this fragrant and flavorsome spice comes from the stems and leaves of the coriander plant. Make sure these are fresh to get that nice hit of cilantro, which shouldn't overpower the dish, but highlight it in a way where the guacamole doesn't lose out on taste.

Guacamole Recipe

We now get started on our guacamole dip recipe, that isn't quite as traditional as the above mentioned way, but still yum nonetheless.

What You'll Need

• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (substitute for jalapeño)
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic (more if you like that strong flavor in your dip)
• ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
• 3 portions of avocados (Haas)
• 2 firm tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon of coriander

Method of Preparation

This recipe has a more chunkier texture to it, so that you feel all those ingredients rolling around your mouth in a wholesome bite. First off, cut your avocados around the edges just until your knife comes into contact with the seed. Then gently hold both halves with two hands and give it a good twist so that it comes away in two neat halves. Remove the seed, and then take a spoon and start scooping out all that soft avocado flesh. Once that is done, dice your tomatoes and drop them in, then add your lime juice, salt, diced onions, chopped coriander, mashed garlic, cayenne pepper and ground cumin. Using a masher, start clobbering your mixture, till you get a nice uneven and chunky heap of the guacamole. Taste it and see if you'd like to add more garlic and lemon. You can have this with tortillas or a nice portion of sliced veggies.

Homemade Guacamole Dip with a Twist

For a creative and simple way on how to make guacamole, all you need to do is make sure the important ingredients of this dish are included, and then you can add your own twist to it if you'd like. The following dip recipe is a smooth and consistent mixture that can be used to spread out on maybe crackers or pita bread. You can always use chips as well, or pour this into a vegetable salad as a dressing. Here's one idea I've concocted on how you can play this out in your kitchen.

What You'll Need

• 2 avocados
• Onions (white / red - you can slightly brown the red onions for sweetness)
• ¼ cup of sour cream
• ½ finely sliced jalapeño chile
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 tomato
• 1 teaspoon of coriander
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small piece of ginger
• olive oil
• Two tablespoons of chopped seedless black olives
• 1 teaspoon of chives

Method of Preparation

Using a blender, dump in all your ingredients and put it in slow blitz mode. While this happens, fry your onions in a non stick pan with just three drops of olive oil to make it slightly oily. Once they turn brown, add this to the guacamole dip mix, and wait for everything to blend. You can add more salt if you'd like and of course use this with anything you'd want to mix it up with while eating. I'd recommend bread sticks or grilled prawns (whoever said it couldn't be eaten with non veg food?).

With this recipe in hand, I'm sure you'll be convinced once you try it out, that this is one of those dips no one can really get enough of. In no time, you'll be adding your own take on things when it comes to making this dip, and crowds will flock gladly to your door step. Bon appetit!