Cooking Heals

I’ve never been able to make guacamole correctly until I met Inge and Ralph from Rhode Island, USA in Ho Chi Minh City when I was on vacation during Chinese New Year this year. Inge and Ralph are a very sweet couple whom I shared table with at a fine dining restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, and ended up having coffee and drinks after the meal.

Inge originated from Mexico, and is a conference and court Spanish interpreter. I was so excited when she told me she was Mexican, and the words just poured out of my mouth: “How do you make good guacamole?????” (guacamole originated from Mexico)

“All you need is three basic ingredients,” Ralph said. “Avocado, cilantro (coriander), onion. No garlic, but add salt and pepper if you like.”

When I came back, I decided to improvise on the recipe. My first attempt was to add lemon juice, to prevent the guacamole from browning after being prepared. But something was not right, still not good enough.

The second time I made it, I tried lime juice, inspired by another friend who uses that in her guacamole. I liked it! And the third time I made it again, I added chopped tomato and served it with tortilla chips for my friends’ housewarming party. And guess what? The guests finished everything!

So here’s my version of guacamole, a very easy appetizer to make and definitely delicious!

Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
3 stalks cilantro (coriander leaves), roughly chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped into small squares
1/2 medium tomato, seeds removed and cut into small cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp lime juice
1 red chili, chopped finely (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut avocado into half vertically, twist gently with two hands to separate the two halves. Remove stone by poking the end of a sharp knife into the bottom of the stone and holding the avocado firmly with another hand, gently tilt the stone with the knife to remove it. Be careful with this step to avoid cutting your fingers.
2. Mash the avocado with a fork, add in the lime juice, onion, cilantro, and chopped chili, mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve with tortilla chips as a dip.

Note: Inge said that the lime juice will dilute the sweet taste of the avocado and may even make the guacamole bitter and sour, but I like it :). I guess I have a different taste bud compared to the Mexicans, who created guacamole, their world-renowned appetizer. Inge will be here visiting soon, in a week or so! I will make sure she gets to eat the best local food around, and if time permits, I may even cook something for her. And she will have to show me the real guacamole live!

Tip on choosing avocado: First, the colour. A ripe Hass avocado (this is what we normally get in Malaysia) should look purplish/blackish green. Some other varieties can be big and green and you will have to use your touch to judge. Hold the avocado with your entire palm, gently press the avocado with your thumb, it should give a little softness yet still firm. If it’s soft then it could be bruised or over ripe. One tip to ensure you don’t buy a bruised or over ripe avocado, is to buy one that is turning purplish yet still green, and still feels firm and not too soft. Leave it for one or two days and you will have the perfect ripeness when you cut it.

It’s past 1 am now and I better go to sleep! Enjoy the photos and the recipe!