Hot & Spicy Festival Indian-Mexican cooking demo last week.
All week I’ve had Mexican fever and ate an overload of avocados. Native to Mexico and South and Central America, the buttery texture of avocados is unknown to Indian cooking. At last week’s 2 Tastes In 1 Indian-Mexican cooking demo at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, myself, Mary Luz Mejia and Mexican pastry chef Elizabeth Rumebe talked about the similarities between Indian and Mexican cuisines.
Making saffron and chai spice infused reduced milk as a dessert garnish.
I was incredibly excited to learn about Mexican panela, a raw sugar derived from the sugar cane which bears likeness to India’s jaggery or gur.
Some of India and Mexico’s ingredients and flavours overlap including cilantro, lime, chilies, onions, cumin and mangoes. Avocados however do not make this list. But why not use the Indian flavours on an avocado? Try this refreshing Avocado & Tomato Salad that has Mexican textures but a hint of curry for an Indian flavour.
Creamy and buttery avocado was a staple for me all week long.
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Avocodo & Tomato Salad with Cilantro Chili-Lime Dressing
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocado, cubed
4 medium organic tomatoes, cubed
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups salad greens
Dressing Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup cilantro
¼ cup mint leaves
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 green chili
½ tsp. Arvinda’s Curry Masala
½ tsp. sea salt
Cilantro Chili-Lime dressing
Method: In a blender, combine dressing ingredients. In a bowl, toss dressing with avocado, tomatoes and onions. Serve on a bed of salad greens. Serves 2.
Avocado Tomato Salad
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With my attempt to try raw foods for a month avocados made my plate almost every day this week. Avocados are higher in potassium than bananas, making them a ‘wonder’ food for runners that counteracts muscle cramping.
Avocado has high potassium content, making them the perfect food for runners.
...with Cilantro Chili-Lime Dressing!
The creaminess of avocados make it a versatile ingredient. How do you eat your avocados?
A teaspoon of: Alex Cuba. Listening to: Agua del Pozo. Alex Cuba who played in the T-dot this weekend! Love the guitar.
