Curried Avocado Dip

This recipe is a great example of how spices can allow you to go very light on the salt. It’s a take on guacamole, which is usually quite salty. Instead, it uses curry powder and toasted mustard seeds for an incredible Indian flavour. Plus, between the coconut oil and the avocados themselves, it’s full of healthy fats. And it’s warm! We ate it with blue corn chips, but it would be great with crispy pappadums.

Adapted from a recipe by Heidi Swanson.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tsp black or brown mustard seeds
¼ cup yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Yellow Curry Powder, Sweet
1 small green Serrano chile, finely minced

Instructions:

1. Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt and most of the cilantro. Mash everything together with a fork. Don’t go wild, though – it’s best left chunky.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add the mustard seeds when hot. They will pop and jump, so you might want to keep a lid handy. After about a minute, stir in the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent.  Add the curry powder and minced Serrano chile. After about 20 seconds, remove from the heat.
3. Stir the onion mixture into the avocado mixture and serve in a nice bowl. Garnish with the rest of the cilantro.