yoghurt

spicy avocado yoghurt puree

11th January 2010

There are two things I missed most when I was in India. My beautiful, quiet, calm, abundant green garden which gently holds my heart when I spend time in it.  And the most beautiful fruit existing…..avocado!

They are also a part of our garden, as we have at least ten trees. This is the season for them. So when I arrived home from India at 5 o’clock in the morning, I waited and waited and waited until the first morning, golden light appeared, and I went out and picked a basket full from the trees. That week, I had to wait patiently for them to ripen.  After enjoying them daily, I remembered this wonderful dish that my friend Anna had created.  It goes so well with this kichadi, Donna’s baked potatoes, roasted vegetables or any rice dish.

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The avocado is one of the world’s most perfect foods.  They contain a high amount of fruit oil at their peak, a relatively rare element that gives the avocado its smooth, mellow taste, nut-like flavour, and high energy value.  They have a perfectly balanced pH, neither acid nor alkaline, are easily digested, and are rich in mineral elements that regulate body functions and stimulate growth. Especially noteworthy are its iron and copper contents, which aid in red blood regeneration and prevent nutritional anaemia.  One of the most valuable sources of organic fat and protein, avocados, a regular part of your daily diet, will improve hair and skin quality and soothe the digestive tract.

spicy avocado yoghurt puree

Lately, I have been making a dairy-free version by omitting the yoghurt and increasing the avocados to four, adding a big handful of coriander and mint, the juice of a lemon or two, half a chilli, salt and pepper to taste and blend to the desired consistency.

ingredients 

2 large ripe avocados

½ – 1 cup full-fat yoghurt

¼ cup coriander, chopped

¼ cup mint, chopped

½ small red chilli – stalk removed, seeds intact (whole chilli if you like spicy foods)

preparation 

1.  Seed the avocados and scrape the flesh into a bowl.

2.  Add the yoghurt, mint, coriander and chilli and blend until creamy using a hand blender.  All ingredients can be blended in a mini food processor or blender, whatever you have available.

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Avocado health benefits from ‘Whole Foods Companion – A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers & Lovers of Natural Foods’ – Dianne Onstad

Shared goodness from Stacey

roasted aubergine with yoghurt & Indian spices

1st August 2009

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Before leaving for our summer holiday in Australia, I had a lot of aubergines in the garden, and needed to find ways to use them, hence why another post where they feature as the main ingredient.

Hamilton Island, Qld Australia

This is roasted eggplant with spice-infused ghee, braised tomatoes, yoghurt and fresh coriander.   I serve it as a side dish to any simple dal and grain, and it goes well with oven-roasted potatoes or as a dip with crunchy vegetables, small cold cucumber slices are especially nice.

roasted aubergine with yoghurt & Indian spices

Inspired by The Vegetable Table by Yamuna Devi

Makes approximately 1½ cups

ingredients 

1 large aubergine

⅓ – ½ cup Greek yoghurt

salt to taste

½ cup finely chopped fresh coriander

voggarane

1 Tbsp ghee/oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

tsp asafoetida powder

tsp red pepper flakes

¼ tsp turmeric powder

5 small cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

preparation 

1.  Cook the aubergine over a gas flame or electric grill as described in the recipe for baba ghanoush, until the skin blackens and blisters and the inside flesh is very soft; 10 – 20 minutes.

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2.  Slit the eggplant and scoop the flesh into a bowl, removing the charred skin; allow to sit in a strainer for a few minutes to allow the juice to leak out and drain away as this is quite bitter.  Drain out the bitter juice, place the flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork.

prepare the voggarane

3.  Heat the ghee; when hot, add cumin seeds – fry until golden, then add the asafoetida, red pepper flakes, turmeric and, within seconds, the tomatoes. Fry until the tomatoes are slightly broken down, 3 – 4 minutes, then add to the aubergine.

4.  Season with salt and stir in the yoghurt and fresh coriander.  Drizzle with ghee before serving, and garnish with more fresh coriander.

Serve warm or at room temperature with chapati or your favourite grain dish.

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Goodness shared by Stacey

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