Indian-Spiced Guacamole
Try this Indian-spiced guacamole recipe with mustard seeds and curry for a fun twist that will wow your taste buds! Indian-spiced guacamole goes great with toasted pita bread or raw veggies and is perfect as an appetizer when entertaining guests!
Meet guacamole 2.0.
In lieu of the traditional cilantro, onion and lime, this Indian-spiced guacamole is flavored with mustard seeds, curry and spicy serrano chile. While traditional guacamole is already pretty perfect, I decided to get creative and put a twist on it, lightly adapted from a recipe by 101 Cookbooks. My love for Indian flavors and spices is no secret, like with my Indian baked eggs, tandoori salmon with cucumber yogurt sauce, and turmeric cauliflower rice bowl. The warmth and bold notes of Indian spices can turn a simple recipe from “this is pretty good” to “holy sh*t this is amazing!”
Indian-Spiced Guacamole Ingredient Notes
Not only does this Indian-spiced guacamole taste amazing, the ingredients have some neat health benefits too.
Avocados have more potassium than bananas do. Eating foods high in potassium may help reduce high blood pressure which can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Curry powder is a mixture of Indian spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and chili pepper just to name a few. These spices contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help improve heart health, reduce symptoms of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and lower blood sugar levels.
Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin which has been shown to be have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong antioxidant. The anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin has been shown to reduce tenderness and swelling of joints in people with arthritis.
Mustard seeds are high in fiber and essential minerals like magnesium, selenium, and manganese. Essential minerals refer to the types of minerals that your body cannot make on its own, so it’s important to obtain them through the food you eat.
Garlic supplementation in shown to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure in people with high blood pressure
When it comes to spices and herbs, I always like to remind people that if it tastes good - eat it! The intense flavors and scents in spices and herbs come from phytonutrients, compounds found in plants that can have health benefits.
Ideas for Serving Indian-Spiced Guacamole
This Indian-spiced guacamole is a great appetizer for entertaining! In the pictures, I chose to eat it with warmed, store bought naan bread, but you can also serve it with raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, or celery sticks. Another option is to serve it with pita chips or regular tortilla chips.
This guac is obviously great for dipping but you can use it for other purposes too, like a substitute for a condiment on a veggie burger, or to spice up your regular avocado toast with an egg or sliced tomato on top!
What I love about using Indian spices is that the rest of your meal doesn’t have to be Indian cuisine. You can serve this Indian-spiced guacamole as a starter for burgers and brats and it will still taste great. Even if you don’t try this recipe, I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and try some of these Indian spices instead of just reaching for the salt and pepper next time you’re cooking!
How to Store Indian-Spiced Guacamole
FUN FACT: slightly brown guacamole doesn’t mean that it’s inedible or has gone bad. The discoloration means that it has begun the process of oxidation — a fancy way of saying the oxygen in the air is reacting with compounds in the avocado. While it’s still safe to eat, I would suggest mixing up the guacamole if you see it’s starting to turn a little brown before you eat it because the oxidation may alter the taste just a tad.
Unfortunately, I haven’t come across a perfect storage method that prevents browning 100%. This is the best way I’ve found so far:
Place the guacamole in a plastic container and smooth over the top of the guac with the back of a spoon. Pour a very thin layer of water or lime juice on top, no more than 1/2 an inch. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and try to get as smooth as possible so air can’t reach the guac. Place the container in the refrigerator. Pour out the liquid or stir it in the guac before serving again.
This method may slightly alter the taste but does a good job of slowing down the browning process!
Here’s an article from the Today Show that explains a few more ways to store guac if you’re interested. This Indian-spiced guacamole should stay fresh for 2 to 4 days.
Indian-Spiced Guacamole Recipe
Serves: 1 1/2 cups
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson.
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Indian curry powder
1 small Serrano chili, partially seeded and minced
Instructions
Cut each avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt, and most of the cilantro. Mash the avocado with a fork until it's a chunky puree.
Heat the coconut oil in a small skillet on medium-high. Add the mustard seeds. Watch for them to pop, keeping a lid on hand in case they pop out at you. Cook for one minute, then stir in the onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic, curry powder and chili. Cook for 10 seconds, remove from heat, and stir in avocado mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature with whole grain pita, tortilla chips, or fresh vegetables.
If you like this Indian-spiced guacamole, you might also like:
Dark Chocolate, Coconut and Almond Granola
Apple Cheddar Toast
Asian Deviled Eggs
