Avocado dip is a dipping sauce made of avocados along with other ingredients like onion, tomato, lemon juice, green chilies, and sour cream.The dip is served as a condiment with foods such as breads and crackers. A very popular avocado dip that is native to Mexico is called 'Guacamole'.
Avocado is a green pear-shaped fruit which is used for making various dishes like salad, soup, mousse, pie, etc. It is also called alligator pear or bitter pear.
History of Avocado Dips
The Mexican dip made of avocadoes, called Guacamole, is known to have been made as early as in the 16th century by the Aztecs. The dish gained popularity in Spain after arrival of Spanish conquistadores.
Ingredients Used and Preparation Overview of Avacado Dip
Avocado dips can be made in a wide variety of ways, and the commonly used recipe for preparing the famous Mexican version Guacamole is discussed here.
Ingredients: Ingredients used for preparing the dip include avocado, lemon juice, garlic, tomato, green chilies, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Method of Preparation: Avocado dip recipe suggests peeling and mashing the avocado, and then adding lemon juice to it. A cling film is used during the peeling process to prevent discoloration of the avocado. Chopped tomato, garlic, green chilies, mayonnaise and sour cream are added to this along with salt and pepper, and mixed well. The Guacamole, so prepared, is refrigerated and served chilled.
Serving Avocado Dip
The dip is served with crusty bread, crackers, chips or other snacks or vegetable dishes. It is served chilled, often in a bowl surrounded by breads or chips kept on a plate.
Avocado Dip Recipe Variations
- Avocado Cream Cheese Dip: It is made with cream cheese, avocado, Tabasco sauce, garlic, lemon juice, onion and salt.
- Guasacaca: This is a Venezuelan sauce made with avocado and vinegar, and is more acidic and thinner in consistency than Guacamole. It is served over grilled foods, empanadas, arepas, etc.
- Bacon Avocado Dip : Bacon is cooked till crisp, broken into bits and then added to the rest of the ingredients of plain avocado dip to make this dip.
- Middle Eastern Avocado Dip: A Middle Eastern version of the dip is made with cumin seeds, garlic, kosher salt, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and ripe avocadoes.
Nutritional Information
A single serving of the dip contains about 75 calories, 5.63g fat, 6.87g carbohydrates, 1.54g protein and 1.44mg sodium. Avocadoes are an excellent source of vitamin E, and they also helpful in prevention of diseases like cancer, heart disease and eye disorders like cataract and macular degeneration.
Miscellaneous Facts
While fresh guacamole is available in stores where it is kept refrigerated, a non-fresh commercial avocado based dip that tastes quite the same is preserved by packaging under high pressure or freezing.
