Avocado phulkas

It’s been a long time since my last post. (If I were to count the number of times that I started a post with the previous sentence, I probably would need to make use of the fingers and toes of my friends and family in order to sum it up!)

The reason is that my mother was here for the last month or so, and I happily quit the kitchen – partly because it was convenient, and partly because there would not really have been any way to prevent her from cooking and cleaning, what with me being away at work from 9 to 5. Besides, it's been a while since I've had the comfort and pleasure of amma's cooking!

Anyway, I made these phulkas at least two months ago, and the post has been hanging fire ever since. It’s not going to be new for many people, because it’s possibly been a few years since the whole use-mashed-avocado-to-make-chapati-dough sensation arose and died down. I like to think that I’m like one of those marathon runners who lag way behind everybody all through the event and limp in alone a few hours/days/weeks/months/years later, and then get applauded for at least finishing the darned thing - although I doubt there will be any applause coming my way in this instance. However, if you do wish to congratulate me, I will be happy to accept any commendation. I’m not too proud for that.

The only other thing I wish to say that is unrelated to this post is that I will probably be taking it slow – or rather, taking it slower – with this blog in the coming months for personal reasons. I do still have 2-3 recipes that I want to post, but beyond that… well, hopefully 2012 will see in a more committed and enthusiastic me.

So, about the avocado effect – the chapatti dough was soft and could be rolled out beautifully thin, and the phulkas stayed soft for longer than they normally do with me. Very nice, as you all probably know already.

Recipe for:   Avocado phulkas

Ingredients:


1 large ripe avocado

4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds


Method:


1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.

2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.

Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.

4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.

5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.

If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

RECIPE: AVOCADO PHULKAS

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado
4 cups wholewheat chapati flour
salt to taste
water as required
1 tbsp omam/ajwain/carom seeds

Method:

1. Scoop out the avocado flesh, discarding the skin and seed, and mash it smooth.
2. Put the mashed avocado in a large mixing bowl and add the flour, ajwain/carom seeds, and salt to taste. Using water as required, slowly mix the flour and avocado to make an elastic, smooth dough. It shouldn't be sticky.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a lime, and roll it out into an even, thin circle, sprinkling extra flour if it looks like sticking to the rolling pin, and turning it over as required.
4. Place the rolled out dough on a hot tava, letting it cook for 30 seconds or so, then flip it over and let that side cook.
5. At this point you can use a phulka "mesh" to cook the phulka directly over the open flame, letting it puff up, then flipping it over to cook the other side.
If you're unfamiliar with this method, you can cook the phulka on the tava itself by gently pressing down on the dough with a clean, bunched up tea towel till the phulka acquires brown spots.
6. Serve hot with dal and a vegetable curry.

Avocado milkshake

Did you know that when an avocado is really ripe, the skin peels off almost by itself? You only have to start it off with a peeler - after that you can just strip it off. This is the sort of discovery you can make if you leave an avocado in the fruit bowl for day after day after day after day... until you get perilously close to having it die of non-use and old age. My avocado nearly met with that fate - this despite my mother's gentle daily reminder in one form or another ("what were you going to do with the avocado?" "did you find a recipe for the avocado?" "the avocado seems quite ripe now" "Will you be using the avocado today?" and so on) of its existence.



Well, today turned out to be the last day of the rest of the avocado's life (to re-coin a phrase). Although I've known about and liked avocados since my first hill station holiday in Tamil Nadu (except that I knew them as "butterfruit" - the name very likely to do with their rich creamy taste), by and large, I'm not terribly fond of guacamole. And since I dont do sandwiches enthusiastically either, I was pretty much at a loss about what else to do with avocados other than eat them raw.

And then I came across a recipe for avocado milkshake in a blog called "The Traveler's Lunchbox", which seemed promising. Of course, at that point the avocado I had was not ripe enough to try out the recipe, so both had to hang fire until the circumstances turned auspicious... which was today.

Pete thought the milkshake tasted "green", kind of grassy - really, his way of saying "You may now drink the rest, thanks". Honestly, though, the shake was creamy and lovely and a pale green, but only in colour. Taste-wise, it was lovely. I'm glad I know what to do with avocados that end up in my less-than-ideal care.

Recipe for: Avocado milkshake



1 large ripe avocado
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp light condensed milk (or to taste)
3 cups cold semi-skimmed or skimmed milk (more as required)
1/2 cup crushed ice

Method:

1. Peel the avocado and de-seed it.



2. Cut into pieces.



3. Place in a blender with the crushed ice, vanilla extract and condensed milk.



Add a cupful of cold milk



and whip till well blended. Thin with more cold milk depending on how thick you like your shake. Taste for sweetness and add more condensed milk if required.

4. Pour into a tall glass over some crushed ice if liked, and serve cold, garnished with a sprig of mint.