Lubna Street Food – A Few Favorites ( Part 1)
One of the many lures of travel is the exposure to a diverse array of cuisines. Even within a single country, you can experience subtle differences based on cultural or religious influences. I love the idea of street food. One of its biggest appeals is easy accessibility. You can walk up to a taco stand or a food truck and you have a bite to eat while you continue with your day. In addition, street food is usually much more affordable than walking into a fancy restaurant. Since cost of production is lower, the savings get passed on to consumers. But really, the most important reasons why I love street food….it’s delicious!!
In the coming sections, I’ll explore some street food and other easy eats. Stay tuned!
All aboard the street food train. First stop, Mexico!
Guacamole
Confession! I didn’t have my first avocado till I was twenty. They really weren’t very popular in Pakistan. Actually, even in America, they didn’t gain popularity till the 1950’s when people started experimenting with this versatile fruit and using it in salads. ( Pureed avocadoes and green tomatillos make a delicious salad dressing!) If you want to learn more about the origins of this fruit, you can read more about it here. I remember vividly the food chain Baja Fresh where I first had it. In fact, it was my first exposure to Mexican food in general. For a petite person, I could certainly down a big, fat burrito with ease! The meat lover that I was, I didn’t really care much for the rice and beans in my burrito, but I fell in love with the smooth and chunky guacamole. Azfar ( hubby dearest) started making it at home, and we served it as an appetizer at parties. It was easy, delectable, and a fun finger food!
Choosing the right avocadoes
Choosing the right avocadoes is key to making this perfect. If they are mushy or under ripe, the texture won’t come out right. To pick the just right avocado, feel it around. It should be firm but with a little give. In other words, it should not bruise easily. Another easy way to check for ripeness is to pick out the small stalk at the top. If this comes out easily, the avocado is ready to eat. The color of the outside skin will also dictate ripeness. For Hass avocadoes, go for dark green/purplish fruit. If the skin has turned black, or if you hear rattling inside, it’s an indication of over ripeness since the pit has dislodged from the over ripe flesh. I usually like to bring under ripe avocadoes and store them in a dark corner of the pantry, or in a brown paper bag, for a few days.
Ingredients:
3-4 Hass Avocados
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tomato diced (you can also use cherry tomatoes for extra flavor)
¼ of large red onion, finely diced
½ large serrano pepper (remove seeds if you want it less spicy)
½ bunch of chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon Guacamole salsa dip (optional – this is a concoction of pureed green tomatoes, garlic, onion and avocados- a good flavor enhancer.
Directions:
- Mash the avocadoes.
- Add all the other ingredients and mix in.
- Leave to marinate for an hour or so.
- Cover it with a cling wrap touching the surface of the mixture so as not to let air enter.
Note: Avocadoes easily discolor and oxidize if left out, so the cling/plastic wrap and keeping it in an airtight container, is essential. - Serve with some tortilla chips, or layer in a burrito or sandwich. Enjoy!
If you liked this, stay tuned for more finger food and other street food from around the world!
