Mumbai Food: Mumbai chefs create their own mockamole

Pics/Ashish Raje

Desperate times call for desperate measures. With the price of avocado skyrocketing across the US due to high temperatures in California, chefs have been compelled to find cheaper but worthy alternatives. The result? A faux dip called mockamole made with ingredients that mimic the creamy texture of the Mexican squash and produce a taste that comes impressively close. We decided to throw open the challenge to Mumbai chefs to use their imagination and skill, and come up with their own version of the mockamole.

With green tomato and cream cheese

By chef Mitesh Rangras, consultant chef at Derby

While scouting for a worthy substitute for avocado, it's important to pick an ingredient that can replicate its texture," says chef Mitesh Rangras, consultant chef at Derby. Nailing the texture can be tricky. It needs to be creamy but firm, buttery but earthy. "Some types of avocado even have a sweetish flavour with a mild vegetable flavour even though it's a fruit." For this, he has chosen green tomato for its fruity flavour and dark green hue, and cream cheese to lend it richness.
"Tomatoes are also added to guacamole as an ingredient and are also used a lot in Mexican cuisine to make different salsas. Hence the green tomato approach," he says.
As part of the experiment, Rangras has created a "new age" vegetarian appetiser combining sev puri with dips like hummus and mockamole as it couples the crunch of the puri with the creaminess of the hummus and the zesty flavours of the mockamole.

Ingredients for mockamole
1 large jalapeno chilli pepper, washed and dried (or pickled and bottled Jalapeno peppers also work)
1 red long pepper
4 large green tomato (remove seeds)
1 green cucumber (deseeded and finely chopped)
1 medium-sized onion
1 clove garlic (peeled)
1 medium-sized bunch of fresh coriander leaves
Juice of 1 freshly-squeezed lime
150 gm of cream cheese
1 tea spoon sugar (to balance)
salt to taste
Note: If you like it spicier, feel free to add a couple of green chilies to this sauce

Ingredients for green pea hummus
300 gm peas (Blanched in salt water for 2 minutes)
40 ml tahini
2 garlic cloves (peeled)
60 ml olive oil
Juice of 1 freshly squeezed limes
1 tsp cumin powder (toasted)
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Charred Corn
100 gm American corn (kernels)
A pinch of chilli powder
20 gm butter
10 ml olive oil
A dash of lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method for green tomato dip
Preheat the broiler of your oven.
Broil chilli peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic clove on a baking sheet in a single layer; broil 3 to 5 minutes on each side until blackened. Remove from oven.
Let the blackened hot chilli peppers steam for 10 minutes in a bowl by covering it in a plastic wrap or an airtight lid. Remove stems, skins and seeds (if desired).
Blend tomatoes, chilli peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro and lime juice into a smooth paste.
Mash the cream cheese and combine with the mockamole mixture. Add the cucumber. Season to taste with salt and sugar

Method for green pea hummus
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor for a few minutes till you get the consistency you desire.

Method for charred corn
Blanche the corn.
In a cast iron pan, heat up the oil and butter.
Add the corn and toss till the it starts getting a charred colour.
Add the other ingredients and keep ready.

Assembly
Place the puris on a platter.
Add a tea spoon of the hummus on top.
Then place a few corn kernels and a little of the mockamole.
Garnish with coriander.

With edamame beans and green onions

By Amol Patil, executive chef, 145 All Day Cafe and Bar

Chef Amol Patil, executive chef, 145 All Day Cafe and Bar, has created a low-fat alternative to avocado toast using edamame beans. "Avocado is rich in protein and dietary fibres so we wanted to find its substitute with similar qualities," he says. While Patil's objective was to keep the mockamole smooth, nutty and sweet, he also wanted to spruce it up by adding a hint of spice with chopped green chillies, and a bit of tang with lime juice.

Ingredients
150 gm peeled edamame beans
25 gm feta cheese
2 tsp lime juice
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 green chilli chopped
2 tbsp chopped green onions
1 tbsp chopped red onion
¼ tsps salt or as if required
¼ tsp crushed black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 multi grain toast

Method
Blend edamame and feta cheese into a fine paste
In a mixing bowl and add all chopped ingredients with edamame paste, lime juice and olive oil to make a smooth spread.
Add seasoning, spread edamame mixture on multigrain toast, garnish with chopped cilantro.

With asparagus, onion and garlic

By chef Subhash Shirke, corporate chef, Woodside Inn

Chef Subhash Shirke, corporate chef, Neighbourhood Hospitality, has chosen asparagus as the chief ingredient in the mockamole. The vegetable is blanched and made into a purée to make it deliciously creamy. "This version is tad crunchy in texture and zestier compared to the traditional guacamole." Of course, it cannot taste the same but, as Shirke points out, "It's bright and sumptuous and has its own identity."

Ingredients
100 gm spears of fresh asparagus
20 gm chopped cilantro
15 gm garlic chopped
15 gm red onions chopped
15 gm tomato chopped
15 gm softened cream cheese (low fat)
15 ml Lime juice
Pink salt and black pepper crush to taste

Method
Boil the asparagus in a pot for about 5-6 minutes until it's tender but firm. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Remove as much excess water as possible.
Blend asparagus cilantro, cream cheese, garlic, onion, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper to desired consistency
Half of this portion should be crushed and half portion should be puréed. Mix the two well and refrigerate 1 hour, or until chilled, before serving.

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