Kerala-Style Avocado Chutney
Cayenne is a red or green hot chili pepper used to flavor chile food dishes and is also used for medicinal purposes. Named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum related to bell peppers, jalapeños, and others.
Ingredients:
3 medium-size Haas or Fuerte avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp tamarind paste or concentrate
1 tsp coarse kosher or sea salt
2 to 4 fresh green Thai, cayenne or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed, finely chopped (do not remove seeds)
1 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
12 medium-size to large fresh curry leaves
Instructions:
Combine the avocados, cilantro, tamarind paste, salt and chiles in a medium-size bowl. Toss well to mix.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, cover the skillet and cook until the seeds have stopped popping, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the curry leaves. (They will crackle and spatter, so watch out!)
Scrape the contents of the skillet into the avocado mixture and fold it in. Serve immediately with fire-roasted lentil wafers or kettle chips.
Recipe by Raghavan Iyer, from his cookbook “660 Curries”, via flickr.com