Gazan Smashed Avocados
4
servings
Side Dish
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
2
Hass avocados
1
garlic clove, crushed
1
green chilli, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
2 tbsp
Greek yogurt or labneh
2 tbsp
extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp
sesame seeds
Sumac, to serve
Avocados grow throughout the Gaza Strip and in this recipe they are paired with garlic and green chilli for a spicy side dish. Use the ripest avocados you can find here, as those will give the creamiest results. When Ahmed made this for me, he called it the “Gazan guac,” and—like that South American namesake—it makes an excellent dip.
Directions
- Halve the avocados lengthways, remove the pits, then spoon the insides into a bowl and mash them with a fork. You want a bit of texture, so don’t feel the need to get it completely smooth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except the sesame seeds and sumac, seasoning with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stirring well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a touch more lemon juice or salt as you prefer, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and sumac and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
Yasmin Khan
Yasmin Khan is a food and travel writer, broadcaster and author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed travel cookbooks The Saffron Tales (Bloomsbury 2016), Zaitoun (Norton 2019), and Ripe Figs (2021).