Avocado Yogurt Salad Dressing (or) Spread (or) Drink

No. of servings:  10
Preparation Time:  10 mins	Cook Time:  None

This versatile, refreshing, almost addictive recipe is a must-try.  Bursting with flavors, it can pass for a dressing on top of salads (or) as a spread on sandwiches (or) as a drink!

Ingredients:

• Ripe Avocado - 1
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
• Yogurt - 1.5 cups (use non-dairy yogurt or almond milk for vegan version)
• Jalapeno - 1 
• Cumin - 2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1.5 tsp
• Garlic cloves - 6
• Salt
• Agave nectar - 2 tsp
• Mint sprigs - for serving (optional)

Method:

Salad Dressing (or) Spread:

• Deseed the jalapeno and microwave it (covered) for a minute
• Place all the ingredients in a blender in the opposite order as listed above
• Run the blender in 'salad dressing' or just regular 'grind' setting
• Pour it out into a bowl
• Add half a cup of water and whisk it in the jar and add to the dressing
• Scoop generous amounts of this dressing and top it on your favorite salads
• Add less water and it can replace mayonnaise or chutney in sandwiches

Drink:

• Cut the quantity of all the ingredients in half, except yogurt
• Grind them into a smooth paste as before  and pour out into a juice-serving jar
• Add 2 litres of water into the blender jar and whisk it 
• Pour out the water into the ground ingredients and mix well
• Adjust salt and spice as per preference
• Put it in the refrigerator for an hour
• Top it with a sprig of mint and serve away! 

Tips and Tricks:

• To get perfect avocados, place firm avocados in a brown paper bag and fold over to close.  Leave it aside for a couple days until they become soft.  Use it (or) store it in the refrigerator for later use (they can stay good for 7-10 days in the fridge)
• These two can be stored upto a week in the refrigerator without changing in color.  Although it has avocado, the yogurt and lemon prevent it from browning 
• Placing the smaller spices at the bottom of the jar ensures that they grind smoothly 
• Microwaving the jalapeno gives a softer flavor of spice rather than raw jalapeno
• Whisking with water for both dressing and drink makes cleanup easier, without wasting any of the delicious ingredients

Pictures: 

Final Outcome:

              Salad Dressing (or) Spread

                              Drink