How to Make Guacamole con Granada

Guacamole Granada, a variation on the traditional mashed avocado dip, includes pomegranate jewels

This article will give you step-by-step instructions for making a guacamole dip fit for a fiesta! Try making the guacamole recipe included here, or add pomegranate to your favorite guacamole recipe.

Things You'll Need

• medium bowl
• large bowl
• sharp knife
• small paring knife
• fine mesh strainer
• 2 avocados
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 green onions
• 1 pomegranate
• tortilla chips
• Optional: Hatch green chiles, garlic salt, molcajete (for mashing avocado)

Instructions

1. 

   Gather together ingredients and find substitutions, if necessary. In a pinch, lemon juice can replace lime juice, garlic powder and salt can replace garlic salt, sweet onions can replace green onions, etc.

2. 

   Halve the avocados. Scoop out the avocado pulp into a molcajete and mash. You may also scoop the avocado into a medium bowl and mash the pulp with a fork.

3. 

   Stir in lime juice. Fresh lime juice is nicest, but you may also use bottled lime juice. The lime juice serves the practical purpose of preventing the guacamole from browning as a result of air exposure, but it also adds a wonderful zesty flavor.

4. Add salt.

5. 

   Chop the green onions and stir them into the mixture.

6. 

   Cut off the crown of the pomegranate.

7. 

   Use a paring knife to score sections into the outer layer of the pomegranate.

8. 

   Submerge the pomegranate in a large bowl of water and break it apart.

9. 

   Remove the pomegranate jewels. The white membrane will float to the top and the red seeds will sink to the bottom.

10. 

    Remove the white membrane from the water with your hand or with a slotted spoon. Pour the water over a fine mesh strainer, leaving the pomegranate jewels behind.

11. 

    Stir the pomegranate jewels into the guacamole mixture. Reserve a few tablespoons for garnish, if you like.

12. 

    Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips & Warnings

• Diced green chiles usually come in 4 oz. cans. If you decide to add green chiles to your guacamole, you might want to double the recipe. By using twice the ingredients, you can conveniently use a whole can of diced green chiles.

• It is common to leave an avocado pit in the guacamole to help mantain freshness and color.

• Breaking a pomegranate open can be messy. Although submerging the pomegranate in water helps to control the mess, you will also want to wear an apron and clear sufficient work space before you begin.