Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Aguachile
228 kcal a serving, against 391 for the traditional version. That is 163 kcal off, or 42%, with 32.6g of protein. Serves 4. 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Raw prawns submerged in a vibrant, face-melting puree of lime juice, jalapenos and fresh coriander. Served with huge slabs of rich avocado and a mountain of deep-fried corn tortillas to scoop it all up.
What changed, and what each change costs
400g of prawns increased to 600g, while 200g of avocado drops to 50g
Avocado is delicious but incredibly dense in fat. Cutting it right down and adding more prawns shifts the entire focus of the plate to the lean seafood.
What it costs you. You lose the creamy buffer that tames the sharp chilli and lime. The acidity hits your palate much harder, and the dish feels significantly sharper and less forgiving.
200g of corn tortillas and 40g of vegetable oil swapped for 100g of corn tortillas, dry-toasted
Deep-frying tortillas turns them into incredible tostadas, but they soak up a lot of oil. Baking them dry gives you the crunch without the grease, and halving the amount cuts the starch.
What it costs you. Dry-toasted tortillas can be a bit brittle and lack the rich, savoury flavour that hot oil brings. It's the first compromise you'll notice when you try to scoop up the spicy juice.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 391 | 228 |
| Protein | 24.7g | 32.6g |
| Fat | 19.2g | 3.4g |
| Saturated fat | 2.7g | 0.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 34.4g | 19.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.3g | 14.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. crustaceans.
The method is in the book
This is an incredibly vibrant, aggressive plate of food. The citrus and chilli punch you right in the mouth, and the extra prawns make it a fiercely satisfying bowl. So: a loud, acidic wake-up call. A gentle starter was never on the table once the fat came out. You'll definitely miss the heavy, oily crunch of a proper fried tostada, and the tiny amount of avocado means you have nowhere to hide from the heat. But if you want something sharp, fresh and packed with seafood, this hits the mark perfectly.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback