Home > Es Alpukat (Avocado Shake)

Es Alpukat (Avocado Shake)

Posting Date: 05/10/16

Es Alpukat (Avocado Shake) is one of Indonesian drinks and it is very easy to make. In US, people treat avocado as a vegetable. However, in some Asian countries and Brazil, it is considered as a fruit (it is indeed a fruit by the way) and thus, it is widely used in drinks and desserts. One of the drinks that is popular in Indonesia is Es Alpukat. I have loved Es Alpukat since I was a little girl. The rich and creamy taste of avocado and milk combination just draws me into it. My mom introduced me to it. She used to buy it for me since she knew avocados had some health benefits. She also made it at home, too since it was so easy to make. You can easily find Es Alpukat from street vendors as well as in restaurants in Indonesia.

When I came to US, I thought I would not find it at any restaurants, except in Indonesian restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. My Vietnamese friend took me to a Vietnamese restaurant to introduce me to Vietnamese food and there I found out Avocado Shake was also popular in Vietnam and thus, you could find it in Vietnamese restaurants. From there on, I always tried to introduce Avocado Shake to all my friends who didn't even know that you could make a drink out of avocados. Some of them had a certain perception that avocado was vegetable and thus, it would not taste good as a dessert or drink. Some of them were willing to give it a try and they were pleasantly surprised. Now it has become one of their favorite drinks. Some of my friends were not willing to give it a try at all because of their perception. I guess they are missing the best thing in life.

The difference between Indonesian's and Vietnamese's Avocado shake is the chocolate syrup. In Indonesia, it is served with drizzle of chocolate syrup. Sometimes people also add coffee when making it. The latest trend in US is the addition of boba (tapioca ball) in the shake. It makes it even better because it adds texture to the shake.

I have to warn you that this recipe is not light and thus, it is not intended to be made daily. It uses 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk per serving. If you want to make it healthier, you can use milk, even fat free milk, and sugar, instead of sweetened condensed milk. That is what my mom used to do to make it healthier. When you use sugar, you can adjust the amount of sugar to use yourself. In addition, the chocolate syrup also adds the sweetness to the shake, so you don't need to use a lot of sugar.

Since this recipe is so easy to make, I always look forward to making it every summer. It is very refreshing in the summer. This recipe makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

12 ice cubes
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk or to taste
2 tablespoons cold water
chocolate syrup, to taste

Methods:

Place ice cubes, avocados, sweetened condensed milk, and water in a blender. Process them in a blender until it becomes completely smooth. You may need to use more water depending on how strong your blender is. However, try it with 2 tablespoons of water first to see whether it can process it or not. If not, add 1 more tablespoon of cold water. Do not put too much water since it will dilute the shake too much. Once smooth, taste it and add more sweetened condensed milk if you prefer. For me, 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk is enough since we will add chocolate syrup when we serve it.
Prepare 2 glasses by drizzling chocolate syrup on glass wall with whatever pattern you want. This will make a good presentation once your pour the shake into the glass. It also makes the syrup blend well with your shake once you mix it with a spoon. Pour the shake into 2 glasses. Serve them immediately.

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