Hello! My name is Georgia, and I am the creator behind the viral smashed avocado petai sandwich that you have seen popping up all over social media lately. Here I will share my viral recipe as well as some more insights.
Since sharing the petai sandwich, I have shared some more of my favourite Asian fusion recipes with petai such as petai spaghetti as well as petai sambal fried rice!
How did I come to know what Petai is?
If you don't know already, I have been living in South East Asia since 2017, and since 2019 I have been living specifically in Malaysia. The first time I tried Petai, I was out at dinner with some of my Malaysian friends. I only tried a few beans and I liked it! I knew it was a stink bean but I didn't eat enough to notice any stinky effects.
The second time I tried Petai
Despite trying petai, I still had no idea what unpeeled petai looked like. I was exploring a local wet market and I asked the seller what this long green curly bean was. She explained that it is a bean that can be eaten with sambal and rice. I decided to give it a go! Although, I had no idea that this was the famous stinky beans. Excited to try this bean, I cooked it with rice and sambal and I loved it! I ate so much that night and it wasn't until the next day that I realised this was a stinky bean. Alas, I couldn't stand the smell of my breath or my toilet for the next 3 days!! I shared this experience on my IG as well.
Now when I enjoy petai I only have 5-10 beans maximum. I find this the easiest way to enjoy this bean without any smelly after effects to worry about.
Why did I decide to make a smashed avocado petai sandwich?
Petai is such a strong aromatic flavour and it reminds me of garlic or red onion. It is quite common to add red onion to avocado dishes. However, I'm not a huge fan of red onion! I just knew that I would like the flavour combination of petai with avocado. What I didn't know was how weird or bizarre this idea would be to many citizens of South East Asia!
Online reaction to the petai sandwich
I already knew that people would find my recipe strange but I had no idea that it would be so viral. My first western recipe with petai was a pumpkin lemongrass soup that garnered a lot of attention! I knew after sharing this recipe that my western petai recipes would be controversial to most Malaysians and Indonesians.
The truth is that I love creating recipes with petai and I particularly love western infused recipes because it is simply what my palate is used to! I know that many people feel strongly about what petai should or shouldn't be cooked, but I am honestly only sharing what I like! So far I have made petai sambal spaghetti and petai sambal fried rice as well.
How to make a smashed avocado petai sandwich
Making a petai sandwich is easy! As the name suggests, all you need to do is smash some avocado and mix in the ingredients before spreading onto your favourite bread.
Ingredients for a petai sandwich
Petai
Petai is the star ingredient for this dish! Personally, I like to blanch the petai bean to try to reduce the intensity of the bean but it can also be eaten raw. The petai is what will add a strong aromatic flavour to the sandwich.
Avocado
Smashed avocado on a sandwich is a classic combo in Australia! Make sure to choose a ripe avocado that is green on the inside but easily mashed with a fork.
Lime juice
Lime juice is added to the mix to create a tangy flavour that is perfectly complimented with the chilli and avocado. Adding lime juice also stops the avocado from turning brown, which means this sandwich can be enjoyed later in the day or stored in the fridge for 1 day.
Chilli
Chilli adds the perfect spicy kick to the sandwich! I like to use chilli flakes, or you can try mixing in some sambal instead. Depending on your spice tolerance, you can try adding my super spicy sambal recipe or my less spicy sambal recipe.
Salt
Add a pinch of salt to the smashed avocado before serving. This is a small step that should not be skipped because it really does enhance the overall flavour of the sandwich.
How to make a petai sandwich
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of petai beans (approximately 10 to 15 beans)
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon red chilli flakes
- 4 slices bread (2 slices for 1 sandwich)
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Prepare the petai beans
Peel the petai beans if not already peeled. Slice the beans in half to check that there are no worms inside. Clean the worms and the beans. Blanch the petai beans by steaming for 10 minutes and then dunk in ice cold water for 1 minute. Dry the beans and diced finely.
Prepare the smashed avocado
To a bowl, add the avocado and mash with a fork. Add the petai, chilli flakes, salt and lime juice and mix. Spread onto 1 slice of bread before adding the second slice of bread and slicing in half.
Let's make a smashed avocado petai sandwich!
Discover your new favourite petai recipe with this smashed avocado petai sandwich! If you liked this recipe, make sure to leave me a comment and review below. I love hearing from you!
For more easy and healthy recipes like this one you can follow me on YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, and PINTEREST.
Petai Sandwich (Smashed Avocado)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch petai beans (approx 10 to 15 beans)
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime juice extracted, seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon red chilli flakes
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 slices bread 2 slices for 1 sandwich
Instructions
- Peel the petai beans if not already peeled.
- Slice the beans in half to check that there are no worms inside. Clean the worms and the beans.
- Blanch the petai beans by steaming for 10 minutes and then dunk in ice cold water for 1 minute.
- Dry the beans and diced finely.
- To a bowl, add the avocado and mash with a fork.
- Add the petai, chilli flakes, salt and lime juice and mix.
- Spread onto 1 slice of bread before adding the second slice of bread and slicing in half.
Leave a Reply