Shrimp in red aguachile

If you have little time to cook or you have an unexpected visit, one option is to prepare shrimp in red aguachile. It is a quick recipe to prepare, very healthy and also liked by the majority. The shrimp can be cooked in lemon or cooked in boiling water until they change color and then they are usually seasoned with chili, onion, garlic and other additives according to the custom in the region where they are prepared.

However, it is good to note that there are various ways to prepare shrimp in red aguachile. They differ in the chile used, in some places the chiltepin chili is used, which is found in the wild, others the chile de árbol.

Also, they differ in the way they cook the shrimp, those who like the raw flavor cook them in lemon juice and those who don't like that flavor cook them previously in boiling water until they change color.

The differences also reach the ingredients where in many cases, in addition to chili, onion and garlic, cucumber, clam broth, avocado, Worcestershire sauce, mango, paprika, tequila, among other elements, are added.

History of Shrimp in Red Aguachile

The origins of the shrimp in red aguachile, it is affirmed that it occurred in Sinaloa, where shrimp is produced on a large scale. The aguachile is prepared with the wild chiltepin chile in that region. It spread throughout the regions of Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora and Baja California, until it became popular throughout Mexico.

The original recipe consisted of machacada meat with water and chiltepin pepper. Subsequently, the meat was replaced by fresh shrimp marinated in lemon juice, chilies, salt and black pepper. The recipe has been modified and in each house the type of chili used in the preparation of the dish is decided: chiltepín, anchos, or de árbol, habaneros, jalapeños, among others, according to the taste of the diners.

the habit of making shrimp in red aguachile It spread throughout all the regions of Mexico. In each of them the recipe was undergoing variations according to the tastes and needs of that region. Also in each family the original recipe is changed, adapting it to particular tastes.

Shrimp in red aguachile recipe

To prepare this delicious it is necessary to have on hand the ingredients that are presented below:

Ingredients

1kg shrimp

1 cup with chiles de árbol

2 cucumbers

3 red onions

½ cup of lemon juice

Ketchup

4 cups of water

2 avocados

Salt to taste

From these ingredients, now we go to the preparation of the dish:

Preparation

• Boil the shrimp in water until they turn pink.
• The shrimp are then cleaned, peeling and cutting to remove the intestine from each shrimp. Reserve.
• Cut the onions, and slice the cucumbers.
• Then, blend the cucumbers, chiles, onions, lemon juice, some water, tomato sauce and salt to taste. It is left in the blender for 5 minutes.
• Next, the content reserved in the blender and the shrimp are combined in a container, covered with plastic and refrigerated for approximately half an hour.
• Finally, they are taken out of the fridge, heated for 15 minutes and served with pieces of avocado.

Tips for making Shrimp in Red Aguachile

1. If the shrimp in red aguachile They will only be cooked with the lemon it contains, it is important to choose only fresh shrimp to make this recipe.
2. In cases where it is decided to cook the shrimp with lemon that contains the aguachile a little, the maceration should not exceed 10 min so that the shrimp remain soft. The longer the maceration lasts, the harder and chewier the consistency of the shrimp will be.
3. A balance must be sought between the amount of lemon juice and the amount of chili that are added to the preparation of the aguachile.
4. When cleaning the shrimp it is important to remove what looks like a black vein that is actually its intestine, which is the length of the shrimp. If they are prepared without removing them, the taste obtained will not be pleasant.
5. In case you want the aguachile not to be too spicy, you can lower it if you remove the seeds of the chiles de árbol used in the preparation.
6. If you are in the habit of roasting the ingredients, it is recommended to remove the chiles before the onion because they toast more quickly.

Did you know….?

Shrimps, which are part of the plate of shrimp in red aguachile, provides the body of those who consume them with important benefits, among which are:

• They provide proteins with which the muscles stay healthy and reinforce the immune system.
• They provide vitamin A that helps, among other things, to keep vision healthy. Vitamin E good for the skin, vision, blood and brain. B6, which helps oxygenation of the cells to reach them. B12, which keeps brain neurons healthy.
• They are rich in minerals among which stand out: potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese. Shrimp are also rich in beta-carotene, which is considered anticancer.

Chilies also make their beneficial contribution to the body because they contain proteins and vitamins B6, A and C.

Lemon juice, which is also part of the dish of shrimp in red aguachileAmong other benefits they provide, the following stand out: strengthening the immune system and helping the action of white blood cells.

In the areas of Mexico where the chilpetín chile is used in the dish of shrimp in red aguachile, they attribute miraculous properties to said chile to cure many diseases, among which are: flu, gastritis, earaches, coughs, and even the evil eye.

With the addition of avocado to the dish, its properties are also added, which consist of: it contains fiber that helps the digestive system, potassium which cares for the muscles and the nervous system. It also contains vitamin E, C and B6.