Pay close attention or you may think this sweet pea dip is guacamole. It’s texture and color are spot on and the flavor, not quite avocado — it’s not fatty enough — is not peas either. Michael Roberts created this recipe as a self-challenge after a lady commented on how less-reputable restaurants used peas to dilute guacamole.

The recipe is in Roberts’ Secret Ingredients cookbook and was posted many years ago to the Prodigy Internet service. It has been copied over the Internet and in print ever since, often without credit to Roberts. There are also variants that add some avocado, tomato, sour cream, or even cooked broccoli.

The peas with the lime are the essential combination. Their flavors just balance well in the proportions given. The olive oil adds the needed fat, but could be replaced by some other liquid oil. The other ingredients contribute to the flavor and could be varied to taste.

Recipe

This dip may be served whenever you would use guacamole. It has less calories than guacamole and a refreshing flavor. The sweetness of the peas is important for the recipe, so Roberts suggests using frozen peas, as it is hard to find fresh peas that are as sweet. Lemon does not work as well as lime, and use only freshly squeezed lime to avoid bitter (or flat) citrus tastes. How many chilies is up to how sensitive you are to its capsaicin: half if you are not used to spicy-hot food, two if you eat spicy at Thai and Indian restaurants.

For the recipe you will need:

• 1 or 2 Serrano chilies
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (30ml, about one lime)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml)
• ¹⁄₄ bunch of cilantro (¹⁄₄ bunch = 14 grams)
• 1 lb. frozen sweet peas (454 grams)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ³⁄₄ teaspoon of salt
• 1 garlic clove
• ¹⁄₂ red onion

1. Defrost the peas in cold water or in the microwave. They shouldn’t be frozen, but they should not feel warm.

2. Slice the Serranos in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds. If you want it less hot, remove the white placenta.

3. Add the chilies, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro to the food processor and blend until well mixed.

4. Add the peas, the cumin, and the salt. Quarter the garlic clove and add it to the bowl; you want it minced, not crushed. Pulse until a paste forms. Watch carefully and test the texture often. There is no right texture: some like it smooth, others like it uneven.

5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the finely chopped onion mixing with a spoon or spatula.

The ingredients in this recipe differ slightly from Roberts. He had no garlic, and used ¹⁄₄ of an onion and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon of ground cumin. I feel our tastes for Mexican flavors have evolved and our expectations from guacamole require the extra spices.