Ingredients :

• Basmati rice — This is the base that makes everything work. Basmati remains firm and slightly detached after cooking, which round rice doesn’t do—it becomes pasty and sticks in a mass. Get it in bulk if you can; bagged discount brands absorb too much water. The key: let it cool completely before assembling.
• Cooked shrimp — Get them frozen and peeled; it’s honestly more practical than fresh from the fishmonger for this recipe. Thaw them overnight in the fridge in a colander—they keep their firm texture and won’t release water into the salad. If you want a little extra, a minute in the pan with a drop of oil wakes them up.
• Avocado — The temperamental ingredient. Too ripe, and it turns into mash at the first stir. Not ripe enough, and it tastes like an eraser. The right ripeness: the skin yields slightly under the thumb without collapsing. As soon as you cut it, the lemon juice goes on—no hesitation.
• Cucumber — Its role is crunch and freshness. If your cucumber is waterlogged (you’ll feel it when cutting, it drips), remove the seeds with a spoon. Otherwise, all that water ends up at the bottom of the bowl and dilutes the seasoning.