I love asparagus! After having tried it as a soup, in pasta, and simply steamed, I was stumped for how else to use it, until a friend Indianised it and made a curry out of it. I don't remember her exact recipe, but guessed and came up with a version that we love. It's quick, and doesn't compromise the tender, juiciness of the asparagus, but just adds a mild spiciness to it. Pairs well with rice as well as rotis.
On another note, is there any vegetable left that we Indians haven't made a curry, chutney, or a podi out of? 🙂
| Prep Time | 10 mins |
| Cook Time | 8 mins |
| Servings |
servings
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Ingredients
- 1 small bunch tender asparagus The slim version works great for this curry
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 or 2 Green chilies
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder optional
- 1.5 tsp Salt
To Season
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Hing/asafoetida
Ingredients
To Season
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Instructions
- Chop onions and asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces
- Heat oil in a kadai/vaanali/curved pan
- When hot, splutter the mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds and hing
- Add the onions, and the chilies and saute, with a pinch of salt, until the onions turn translucent
- Add the asparagus, and the chili powder and coriander powder if using
- Cover and cook for about 5 minutes
- Open the lid and check the asparagus. It should be cooked, and yet retain a bite. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes
- Turn the heat off, transfer to a serving bowl; serve with rice/rasam or rotis
Recipe Notes
Asparagus is a mellow vegetable, and steam cooks in just a few minutes, lending itself to any flavor it's cooked with.
Some Variations:
- Add a pinch garam masala or any other flavoring of your choice at the end
- Make a powder of panch phoron (mixed whole spice mix of five spices readily available in any Indian grocery store) and add a teaspoon of it at the end. Adds a wonderful flavor
- Panch Phoron: From wikipedia: "All of the spices in panch phoron are seeds. Typically, panch phoron consists of fenugreek seed (methi मेथी दाना), nigella seed (मंग्रैल / कलौंजी), cumin seed(जीरा), black mustard seed (राई) and fennel seed (सौंफ़) in equal parts."
- I keep a packet of panch phoron in the freezer and make a coarse powder of a couple of teaspoons when needed, and sprinkle on some curries as a finishing touch
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