Making the masala
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp chana dal
- 2 tbsp urad dal
- 2 tbsp toor dal
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 8-10 Indian red chillies
Method:
- Dry roast all the ingredients seperately and cool. Grind everything in a spice grinder. You will only need about 3 tbsp of this masala for the asaparagus.
- Store the rest in an air tight container for later use.
Making the poriyal
Ingredients:
- About 20 stalks of asparagus
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minched
- 2 tbsp of freshly grated coconut (dessicated if unavailable)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves, cut in half
- 3 tbsp of the above masala powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsps of chopped coriander leaves
Method:
- Cut off the woody stems from the asparagus spears.
- Then cut the asparagus into very small pieces - about 1 cm (~1/2 in) pieces.
- Put the pan on medium heat, add the oil to the pan, add the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the curry leaves after the seeds splutter.
- Add the onions and fry until they are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, fry for a minute or so.
- Add the asparagus pieces, stir, cook for a couple of minutes. Add salt.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, cook for about 5-10 minutes until the asparagus is soft. (You may need to add a little water if sticking is a problem. The additional water will evaporate so there's no harm done).
- Sprinkle about 3 tbsp of the masala to the asparagus, stir and cook for another couple of minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle the cilantro leaves as a garnish.
It may be cooked it until it is totally soft or if you prefer you can leave a little crunch to it. |
|
