DAL-SPARAGUS AKA ASPARAGUS DAL CURRY

1-2 cups- chana dal/ or any quick cooking lentil
3-4 cups- asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces (break off the woody portion before chopping it)
1 cup of coconut - jeera paste - grind 1 cup of coconut with 1 tsp of jeera/ cumin and 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 1/2 tsp of chillie powder
2 tsp oil/ ghee
few curry leaves
few dry red chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbs of coconut
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
2 shallots/ onion finely sliced
1 garlic finely sliced
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Method:
Cook chana dal till done with a little turmeric , salt, 2 slit green chillies and a few curry leaves. Add the asparagus and let it cook , with the coconut paste , till it's soft. Temper curry with the flavoured ghee/ oil.
Heat the ghee/oil in a small pan, splutter the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, saute the onion/shallots/garlic till brown along with the coconut shavings, dry red chillies and curry leaves add the hing just before pouring this mixture into the curry. Let the curry rest with a lid on for sometime. Serve with rice or roti.

I served ours with rice and it brought back childhood  memories of cheera thandu curry for my hubby who enjoyed the dasparagus so much that it was finger licking good.

Hope someone will try my south indian inspired asparagus curry and post comments.