Asparagus Tomato Dal

Blogging Marathon# 52: Week 2/ Day 1

Theme: Seasonal Veggies & Fruits

Dish: Asparagus Tomato Dal

My theme for the second week of this month's marathon is 'Dishes with Seasonal Veggies & Fruits'. First up is a simple dal with asparagus and tomato.

Asparagus is a spring vegetable and I look forward to buying it when in season. Asparagus has a delicate flavor and is composed of 93% water. It is low in calories and very low in sodium. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, protein etc etc.

I see asparagus all year round in the grocery stores but some times they tend to be woody and also very expensive. The in-season asparagus are very tender and reasonably priced. They almost taste like tender green beans and I love it them roasted or grilled.
I rarely used asparagus in Indian dishes but after seeing quite a few dry curry recipes on some blogs, I decided to try it in this dal recipe. It cooks up in no time and blends really well in any dish. Served with rice and papad, this asparagus dal is a comforting dish for any time of the day.

Ingredients: Serves 3~4

Toor Dal - ½cup
Asparagus - 1cup, chopped into 1" pieces
Tomato - 2 medium ripe, chopped
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Green chilies - 2, slit
Turmeric - ¼tsp

Red Chili powder - ¼tsp (adjust as per taste)
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Dry red chili - 1 (optional)
Hing/ Asafoetida - ¼tsp
Curry leaves - 8~10
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - 2tsp

Method:

• Cook toor dal until mushy either in the pressure cooker (for about 4~5 whistles) or in a saucepan with water.
• Heat 2tsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds & cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add dry red chili, hing and curry leaves.
• Next add the asparagus and turmeric. Cover and cook till asparagus is tender, about 3~5 minutes - depending on the thickness of the asparagus used.
• Add the tomatoes, cover and cook for another 3~4 minutes or until tomatoes are mushy.
• Add red chili powder and salt. Now stir in the cooked dal and mix well. Simmer for 3~4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 52.