Asparagus with Mung Dal Sabji

Well - We just welcomed a beautiful baby girl in our family - Baby Sayana. And mommy Avanti needed some nutritious food to get her going. So I thought why not make her some Asparagus. It is dense in antioxidants, folate, vitamin C and calcium - all the things a recovering mother would need. Throw some mung dal in the mix and we got a nutrition party going on over here! Who says healthy food cannot be tasty!!

Ingredients and Method:

1. Heat oil for tempering 

2. Add 1/4 tsp rai or mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp jeera or cumin seeds - let it sputter

3. Add a dash of asafoedita and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

4. Right away add 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions and sautee really well until translucent but not too brown

5. Add kokum (optional)

6. Add about 1/4 cup yellow mung dal (this should be kind of precooked in the microwave with enough water to cover it. Run it about 5 mins. Check for water add if water has dried and run it again for another few minutes until cooked)

7 Add the mung dal to the pan and sautee and mix well

8. Add finely chopped aspargus (see how i cut it in circles in the picture)

9. Add 1/4 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp cumin powder
10. Add finely chopped tomoatoes towards the end for color
11. Add some sugar and salt
12. Mix well and serve hot.

Tip: Asparagus cooks really fast so do not walk away from the stove. It should not take more than 5 to 8 minutes. I like mine a bit on the crunchy side but if you like it cooked a bit more, adjust your cooking time.