Asparagus, locally known as Kurillo in Nepal, is considered to be very good for health. This highly nutritious food gives instant strength to the body along with increasing its immunity. Usually in Nepal, people tend to prepare asparagus soup for the sick and weak people to help them regain their strength. It is usually mixed with lentil and prepared as a soup, however, some also love to cook it separately, mixing it with potatoes and stir-frying it as a vegetable. The younger part of asparagus is used for soup while the older and harder part is cooked as a vegetable in most of the households. Here is one way of cooking asparagus with potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 cups asparagus (kurillo) cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups sliced potatoes

1 cup green onion cut in 1 inch length

½ tsp fenugreek (methi)

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp minced red chilies (or to taste)

1 tsp turmeric

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup broth or water

3 tbsp cooking oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

First of all, boil salted water in a large bowl and blanch asparagus for a couple of minutes and shift it to ice bath. Then, in a non-stick sauce pan, heat oil and fry fenugreek seeds until it turns dark. Now, add the sliced potatoes, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir-fry until the potatoes turn brown and are half cooked. Then, add garlic, ginger and chilies and mix thoroughly with the potatoes. Now, add the blanched asparagus, tomatoes and broth and stir fry for five to seven minutes on medium heat until the potatoes and asparagus become tender. Just before you remove it from heat, add green onions and serve it hot with rice along by tomato achar.