Asparagus Upkari/Stir Fry with Mustard and Red Chillies

 




Asparagus upkari is a simple, healthy and super quick stir fry with fresh asparagus, a vegetable lover’s delight. With minimal ingredients; just mustard seeds and red chillies, a healthy side dish cannot be easier and fun to make.

This is a slight variation of my archive post “Asparagus Talasani” when I prepared the stir fry using garlic as the spice to flavor the dish. Most Konkani style (south Indian) fresh vegetable  stir fries use either garlic with red chilies, or sometimes, only mustard seeds and red chilies.

As far as I know, no Indian cuisine is as simple as this and made with such minimal ingredients! Konkani stir fries are revered for their simplicity and ease of making. Using minimum spices, the flavor and texture of the vegetables shine through without drowning them in a myriad of spices.

Our favorite is talasani or stir fry using just garlic along with dry red chilies to spice it up.  Today, with a large bunch of tender asparagus just procured from my local grocer, I decided to enjoy the freshness by flavoring with only mustard seeds.

I love crisp tender vegetables (hate overcooked and soft or mushy ones!!) and asparagus is the perfect vegetable which cooks in minutes; you will notice it is done when they turn bright green and you know they are done!

The only muscle workout you will need to do is to chop them. All you need to do is to snap off a piece from the top of the stalk and continue to do so until you reach a place at the bottom of the stalk when it will be tougher to snap off and they resist a bit.

Throw off the hard ends and use the tender stalks to make stir fry.

With a tempering of mustard seeds and red chilies in coconut oil, this stir fry or upkari will be done in 5 to 7 minutes.

Serve fresh asparagus upkari/stir fry with hot steaming rice and a dal on the side. Today, I had made alasande beeye sambar or black-eyed peas sambar (recipe will be posted soon), so with this amazing and healthy quick stir fry, my afternoon lunch was divine!

Do try this easy and quick healthy side dish when you get fresh asparagus and happy cooking!!

Step-by-step method to make Asparagus Upkari:

Wash asparagus stalks in running water and drain.

Take a stalk and start snapping pieces of asparagus from the top end. If it snaps off easily, the vegetable is tender and absolutely right.

Continue to do this until you come to the bottom end. As soon as you notice it getting difficult to snap off easily, you know it is time to stop right there and discard the tough ends.

Continue with the rest of the bunch. Keep aside.

Over medium heat, in a large saucepan, heat coconut oil.

Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and immediately close with a cover or you will have mustard seeds spluttering and bouncing off all over your stove and kitchen!

Once the seeds start to splutter, stir in red chilies, cut into 2 to 3 pieces (break off with your fingers).

Stir for only a few seconds (or you may get burnt chilies which turns the stir fry bitter).

Immediately add the chopped asparagus, add salt to taste and mix well.

If needed, sprinkle a few teaspoons of water, cover and cook again for about 3 to 4 minutes.

You will know when the asparagus has cooked just until tender crisp is when you notice the vegetable turning dark green. Taste a piece of asparagus to test doneness. If needed, cook for a few more minutes; depending upon how crisp or soft you like your vegetable.

We love it tender crisp with still a bite and crunch in them.

Turn off heat and serve hot with some rice and dal!

Enjoy!!!

For more quick and healthy stir fries, check out:

Green Peas Upkari

Red Pumpkin Upkari

Kela/Raw Plantain Upkari

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Asparagus Upkari/Stir Fry with Mustard and Red Chillies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Simple and healthy asparagus stir fry with mustard seeds and dry red chillies; ready in less than 10 minutes!

Ingredients

• ½ bunch asparagus (2 cups chopped)
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 to 3 dry red chilies
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash asparagus stalks in running water and drain.
2. Take a stalk and start snapping pieces of asparagus from the top end. If it snaps off easily, the vegetable is tender and absolutely right.
3. Continue to do this until you come to the bottom end. As soon as you notice it getting difficult to snap off easily, you know it is time to stop right there and discard the tough ends.
4. Continue with the rest of the bunch. Keep aside.
5. Over medium heat, in a large saucepan, heat coconut oil.
6. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and immediately close with a cover or you will have mustard seeds spluttering and bouncing off all over your stove and kitchen!
7. Once the seeds start to splutter, stir in red chilies, cut into 2 to 3 pieces (break off with your fingers).
8. Stir for only a few seconds (or you may get burnt chilies which turns the stir fry bitter).
9. Immediately add the chopped asparagus, add salt to taste and mix well.
10. If needed, sprinkle a few teaspoons of water, cover and cook again for about 3 to 4 minutes.
11. You will know when the asparagus has cooked just until tender crisp is when you notice the vegetable turning dark green. Taste a piece of asparagus to test doneness. If needed, cook for a few more minutes; depending upon how crisp or soft you like your vegetable.
12. We love it tender crisp with still a bite and crunch in them.
13. Turn off heat and serve hot with some rice and dal!
14. Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

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