Crunchy Spicy Sesame toasted Asparagus

Asparagus spears are a healthy and nutritious addition to meals. This green vegetable is predominantly known for its diuretic properties and are a rich source of various vitamins and minerals. It is usually served as an appetizer or as a vegetable side dish. There are several ways to prepare this and I have tried the restaurant style sesame toasted and oven roasted asparagus few times. But Indian tastebuds never get the complete satisfaction unless it is spiced up. So here is my attempt of a Desi style spicy, crunchy and flavourful Asparagus.

Ingredients:

Asparagus spears	around 10 to 12
Salt	to taste
Besan flour (Chickpea flour)	2 teaspoon
Corn flour	2 teaspoon
Crushed chillies (optional)	1/2 teaspoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder	1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon
Oregano (dry) (optional)	1 teaspoon
Sesame seeds	2 teaspoon
Oil	3 to 4 tablespoon

Instructions:

• Wash the asparagus and dry it using a tissue paper.
• Trim the tough and woody white ends that are not edible. Now chop the asparagus spears into small length pieces.
• Spread the chopped asparagus on to a wide plate.
• Now add salt, crushed chillies, 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder (or regular chilli powder or cayenne powder), besan flour (chickpea flour), corn flour and mix well. Now sprinkle sesame seeds and oregano on top. Mix well so that all the asparagus pieces are uniformly coated with the ingredients. Add a teaspoon of oil to this and mix well.

• Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Although this step is not a must, resting it for a short time allows all the flavours to be absorbed.
• In a non-stick pan, add 2 to 3 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is warm enough, add the marinated asparagus to the oil. Keep the flame low. Stir and toss it every now and then. While the asparagus is getting cooked, taste one piece of this to see the spice level. If you need more spice, then add more chilli powder. I have used 2 teaspoons of kashmiri chilli powder. You can add regular chilli powder or cayenne powder as well which is a bit more spicy than the kashmiri chilli powder. Adjust the spice level according to your preference.
• Cook until the asparagus is tender yet crunchy. It takes about 5 to 8 minutes for the asparagus to get cooked in low flame. Do not overcook it since that will make the asparagus to shrink.
• Serve as a vegetable side dish for steamed rice, or as an accompaniment to rotis/chappathis or as a healthy & crunchy starter/evening snack.

Check out my recent posts:

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• Baingan Bharta / Roasted Eggplant Curry
• Vazhakkai Podi/Grated Raw Banana Spice mix
• Onion & Cabbage Pakora
• Moong Dhal Dosa