Asparagus Pulippu Kootu

Asparagus....I am sure lot of us do not like this veggie. I have been using this in our cooking for the past few years. I generally make dry veggie with this...a lot while making pasta too. My mom has nick named it as keerai thandu! One of my friend recently passed a tip about the goodness of asparagus for nursing moms.
I have tried making poricha kootu and it comes out good. Since the day my mom mentioned it as keerai thandu (stem of green leaf mainly we make it with amaranth leaves) I have been thinking of making pulippu kootu with it. It came out really well. I like asparagus when made as kootu since the crunchiness is gone while steaming it tastes more like beans.

The recipe for making keerai thandu..oops....asparagus pulippu kootu.

Ingredients

15 Asparagus
1/2 Cup Toor Dhal
1 TBSPN Channa Dhal
1 TBSPN Ground nut
Small Lemon Sized Tamarind - Soak it in water and take the pulp

For Grinding

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
1/2 Tsp Channa Dhal
1/2 Tsp Urad Dhal
Hing (perunkayam)
1/2 Tsp Fenugreek (vendayam)
3 Red Chillies
2 TBSPN Coconut

Take a Tsp of oil in a pan and fry the ingredients mentioned in the list for grinding (except coconut). Then grind it after it cools down.
Pressure cook the veggie along with the dhal. Take a vessel first add toor dhal, ground nut and channa dhal then add the cut asparagus on the top this will help the toor dhal to cook well. Add a pinch of turmeric and hing. Add the tamarind water (plus additional water if needed). Pressure cook it upto 3 whistles.

After the pressure is released. Take a tsp of oil in a pan add curry leaves and urad dhal. Add the cooked veggie and allow it too come to a boil. Serve it with plain rice. Enjoy!