Asparagus Stir Fry

Vegan asparagus stir fry - simple, effortless, delicious! Finally, spring is here and it is asparagus season. Fresh asparagus spears abound in my local grocer as well as farmers' market. I can never resist them. I use fresh asparagus to make this pasta.

I have adapted the Kerala style thoran to use asparagus and it is such an easy & simple recipe that you can prepare as a side dish every time you find asparagus :).

This vegetarian asparagus stir fry is made in the footsteps of Kerala-style thoran, seasoned with red chilli flakes, garlic, shallots, and fresh coconut.

You can make a no-onion-no-garlic version too.

Ingredient Details & Substitutions

• Asparagus
• Oil
• Mustard Seeds
• Red Chilli Flakes; adjust to taste
• Cumin Seeds
• Udad Dal
• Haldi/Turmeric Powder
• Hing/Asafoetida; optional
• Salt to taste

coarsely grind

• Coconut
• Pearl Onion
• garlic clove

Oil - Use coconut oil for an authentic taste. If not using coconut oil, any cooking oil that can be heated can be used for this recipe.

Mustard Seeds - Use whole black mustard seeds.

Red Chilli Flakes - You can use whole dried red chilies also. If large, break into smaller pieces. This is what imparts the heat/spice to the stir fry. Adjust the quantity used according to your taste. If using whole red chillies, remove the seeds to make a milder version. You can also use some green chillies if you like the taste.

Udad Dal/Urad Dal - This adds a crunchiness to the asparagus thoran and breaks the monotony :). This is not a usual ingredient in Kerala-style thoran, but I use it in almost all stir frys/thorans. Omit if you do not like this.

Hing/Asafoetida - This is a pungent smelling spice used as a digestive aid and a flavor enhancer in Indian cooking. Optional.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure to read the labels to ensure that the product you are using is gluten-free.

Coconut - Use freshly grated coconut. Frozen & thawed coconut also works well in the recipe.

Pearl Onion - Preferably use red ones. Small shallots will work beautifully in the recipe.

Equipment

• large skillet/frying pan (preferably non-stick or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet)
• chopping board & knife
• mixer-grinder/blender
• cooking spoons
• measuring spoons/cups
• serving dish

I prefer a large non-stick skillet/frying pan for this recipe. If you have a very well seasoned cast iron pan, that would work as well. You might have to use a little more oil if you are using a castiron skillet depending on how well seasoned it is.

Step By Step Instructions

prep work

Wash & chop asparagus stems into small pieces.

Crush coconut, garlic & pearl onions together. (Do this as part of your prep work and keep it ready). [Use the mixer-grinder/blender with a pulse option for this step]

Get all your other ingredients ready.

cooking

Heat oil in a large skillet on stovetop on medium heat. . (I use my 11-inch skillet for about 500 grams of asparagus)

Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add cumin seeds and udad dal. Fry until udad dal turns brown. Add red chilli flakes. Give a quick stir.

Turn the heat from medium to medium-high/high. Add asparagus and haldi. Mix well. Season with salt. Cook on high heat or medium-high heat for a couple of minutes or until asparagus is cooked and is bright green. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Add the crushed coconut mix. Mix well to combine. Turn off the heat.

Serve hot.

If you are preparing a larger quantity of the stir fry or your skillet is not large enough to hold asparagus in mostly one layer, then work in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet for best results.

How To Coarsely Grind To Make The Coconut Paste?

You would need a mixer-grinder or a blender preferably with a pulse option. Add coconut. garlic clove & pearl onion and pulse a few times. Make sure not to make a paste. You are just crushing it all together.

In Malayalam, this process is called chathakuka meaning, everything is crushed together.

Can You Make This Without Onion/Garlic?

YES! I do it all the time.

Omit the pearl onion and garlic from the recipe. Use the grated coconut as such (No need to pulse it in the mixer-grinder/blender).

How To Cut Asparagus For This Recipe?

Wash the asparagus spears to remove any dirt.

Grab a few (how many you are comfortable holding in your hand) and trim off an inch from the bottom. This part is usually sturdy, stringy & hard. Repeat with the rest.

Now hold those spears tightly with your hand and make small pieces (about ½ cm-1 cm in length) by cutting crosswise. Try to keep the pieces as uniform as possible. But it is definitely ok if some of the pieces are slightly larger than the others. Repeat with the rest.

See the Video at the end of the recipe card.
(P.S. In the video I am trimming all the asparagus spears first before chopping them)

How To Keep Asparagus Fresh For Long?

Here is a trick/food hack that you can try to keep Asparagus fresh for longer in the refrigetor.

Remove the asparagus from the package. [Sometimes they come as a bunch with a rubber band around to hold the spears together OR they come in plastic packaging]

Fill a mason jar or any glass bottle with 1-2 inches of water. Place the asparagus in water. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. (Replace the water everyday).

When stored like this, my fresh asparagus stems have lasted fresh for more than a week.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this with steamed rice. Here are a few ideas to serve with Asparagus thoran to complete your meal.

vegetarian

Kadala Curry

Pineapple Pachadi

Beetroot Aviyal

Apple Pulissery

Errissery

Chayote Squash Curry

Moru Curry

non-vegetarian

Simple Chicken Roast

Chicken curry with coconut

Spicy Kerala Fish Curry

Nadan Meen Curry

Fish curry with coconut milk

Fish curry with coconut & ginger

WebMD discusses the differences between Asparagus racemosus, a plant whose root is used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, and Asparagus Officinalis, which is mostly used as a vegetable.

Additional Notes

1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish)

Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.

Serving size – This serves 4  people along with the rice and one or two of the dishes mentioned in the serving suggestions. Adjust the serving size to fit your dietary needs. 

The trick is to not cook the asparagus too much. This is a pretty quick recipe. Once you add the asparagus, you are cooking at a higher heat - consider it like heating through.

Do not add water.

Prep Time - Time to chop asparagus and crush coconut, and get ingredients ready. Cook Time - Time for actual cooking. 

While recording the video, I did not have curry leaves at hand, so I have not added them.