As the local markets get more exciting because farmers and agro-types are experimenting, there is often that moment — you look at an ingredient bought with great enthusiasm, sitting there on your kitchen counter and realise you have absolutely no idea what to do with it. This has been happening to me for the last 15 years and before the Internet, it entailed phone calls to friends around the world, cookbook research or just plain old try-your-luck.
While cookbooks have become like comic books, with people vying to get the classics, the newest, the edgiest, the badly written, ill-organised, faulty-measured ‘but oh so authentic’ ones — if you’re starting out, the best thing to do is buy a book that teaches you about ingredients. Ask your friends for recommendations. For me, it was the Dean and DeLuca. Fresh salmon, green lipped mussels, couscous… I learned about the nature of these ingredients and after that, adapting them to Indian or international recipes was much easier.
My gorgeous friend Madhuri and I were talking about asparagus and artichokes and other vegetables that can befuddle on first encounter. Asparagus I’m familiar with. It’s gone cheaper than it used to be and while we don’t get those thick, tender stalks they braise and anoint with hollandaise in France, the delicate, thin asparagus here is just as nice. Nigel Slater says an asparagus farmer once told him that the best way to eat asparagus is to boil it in salted water and eat it with the thinnest slices of bread that have been buttered with a trowel. That sounds so nice. But here are a few more ways…

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Asparagus Mousse

This is such a hit — it is the usual veggie counterpart to a simply fabulous pink smoked salmon mousse that we serve at parties with a side of lavache or melba toast. The non-veggies tend to linger longer at this pale green, light, fresh thing and at least one has run off to get a spoon to scrape the bowl. The original recipe features raw egg but I’ve adapted this to make it more India-heat friendly.

Ingredients:

500 gms asparagus
3 eggs
250 gms cream cheese
juice of 1 lemon
50 gms cream
salt to taste

Method:

Cook asparagus until tender, for about 10 minutes. Watch that it does not over-cook. It should retain its colour. Drain, saving the liquid for the risotto. Choose a few ‘pretty’ stalks for the garnish and puree the rest. Place the puree in a warm saucepan on a very low heat for a couple of minutes. This will evaporate any excess moisture that could make your mousse runny. Boil the eggs and when hard, shell them, scoop out the yolks and add them to the asparagus mousse. Add the lemon juice. Beat the cream cheese and cream with a fork and add this to the mixture as well. Start mixing and add a couple of spoons of good quality olive oil to the mix to make it smooth. Check for salt, grind in a bit of pepper and leave in a bowl to chill and set.

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Asparagus Wrap

This is a lovely starter for a brunch outdoors or even early winter, sunset drinks — the veggie component keeps it light, the parma is very luxurious and the saltiness of the snack makes it quite the perfect accompaniment for a cocktail with a silly name.
Ingredients:

Asparagus spears (budget for about 9 per person)
Slices of parma ham
3 tbsp e.v. olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, cleaned
Parmesan to garnish (optional)
Slices of red watermelon (optional)

Method:

Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for about 5 minutes until firm but tender. In the meanwhile, lightly crush the clove of garlic just short of it disintegrating, plunge in olive oil and heat the oil for about 30 – 40 seconds in the microwave. Let it stand, then remove the clove of garlic and brush each slice of ham with the garlic infused oil. Wrap two or three spears with the parma ham and pin in place with a wooden toothpick. In a pre-heated oven, grill the asparagus-ham for about 10 minutes. Garnish with parmesan or serve with slices of melon immediately.

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Cream of
Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

500 gms asparagus
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp flour
1 glass white wine (optional)
1 litre stock
3 tbsp cream, whipped
salt and pepper

Method

Clean the asparagus, cut off the tips and reserve. Chop the rest of the asparagus into 1 inch length. In a thick bottomed saucepan, on a low flame, melt the butter and sauté the onion. Stir gently until the onion goes pink and soft. Now toss in your chopped asparagus and stir gently until it’s covered in butter. Toss in the flour and briskly stir again. Now add the stock and the wine, bring the heat up and then lower to simmer. Keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally until the asparagus is very tender — not more than 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid and process the vegetables. Scrape out and add to the liquid. Stir well. Blanch the asparagus tips in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes. Plate the hot soup, garnish with a blob of cream and the asparagus tips and a grind of pepper.

Asparagus Stir Fry

This recipe actually calls for slivers of tender veal or chicken but we’re doing a veggie version that is as fabulous. Water chestnut season is approaching so you can add them to this recipe to make it more interesting texturally.

Ingredients

2 tsp light soy sauce
1 clove garlic chopped fine
200 gms asparagus
2 small onions
Sesame oil
¼ cup stock (or water)
100 gms Shiitake mushrooms
100 gms button mushrooms
1 tsp cornflour
1 tbs cold water
1 star anise
2 tsp readymade blackbean sauce or miso paste (optional)

Method

If using meat, cut into fine strips and leave to marinate with soy sauce and a bit of garlic and salt.
Cut the washed and trimmed asparagus with a sharp knife on a diagonal. Keep the tips whole and reserve. Cut the onions into half across the equator and then into wedges. Separate the layers. Soak the shiitake if dried until tender and trim. Wash the button mushrooms and cut into halves. In a deep saucepan, heat the sesame oil. Begin with the onion and star anise. Sauté until the onion is transparent. Add the bean paste and water (or stock). When it heats up, add the mushrooms and then the asparagus. Cook till veggies are just cooked. Not more than 5 minutes. Mix the cornflour with cold water and gently pour in, quickly stirring through to glaze the veggies. Serve immediately on noodles or rice.

Food styling:
Gynelle and Genesia Alves

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Asparagus and Lemon Risotto
This is a very basic recipe for risotto. You can add mushrooms or shrimp and it will do well. Use regular risotto rice or brown basmati, because brown basmati does not quite have Arborio’s shape or tendency to balloon into deliciousness, I’d make this soupy so you eat it out of a bowl, steaming, delicious and so good for you.

Ingredients

1 cup Arborio rice or brown basmati
1 litre hot stock or water
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
Big bunch of asparagus
Bunch of fresh parsley chopped
1 cup of white wine or splash of white wine vinegar
Pepper, parmesan and salt to taste
Pine nuts, toasted to garnish (optional)
Olive oil

Method

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Then add the rice and stir gently until all the grains are coated. Throw in the cup of wine and stir until it has evaporated. Now start adding the stock or water cup by cup, keeping the rice only just covered and stirring regularly. While the rice bubbles, ready the asparagus (as indicated in tips) and chop into 1 inch long pieces. Ten minutes into making the risotto, add the asparagus. You want the asparagus to not wilt too badly so try and judge when the risotto is halfway done. When the risotto rice is ready, soft, with bite, add the lemon juice. Give it a stir, taste for salt.
Turn off heat. Stir in half the parsley. Serve garnished with lemon zest, parmesan and more parsley or maybe some toasted pine nuts.