White asparagus with tamarind sauce

I had cooked this dish some time ago. The fresh market stalls had the seasonal white asparagus and I could not resist buying this tender mild freshness. Not going with the classics, I decided to play with a sweet and sour sauce. I love the earthy tangy flavor of fresh tamarind. And to balance it, I decided to use the sweetness of date molasses. The sweet-sour creamy buttery sauce and the freshness and mild flavor of the tender asparagus matched each other in the perfect harmony.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 2)

300g white asparagus

2 pods of dried tamarind

1tbsp date molasses

3tbsp butter

1sp chili flakes

Salt

METHOD:

1.       Soak the tamarind pods without the hard outer skin in ½ cup water overnight.

2.       Trim the ends of the white asparagus. Peel off the thin skin.

3.       Bring salted water to boil. Add the asparagus.

4.       Cook the asparagus in simmering water until tender (15-30 minutes depending on their thickness).

5.       Drain them on kitchen towel.

6.       Meanwhile, remove the seeds and strings to make a smooth tamarind pulp.

7.       Mix the molasses with the tamarind pulp until it dissolves.

8.       Add tamarind pulp and butter in a pan. Let the butter melt and bring the sauce to simmer. Add chili flakes.

9.       Serve the warm asparagus with the tamarind sauce.