Preparation

• Soak the dals in water over night or in hot boiling water for at least 2 hours. 
• Its better to use tender Asparagus. Tender Asparagus cooks faster and tastes great. If the asparagus is not tender, then peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Tender ones doesn’t need peeling. Cut 1 inch piece of the bottom and discard. Chop the rest of the stem  into fine pieces.
• Take the finely chopped asparagus in a pan and add water to soak them. Also add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt and keep it on flame and allow it to cook till they are tender and soft. Usually cooking asparagus takes only 5-6 minutes. 
• Once cooked, if you have excess water drain it and we can add that water to our kuzhambu or rasam which we prepare that day. 
• Or, we can also add a pinch of salt and pepper powder to the cooked and drained and asparagus water and drink it like a soup. Do not discard the water as it is very nutrition rich. Now our cooked asparagus is ready. Lets prepare the usili now.
• Rinse the dals and strain the water and grind it in mixer once along with red chili, hing and salt without adding water.
• The ground mixture should be coarse. Heat the oil in the pan, and add the ground paste and keep the flame in low.
• Allow the ground paste to cook in oil and it will crumble down into smaller pieces. Finally add the cooked asparagus and mix well with the crumbled dals. 
• Give a good mix and keep in flame for a minute and then turn off the flame.
• Yummy and healthy Asparagus Paruppu Usili is now ready to serve!!!