Asparagus- The Goodness of Vegetables

Asparagus- The Goodness of Vegetables

Asparagus - Kurelo (कुरीलो)

Hello guys, hope you are doing well!! In today's article I am going to talk about Asparagus, It's History, Health benefits and the best way to cook it.

Have you ever wonder why Asparagus is such an expensive? you may have seen the price tag over 1500/2000 per 1 kg/- of it in department stores! This is because Asparagus is known as both a vegetable and a medicinal plant. It has been used since the time of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The cultivation of Asparagus has a long history dating back to at least 2000 years when the Egyptians grew it for its health and medicinal properties. It also has connections to Ancient Rome and Greece. In Ancient Greece and Rome, the name Asparagus was coined from the old Persian word asparag which means "to shoot".

Asparagus has a mouth watering taste and it is very easy to prepare. You can get asparagus anytime of the year. They are best served al dente. The general rule is to cook asparagus from 3-5 minutes only, depending on the thickness of the asparagus spears.

It is more expensive than other vegetables due to its long period of maturation, short growing season and the need to harvest using hands and it also has a few calories with zero fat and cholesterol. Also, the sodium content is very minute. Asparagus is an important food source of Vitamins B-6 and thiamine.

Asparagus is available in three different colours;

1. Green Asparagus

                  2. Purple Asparagus ( For purple asparagus to retain its distinctive purple colour it must be cooked with some sort of acidity such as lemon juice or vinegar)

                  3.  White Asparagus( White Asparagus is nothing more than green asparagus that was covered with soil during the growing season. By covering the asparagus with soil chlorophyll is not produced by the plant. It is less sweeter than Green Asparagus.

Why is Asparagus the Goodness of vegetables?

• It  is high in vitamin and minerals.
• Eating asparagus when an individual are expecting or thinking about conceiving helps protect against birth defects such as spina bifida.
• Asparagus are great for your heart.
• Helps in menstrual cramps.
• Great for your gastrointestinal tract and your colon.
• Asparagus helps to treat depression.
• Has been known to enhance the success rate of chemo therapy.
• Is considered a diuretic which means it is a good anti-inflammatory.
• Helps To detoxify your body and reduce cholesterol in body.
• Great for nursing mothers to revitalizing milk production.
• It is also known to prevents the effects of aging.
• Great for your kidneys as it cleans your body by stimulating urination and protecting against kidney stones
• Helps protect against bladder and urinary tract infections.
• used as an a aphrodisiac - enhance sexual and comforting feelings.
• Helps in treating HIV.
• Helps To protect against multiple sclerosis
• Helps protect against scurvy.
• Asparagus has anti-cancer agents - especially lung cancer.
• Helps fight chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Helps fight off high blood pressure.
• Is considered a laxative - consume an asparagus if you have diarrhoea and constipation
• Great for your capillaries - eat more asparagus to avoid varicose veins
• Great for your eyes For protecting against cataracts
• If a person are experiencing hair loss- consume more asparagus to prevent it.
• Helps To handle toothaches.
• Asparagus has inulin, a carbohydrate that is not digested by the body, but rather is used by the body to feed healthy bacteria found in the intestine. This maintains your intestinal tract and keeps it free from unhealthy bacteria.

To prepare the asparagus for cooking, break of or cut off the tough part of the stalk. The easiest way to do this is to simply bend the asparagus spear and the tough part will break off the spear.

Look for smooth, round, firm green spears with closed tips. Avoid any that appear stringy or shriveled. . 

The asparagus can also be cooked in a variety of ways. The best way to cook asparagus when grilling is to make sure the grill is preheated and well oiled before placing the asparagus spears in the grill. It takes about less than a minute to cook them over the grill. This can be served by simply seasoning with salt and pepper as a side to your grilled meat.

Asparagus can also be roasted. The best way to cook asparagus spears when roasting is to toss them in oil and lay them in a single layer on the baking pan. Cook them in high heat, about 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 minutes. After which, turn the spear over and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with salt and pepper or toss them in with a warm vegetable salad preparation.

In Asian cuisines, asparagus can be added in stir fries. Since stir fry refers to fast cooking in high temperatures, it is important that the asparagus spear is cut into smaller and even shape.

With regard to ingredients, the best way to cook asparagus is with any of the following complimentary seasonings and spices: basil, black pepper, capers, chives, coriander, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, mint, miso, mustard, parsley, rosemary, tarragon and thyme. They can also be served with beets, carrots, cashews, mushrooms, potatoes, lemon and orange.

Cooking asparagus is easy, fresh young asparagus can be boiled, steamed, grilled, sautéed, roasted, or eaten raw in salads. Steaming and raw will retain the most amount of nutrients while grilling sautéing and roasting will bring out a unique sweet nutty flavor.

Simply add garlic, lemon, pepper or salt to give it more flavour.Remember the standard rule of serving is 1.5 pounds of asparagus for 4 people and it will stay fresh for up to five days in the refrigerator.