Indian Spiced Asparagus Salad with Poached Eggs

Published Aug 14, 2017

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Serves 2

500g potatoes

250g asparagus

1 lemon

2 leeks

1tbs cornflour

½ tsp turmeric

1tsp cumin seeds

a pinch of chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

4 eggs

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

100ml + 1tbs olive oil

Halve or quarter any large potatoes. Pop them in a pan. Cover with boiling water. Simmer for 10-15 mins till tender. Drain.

While the potatoes cook, snap the woody ends off the asparagus (if you bend them they will snap where the woody part of the stem ends) and discard. Trim the asparagus into 3cm long chunks. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Juice it.

Trim the leeks. Slice a cross in the end and rinse out any grit. Slice the leeks in half, lengthways. Halve again so you have 4 long lengths per leek. Slice them into long, fine, thin shreds. Put the leeks in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp cornflour and a little salt and pepper. Stir to mix them together. Set aside.

Add the turmeric, cumin seeds, chilli powder and garam masala to a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and stir together. Put to one side.

Warm 100ml oil in a deep frying pan or wok for 2 mins over a medium heat. Add the leeks. Fry for 2-3 mins till golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Pour the oil out of the pan and wipe it clean with kitchen paper. Stir-fry the spice paste for 1 min. Add the asparagus and boiled potatoes. Stir and fry for 5 mins till the veg are charred and tender. Take off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Crack 2 eggs into separate cups. When the water is boiling, slide the eggs into the pan. Take it off the heat. Cover. Leave for 2-3 mins to poach the eggs (or cook for a little longer for set yolks).

Pile the spiced asparagus and potatoes on to 2 plates with the crisp leeks. Top each with 2 poached eggs. Serve straight away. - abelandcole.co.uk

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