If you are looking to put a few more vegetables into your diet or if you have a love for fried food then deep fried asparagus will surely satisfy both.

I like deep fried asparagus because it’s crunchy, greasy and savory, but it tastes like a combination of celery and broccoli with a little bit of a bitterness.

According to www.victoriaislandfarms.com, “The ancient Egyptians began cultivating asparagus more than 2,000 years ago. Greeks and Romans prized asparagus for its unique flavor, texture, and medicinal qualities. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter. In fact, the word asparagus derives from the Greek root asparagos, meaning ‘sprout’ or ‘shoot.’“

Since I decided to create the recipe on my own, I did not use a recipe that I found online this time.

Deep fried asparagus:

1 pound fresh asparagus (chopped in half)

2 cups tempura batter

3.5 cups Canola oil

1 ½ cups cold water

First rinse off the asparagus under cold water, this will ensure that any dirt that remains will be washed off with the water.

With a chopping board and a kitchen knife be sure to cut the asparagus in half. I chose to cut them in half because it doesn’t require as much cooking time.

In a large bowl, combine the tempura mix and cold water. For this recipe I used store bought tempura mix that my mom bought from a Korean grocery store, but any brand of tempura mix is fine too. Stir for two minutes until the mixture thickens, but do not over mix. By over mixing the batter, it won’t stick when the asparagus is being coated by it.

Coat the asparagus in the tempura batter for two minutes.

Heat a large pan with the oil over low heat. Drop a few asparagus at a time, this will ensure that the asparagus will fry evenly and this also prevents the temperature of the oil from dropping. Cook the asparagus for five minutes or until it is golden brown.

Serve immediately with your favorite side dish or as an afternoon snack.

Jane Park can be reached at [email protected]