Asparagus and mushroom rice

Serving size :4
Total preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time: 18 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup white rice, washed and pre soaked for 10 mins
12 stalks of asparagus, washed, cleaned and blanched into 2 inch length.
1 knorr/maggi vegetable stock cube.
1 finely chopped onion.
1 cup diced mushroom
5 garlic cloves, minced.
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 tspn black pepper
1 tbspn olive oil
1 tspn freshly chopped parsley leaves

Method :
Cook the rice with 2 cups water, bay leaf and vegetable stock cube and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the cloves and saute well for 2 mins.
Add the chopped onion and saute on medium heat for 2 mins till transparent. Now add the blanched asparagus,mushrooms, salt and black pepper and cook on medium heat for 3 mins. Once the asparagus and mushrooms are cooked, add the cooked rice and parsley leaves and mix well.
Best served with seafood or any choice of protein.

Tips :
You could use home made vegetable stock or chicken broth instead of the readymade stock cube.
Note that if you are adding the stock cube, it already contains salt. So do not add salt to the rice.
However if using your own stock you can add salt accordingly.
Do not overcook the asparagus. Cook it till tender but crispy.
Cook the rice 90% such that its not sticky and the grains are separated.