Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. You’ll find that they all will break in about the same place. Bring a couple of quarts of salted water to a rolling boil in a deep skillet. While waiting for the water to boil, fill a large bowl ⅔ full with cold water and add a double handful of ice. Also, put a colander in the sink.
When water is boiling, carefully slide in all of the asparagus at once. Boil for about a minute. Asparagus will turn bright green. Watch it. I actually stare at it until it’s not getting any brighter green and immediately take it off the heat. Quickly drain the asparagus and put into the ice bath to stop the cooking. After a few minutes, drain again and spread the stalks out on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to dry. Put dried asparagus in a gallon ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator until needed.
While the asparagus cools and dries, stir together sour cream, onion powder, lemon juice, curry powder, and salt. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve the asparagus on a platter with the sauce for dipping or simply spooned over the stalks. People will think you did something difficult. Your secret is safe with me.
Notes
Note: This curry sauce is excellent with other cold, crisp, vegetables, particularly lightly roasted cauliflower, boiled tiny potatoes, steamed small green beans, and blanched snow peas or sugar snaps.