You are going to love this recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Curry Sauce! The asparagus is crisp and tender and is topped off with a spicy low-fat curry sauce and sprinkled with toasted cashews.
Thank goodness fresh asparagus is no longer just a springtime vegetable! Here it is December and these beauties look as good as if they were grown in the Spring.
Oven roasting is a quick and easy way to prepare fresh asparagus and these asparagus stalks roasted in a very hot oven for five-minutes total.
Preparing the Asparagus For the Roasted Asparagus with Curry Sauce:
I have a new favorite way of roasting asparagus. I place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. The wire rack keeps them elevated so they do not become soggy from their juices. Another plus for the wire rack is that the hot air circulates over, under and around the asparagus stalks roasting them evenly. The wire rack works well with roasting other vegetables also.
Now, Let’s Talk About The Curry Sauce:
This curry sauce can be whisked together in a matter of two or three minutes while the asparagus is roasting. Or, you can make it in advance and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve the asparagus.
I used a no-fat Greek yogurt and a low-fat mayonnaise for the base of this sauce. A bit of grated garlic and lemon juice add flavor but the curry powder is the dominating flavor. There is one caveat though….Madras curry powder has some real heat to it! Add with caution and according to taste.
You can also choose to switch out the Madras curry powder for a regular curry powder if you like.
What is the Difference Between Madras Curry Powder and Regular Curry Powder?
Both Madras curry powder and regular curry powder hail from our British friends. Both types of curry have the same basic ingredients including turmeric. Turmeric is what gives curry powder the intense yellow color. There isn’t much flavor in turmeric. The curry powders get their unique flavors from the addition of fenugreek, cumin and other spices.
The difference in the two curry powders is the heat. Madras curry powder is hot! It gets it’s heat from red chilies that are ground into a powder. The red chili powder also causes the Madras curry powder to be a tad bit darker in color than regular curry powder.
Even if you love the heat and taste of either curry powders, be a little on the stingy side. You only want to add a complimenting touch to the sauce that does not dominate the delicate taste of the asparagus.
This roasted asparagus with curry sauce is topped off with roasted curry-dusted cashews. Roasted cashews are readily available in our supermarkets, simply add them to a paper bag with a teaspoon of curry powder, shake to curry-ize them. Voilà! Curry cashews for your garnish.
This is an easy, quick and delicious side dish anytime.
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Roasted Asparagus with Curry Sauce
Ingredients
For the Asparagus
- 2 pounds fresh asparagus spears thick spears are best for roasting
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup roasted Cashews
For the Curry Sauce:
- 1/2 cup no-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove grated, crushed or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt & freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons Madras ground curry powder or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F Place oven rack on top setting. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside while preparing the asparagus.
- Rinse the asparagus under cold water then lay them on a kitchen towel and blot off the water. Break or cut off the tough ends of the asparagus and discard.
- Place the asparagus stalks in a zip-top bag and add the oil. Gently, roll the asparagus around to coat evenly.
- Remove the asparagus and spread them in a single layer on the wire cooling rack. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast the asparagus for 5 minutes, until just beginning to show a brown color to their tips. Remove the asparagus from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. They will be bright green, tender and crisp. While the asparagus is roasting prepare the curry sauce.
For the Lightened Up Curry Sauce:
- In a small dish, add the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine well. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of the ground curry powder, taste and add more curry powder gradually until your taste preference is achieved.
- Spoon a portion of the curry sauce onto the roasted asparagus, garnish with roasted cashews and serve immediately. Serve the remaining curry sauce in a small dish.
Notes
- Nutritional Value is for the curry sauce only which will make 1-1/4 cups. Add an additional 38 calories for 6-spears of asparagus for each serving.
- When buying fresh asparagus the thicker stalks are much more flavorful than the pencil-thin asparagus.
- Asparagus can also be peeled with a vegetable peeler at the ends of the stalks.
- A wire rack keeps the asparagus elevated so they do not become soggy from their juices.
- If using the baking sheet without the rack over it, do not crowd the asparagus.
- What causes limp, soggy asparagus is usually from either not blotting the water from the stalks, too much oil, overcrowding the sheet pan or roasting at too low of a heat.
- Blotting the rinse water from the asparagus stalks will allow the oil to adhere evenly.
- Madras curry powder can be substituted with a standard mild curry powder.
- The curry sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to three days.
