Asparagus in Nepali: Kurelo (कुरीलो), Photos and Cooking Guide

Asparagus is called kurelo (कुरीलो) in Nepali. This guide shows asparagus sold in Kathmandu, how to prepare the tender shoots, and the cooking method for kurelo ra alu taareko—asparagus pan-fried with potatoes.

Preparing kurelo for cooking

Rinse the spears and remove their tough, woody ends. Tenderness, rather than green colour alone, determines which part to keep. Cut the usable stalks into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. See the University of Minnesota asparagus preparation guide.

Photographs and cooking notes from the archive

What is Asparagus and how to cook it? - Kurelo (कुरीलो)

Asparagus is one of the most delectable spring vegetables and is considered the king of Nepali vegetables. My husband and I have been growing asparagus in our home garden for several years and we have been cooking it in various different ways. I like to cook asparagus when the freshest batch of the season comes out. 

The asparagus sold as a vegetable consists of young, tender shoots. They're considered to be one of the delicacies of the vegetable world, with a price tag to match, and have a distinct, intense savoury flavour. Sprue is the term for young, very slender asparagus.

Asparagus is sold in different colours and sizes. The photographs below document the produce in the original article; colour should not be used to assign a country of origin.

Choose fresh spears for cooking and remove the tough ends before preparing them.

Picking up Asparagus in the spring time (April-May) from my home garden.

Close-up view of Asparagus. Please check the recipe for Asparagus Salad (Saandheko Kurelo) at my Publisher's blog site - "Hippocrene Cooks!" It is the food and cooking blog of Hippocrene Books, Inc. They share author news and events, recipes, and the latest cookbooks! 

Asparagus Plants Roots (crowns) for sale at Farmer's Market, ready to be planted. Asparagus plants can live up to 18-20 years.

Images of Asparagus plant.

If you stop harvesting the asparagus shoots, the spears start to mature, become tougher, woodier and eventually they become completely inedible. The mature shoots grow tall and begin to open up to a beautiful, fern-like plant like shown in the above picture. 

Homegrown Asparagus for sale at a Farmer's Market 

Display of fresh green Asparagus, trimmed into 8-inches long pieces, and neatly tied up - for sale at my local grocery store. The Asparagus spears are standing upright in 1-2 inches of water. This process keeps Asparagus fresh longer. 

Asparagus for sale at a Kathmandu market, as recorded in the original article.

The asparagus display here is attracting my attention at Indra Chowk, an open market in Kathmandu. They are neatly tied up in bundles and piled high in a wicker basket (kharpan). Nepali asparagus varieties have thin stems and longer spears, but this variety has a reputation of being tastier compared to the thick ones. 

The popular way of cooking asparagus is by pan-frying in a little oil that brings out an extra depth of flavor that boiling and steaming does not. The flavorful, simple recipe, "Kurelo ra Alu Taareko" is prepared with fresh spring asparagus, potatoes, and several herbs and spices. 

To prepare the asparagus, remove the tough, woody ends. Break the stalks at the point where the woody parts meet the tender stalks. Slice the stalks diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

The potatoes are pan-fried until nearly done, or until a light-brown crust forms on the potato.... 

...and then the asparagus is added and they are cooked together briefly, as freshly harvested spears are so tender they hardly need cooking at all.

The vegetables are cooked until fork-tender and the juice has evaporated. Check for the doneness by sampling a piece of asparagus. It should be firm with a bit of crunch. Do not overcook!

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Cooking asparagus with potatoes

The archive method cooks the potatoes first, then adds the asparagus towards the end so the tender shoots do not overcook. It is a cooking outline rather than a measured recipe: the original article does not give ingredient quantities or a complete spice list.

Related vegetable and food guides

See vegetable names in Nepali and English and foods to try in Nepal.