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Haak
Kashmiri collard greens simmered whole in mustard oil with dried chilli and asafoetida
Haak is the everyday green of Kashmir: collard greens grown in every kitchen garden, cooked whole with nothing more than mustard oil, dried red chilli, asafoetida and salt. The leaves stay bright, tender and slightly silky, with a clean, peppery taste that sings next to rice. Kashmiri Pandit households keep it this simple; Muslim homes often add a few garlic cloves. Serve with plain rice and a dal or rajma. Chef's tip: leave the leaves whole or in large pieces and cook them uncovered for the first minutes; chopping and covering too early turns them dull olive-green.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash 1 ⅛ lb collard greens (haak) in a sink of cold water, lifting them out so the grit stays behind. Trim the tough end of each stem and split very large leaves in half lengthways; otherwise keep them whole.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wide pan over a high heat until it just smokes, then take it off the heat for 1 minute to cool slightly. This tames the oil's raw bite.
2 minStep 3: Back on a medium heat, add 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) water (it will splutter), 3 dried Kashmiri red chillies, 2 green chillies and 3 cloves garlic if using. Stir for 20 seconds until the chillies puff and darken a little.
Step 4: Add the leaves with 1 ¼ cups water and ¾ tsp salt. Cook uncovered over a medium-high heat for 3 minutes, turning with tongs, until the leaves wilt and turn bright green.
3 minStep 5: Partly cover and simmer for another 6–8 minutes until the stems are tender when pierced but the leaves still hold their shape. There should be a little thin, oily broth left in the pan; that's meant to be spooned over the rice.
8 minStep 6: Serve straight away with steamed rice. Don't keep haak warm for long; it loses its colour and fresh taste.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haak take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of asafoetida (hing)?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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