| 'Hak'
is generally cooked by Kashmiris in an earthenware cooking vessel (K-
'Leij'). A steel or tinned copper or brass 'Patila', will
also do. Heat the Oil in the vessel till its foam disappears. Add Cloves
and the pinch of Asafoetida. Stir with a ladle, and add immediately 2 cups
of water, and then the Salt and the whole Red or Green Chilies, after slitting
open every Chili and discarding the seeds and stems. If whole Dried or
Green Chilies are not available, a teaspoon or half of Red Chili Powder
may be added instead. When the water and Spices etc., boil, add the 'Hak'
leaves, and turn with the ladle till these become limp, and get immersed
in the gravy. Cook for half an hour, and when leaves become tender, add
the 'Vari Masala' after crushing it and serve, preferably hot. To
save time nowadays, the leaves are pressure cooked.
'Hak', cooked
by the above method is called 'Chhata Hak'. No frying in oil is
done. Dressed Knol Khols along with leaves, Cabbage leaves, Turnips, Spinach
and many other Vegetables are also prepared in this manner.
'Hak' is also
cooked as above, after boiling in plain water first. It is then called
'Siva Hak'. If after boiling, and straining the water, it is pounded,
and then cooked as above, it is, in that case, called 'Daga Hak'.
'Hak' leaves,
dried in shade, are cooked during winter, when fresh 'Hak' is not
available at many places. Dried leaves are reconstituted by boiling before
cooking. Nowadays fresh 'Hak' is available almost throughout the
year.
In late autumn, after
repeated picking of 'Hak' leaves during previous 6 or 7 months,
the denuded stalks of the plants stop providing leaves during cold and
snowy months of winter. In the following early spring, a crop of fresh
tender leaves, sprout on the stalks. These small leaves are called 'Kanul'
in Kashmiri, and are usually cooked with Meat or 'Panir', and form
much cherished Dishes. |
