( KASHMIRIS
AND HAAK OR COLLARD GREENS )
“Gaarri haak paeri haak , naakhaai paana gaeri draakh"
(Haak cooked in the family
and Haak outside it,
O heart,
why then leave the home? )
“Aey haak tche kaeti aakh ,na tche noon na tche paak “
(O haak ! where did you come from?
You neither need salt nor too
much of boiling . )
And what would you do if you
don't get Haak in Gurgaon shopping malls.
Yes buy spinach instead and cook it like
Haak and forget. On a visit to
Gurgaon, Haryana, I wrote a poem on this issue when I bought green and leafy
spinach and got it cooked like Haak. Here is the poem:-
(Paalak khaayi Haak samajh kar)
Haak doondanay hum gaye Gurgaon ke mall
Haak shaak to na milaa aaya hamein khayaal
Aaya hamein khayaal le aayein paalak ghar mein
Mauj kareingay issay pakaa kar harey mutter mein
paalak ke pattay chaurray aur harey harey thhay
Shelf tokray iss sabzi se
bharrey bharey thhay
Ghar mein bolaa issay pateelay mein hi pakaao
Haak samajh kar Gurgaon mein paalak khaao
(Avtar Mota )
WHAT IS THIS HAAK?
Haak is a green leafy vegetable consumed by Kashmiris. It is certainly
an equivalent of ‘Hara Saag’ of the
Indian cuisine. Kashmiris cook it any day or every day. It is an essential dish
in Kashmiri Pandit marriage functions and is gradually entering the cuisine of
north India. Kashmiris may call it by many names like Kaanul Haak, Haanz Haak, Tolaa Haak, G. M. Dar
Haak, Khanyaer Haak, Noor Bagh Haak and Kaatchhi Haak but Haak as such belongs
to acephala group of vegetables that also include cabbage and broccoli.
Kashmiris also connect some other green leafy vegetables with Haak. I quote
some as Vopal Haak, Vostaa Haak, Mujji
Haak and Monji Haak.
Kaanul is the early springtime Haak with tiny stems. This Haak has
small and soft sprouting green leaves. The summer Haak available in Kashmir is
green leafy with wrinkles. The autumn Haak is green leafy with stems. The sweet
and tasty green stems of this autumn Haak are also cooked along with green
leaves. These stems are called Kaatchhie in Kashmiri. Accordingly, this Haak is
also known as Kaatchhie Haak. Another tasty variety of Haak with long and
fleshy stems and green leaves grown in the winter season is known as Tolaa
Haak. All varieties of Haak grown in Kashmir are tasty.
The Haak gravy or soup
is known as ‘Haak Russ’ . Haaka Vater ( Haak leaf ), Haak Bodh ( a bundle of Haak leaves ), Haak Phoat ( a
basket for carrying Haak by sellers ), Haak Door ( a bed of Haak ), Haak Null (
Haak stems ), Aaaram Vaer ( Haak growing field ) and Haak Raadh ( A floating
space created over water for growing Haak . This is seen in Dal lake ) are quite popular terms with Kashmiris. It
is believed that Haak was first cultivated by ancient Greeks. Americans call
it 'collard greens ‘. It is also cultivated in China, Spain, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Siberia, Portugal, Brazil, and Africa.
Don’t be surprised when I say that some communities in deep South
especially Tamilnadu cultivate Haak and call it Seemai Parattai Keerai.
The Kashmiri way of cooking Haak is meant to retain its aroma.
Accordingly, it is not laced with spices. It is carefully cleaned and leaves
are plucked from long stems. Haak should be cleaned for pests and insects that
thrive on the leafy green material. Just heat three-four spoonfuls of mustard
oil to the flashpoint. Cool it down and add two or three cups of water, one or
two green chillies possibly compact. In case you want to add cut chillies,
remove seeds as these may spoil the taste. Add a few drops of milky white liquid
Heeng (asafoetida ). Add a pinch of salt. Put washed Haak leaves in this
mixture and cool stir it. Now put the mixture over a gas flame in a pressure
cooker and boil it for two or three whistles. Remove the flame. Let it cool
down. Don't open the cooker lid when the Haak is hot. That removes the entire
aroma. Let it cool and then serve. Some
families add a pinch of Kashmiri Vaer ( Masala Tikki ) as they cook it . This
is how Kashmiri Pandits cook Haak.
Kashmiri Muslims do not use Heeng (asafoetida ). They also add pinches of some
spices like turmeric powder, red chilly powder and other spices with some small
pieces of cut garlic.
Haak provides the body with various vitamins especially vitamin K and
E, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese,
phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. It also contains proteins and
carbohydrates apart from being a rich source of dietary fibre so essential for
our intestines. A recent newspaper
report informs as under:-
"Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have recently
discovered that diindolylmethane in collard greens is a potent modulator of the
innate immune response system with potent antiviral, antibacterial and
anti-cancer activity. Collard greens are also a high source of vitamin K (the
clotting vitamin) and should be eaten in moderation by individuals taking blood
thinners."
During my recent visit to
the US, I found Haak or collard greens in abundance inside vegetable stores of New
York. Chinese vegetable sellers sell a
variety of Haak in the US. I would frequently buy Kaanul variety from Chinatown
market in Canal Street, New York.
Let us eat Haak as much as
we can to prove the Kashmiri saying:-
‘ Buss Haak ta bataah gatchi poshun ’
“Let Haak and rice be there for us ”
( Avtar Mota )
( Above Heeng (Asafoetida ) dissolved in Water )
( Green chillies used for cooking Haak in Kashmir )
( Collard Greens grown in a pot in the US )
( Haak sellers on Foreshore Road near Nishat Garden )
( Winter Haak or Tolaa Haak sold in Kashmir along with Nadru or Lotus stems )
( Winter Haak or Tolaa Haak sold in Kashmir along with Nadru or Lotus stems )
.
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.. )
