Belonging to the Brassica oleracea family, Haak or collard greens (as they are called in English) are a type of green leafy vegetable that is characterized by thick leaves with tough stems and a slightly bitter flavor that is eliminated through cooking. While they grow extensively in parts of South America, the southern US, Portugal, and areas in Central Asia, in India, one of the few places that the plant makes an appearance is Kashmir. In fact, if a Kashmiri wants to denote modesty, he will tell you that he is happy to live on haak-batha or haak and rice for the rest of his life. The simplest method of cooking this soupy aromatic dish involves picking the leaves, removing the tough, fibrous central stem, and then cooking with a bit of mustard oil, plenty of water, a green chili, and either asafoetida or garlic on an open fire till the leaves are tender. Haak it is believed was originally cultivated by the Greeks. Interestingly, asafetida was introduced to us by their close cousins, the Macedonians. Cooking haak without a lid ensures that the color is maintained. This complete meal in itself is a winter warmer best enjoyed over a plate of hot rice.
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