Indian cooking
Haak (Kashmiri Leafy Greens)

Haak

Kashmiri Leafy Greens
Vegetarian●●●Origin Jammu and KashmirPrep 15 minutesCook 20 minutes

Collard greens gently simmered in spiced oil with warming dried ginger, asafoetida, and chillies. The result is a tender, fragrant vegetable preparation resting in a light, savoury cooking liquor.

Asafoetida

0.3 gBloomed in the hot oil (step 1)
01
~0.3 gpinch
spice
Keep ready to tip into the hot fat.

Chilli and ginger spices

5 gStirred into the infused oil (step 2)
01
1.3 g½ teaspoon
spice
02
1.8 g1 teaspoon
spice
Leave the dried chillies whole and mix with the ground spices.

Everything else

01
14 g1 tablespoon
oil/fat
02
1000 g
vegetable
03
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Warm 13.5 g vegetable oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan set over medium heat. Tip in the asafoetida and stir for roughly 30 seconds until fully melted into the oil.
  2. Add the chilli and ginger spices and fry briefly for 10 seconds. Immediately fold in 1000 g leafy greens and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon Kashmiri garam masala, tossing thoroughly to coat the leaves.
  3. Drop the heat to low, fit the lid, and cook for roughly 15 minutes, ensuring the liquid does not completely boil away so a modest amount of sauce remains. Mix in salt to taste and take off the heat.

Don't have something?

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Asafoetida
  • Garlic powder

    Use double the weight. Stir into hot oil just before adding wet ingredients; mimics the allium savoury background without the sulphurous edge.

  • Garlic paste

    Use 2 g for every 0.5 g of asafoetida. Sauté in oil until the raw smell clears; adds moisture and sweet allium depth.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Ground ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use 300% to 400% of the weight (e.g. 3–4 g paste for 1 g ground). Fry in oil alongside onions; provides a juicy, pungent kick rather than a dry, baking-spice heat.

  • Fresh ginger

    Peel and grate finely; use 300% to 400% of the weight. Add to the hot oil early; delivers bright, peppery warmth rather than the mellow, woody heat of dry ginger.

  • Ground mace

    Use 50% of the weight. Imparts a warm, spicy undertone in rich gravies, but lacks ginger's fiery, sharp zest.

Dried red chilli
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Use equal weight whole. Fry in hot oil or ghee as tempered spice; gives a richer red colour with slightly milder heat.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 50% to 70% of the weight. Stir into the oil with ground spices; distributes heat evenly throughout the dish without whole chilli skins.

Collard greens
  • Mustard greens

    Use the same weight, strip tough stalks and shred. They have a similar bite; cook until tender, checking a little earlier than collard greens.

  • Spinach

    Use the same weight, wash well and add later. It wilts and cooks much faster, gives a milder taste and releases more water.

  • Amaranth leaves

    Use the same weight, pick leaves and tender stems. Add near the end; they are softer and cook in a few minutes.

Ground succh bari or kashmiri garam masala
  • Kashmiri garam masala

    Use the same weight when the recipe means the garam masala option; exact aromatic profile.

  • Ground dried lentil dumpling

    Use the same weight. Gives savoury body and thickening but far less aroma.

  • Garam masala

    Use 70–80% of the weight. More pungent and warming; taste before adding extra salt.

Similar dishes

Mustard Greens with Ginger, Garlic & Chillies
Mustard Greens with Ginger, Garlic & Chillies tastes peppery and pungent with fresh chilli heat, while this dish is tender and fragrant with warming dried ginger, asafoetida and chilli in a savoury liquor.
  • Same: Mustard Greens with Ginger, Garlic & Chillies shares with this dish a base of leafy greens cooked in vegetable oil with ginger, chilli and salt.
  • Different: Mustard Greens with Ginger, Garlic & Chillies uses mustard leaves, ginger garlic paste and fresh green chilli in a quick dry-style method, while this dish uses collard greens with asafoetida, chilli powder, dried red chilli, ground ginger and ground succh bari or Kashmiri garam masala and simmers them into a light cooking liquor.
Boksa Pok
Pork with Mustard Leaves
Boksa Pok tastes richer and meatier with bitter undertones from the mustard greens, lacking the fragrant garam masala and sharp asafoetida notes of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes feature leafy greens simmered with ginger, chilli powder, and salt.
  • Different: Boksa Pok adds pork and cooked rice to mustard greens without any cooking oil, omitting this dish's collards, asafoetida, whole dried chillies, and Garam Masala Kashmiri.
Phool Gobi
Cauliflower Masala
Phool Gobi tastes richer, earthier, and subtly sweet, lacking the sharper chilli bite and light, brothy finish of this dish.
  • Same: Phool Gobi shares the same base of vegetable oil, asafoetida, ground ginger, chilli powder, and Kashmiri garam masala.
  • Different: Instead of simmering collard greens in a light broth, Phool Gobi is a dry-cooked cauliflower dish prepared with far more oil, fresh ginger, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, sugar, and fresh coriander.
Ganth Gobi
Kohlrabi
Ganth Gobi tastes richer and fattier from the ghee, with a fresher green-chilli heat and clove-coriander aroma, while this dish is lighter and relies on dried red chilli and chilli powder.
  • Same: Ganth Gobi shares this dish’s Kashmiri seasoning base of asafoetida, ground ginger, and ground succh bari or Kashmiri garam masala, and both are simmered vegetable preparations.
  • Different: Ganth Gobi uses kohlrabi with leaves instead of collard greens, adds clove, ground coriander, and 24 g green chilli, uses 125 g ghee or oil instead of 13.5 g vegetable oil, and lacks this dish’s chilli powder and dried red chilli.