kashmiri Recipe- Monji Haak

Ingredients:

• ½ kg or 1 pound monjihaakh/kohlrabi
• Pinch of yeng/heeng/asafetida
• 2 whole green chilies/neel mertschwangan or red dry chili/wazel mertschwangan
• 1½ cup of water
• Pinch of phu//soda/baking soda
• Kashmiri spicy cake/masala/vari if available
• 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil (or preferably mustard oil if available)
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Peel skin of the monji/round green bulb. Cut monji into thin slices and strip leaves
  into half.
• Clean the monjihaakh/kohlrabi by taking out loutish stalks and by checking for white
  lines on leaves (Monjihaakh from the store may contain bugs on the leaves. These
  can be found as short white lines on the green leaf).
• Wash the monjihaakh in a large sink filled with water to which may be added a small
  amount of vinegar or salt to kill any insects. Move the häak leaves gently in the water
  to remove sand and dirt. Repeat several times until water is clear.
• Place monjihaakh in colander to drain water and set aside for now.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pressure cooker or cooking pan at medium heat.
• Add heeng/asafetida and sauté.
• Add monjihaakh and stir well till monjihaakh shrivels.
• Add salt and whole dry or green chilies as desired (to make wuzjul/red colored
  monji,add ½ tsp. of red chili powder and ¼ tsp. of badiyan and shonth).
• Add water.
• Add pinch of baking soda.
• Boil monjihaakh.
• Cover and cook häak for 3-4 whistles in pressure cooker or approximately 15
  minutes if cooking in a pan until häak is tender.
• Open the lid of the cooker immediately to retain green color of häak.
• Add pinch of vari (if available).
• Serve with white rice and merstchwangan chetin.

Note: Release pressure in cooker slowly by lifting weight with ladle or by cooling pressure under
running water or according to your manufacturer’s instructions.