Haak Saag

Serves 3 to 4

ingredients

2 to 3 large bunches of greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard, dandelion carrot greens, or mustard greens)

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced

2 to 3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 tablespoon ginger purée

1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt

Pomegranate seeds for garnish

instructions

Using a sharp knife, remove the center stems of the leaves, especially in the case of kale, chard, dandelion, or mustard greens. Discard the bottom inch or two if it appears inedible. Thinly slice the remaining stems. Set these aside. Tear the leaves into smaller pieces and set aside separately.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat the olive oil and pop the cumin seeds. Within 3 to 4 seconds, add the garlic, green onion, serrano, and sliced stems of the greens. 

Cook this mixture on medium heat, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the pomegranate juice, ginger, and salt. Continue cooking until the mixture is dark green and reduced in size – there should be no visible liquid. 

Add the torn leaves from the remaining greens, cover the wok and within 1 to 2 minutes turn the heat off. The leaves should remain bright green in color. Serve topped with pomegranate seeds.

notes & variations

• The cumin pop is the most important step in this recipe – if the oil is too hot, the cumin seeds will turn a dark brown or black. If this happens, discard the seeds and oil and start again. If the oil is not hot enough, no problem — wait until the cumin seeds start popping. The whole process goes very fast so watch it carefully.

• If using a tough variety of kale, cut the leaves into smaller pieces so they cook evenly.

• The pomegranate juice adds a sweet balance to some of the bitter greens – replace with heavy cream, coconut milk, or water.

• Replace serrano pepper with 6 to 8 whole red dried chilies.

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