Hagada Ta Hak Ya Bum, An Unexplored Kashmiri Dried Fish Dish

When one imagines Kashmiri cuisine, it most often reminds of rogan josh, kawa, or saffron and dry fruits laden rice, curries or dessert preparations. It is almost impossible to picture a part of the local culinary fares with unexplored grubs that aren't highlighted enough. One of them is Hogada Ta Hak. Yes, this tongue-twisting named dish comes from heaven on earth, Kashmir. 

This exquisite non-vegetarian side dish recipe combines dried fish, or hogada, with dried water lily stems or bum. In the fish markets of Kashmir, dried fish is easy to find. In the local language, they are called Pacha Hogada (bigger fish gutted, flattened, and dried) and Raza Hogada (small sun-dried fish). People who like hogada a lot relish the way it smells and tastes. It becomes a delicacy, especially when cooked with hak or bum.

To prepare for the severe winter months and spring season, the people of Kashmir dry enormous quantities of fish for at least four to five months. This allows them to enjoy the flavour of this distinctive and crunchy foodstuff. Dry fish is famously sold at a few chosen stores in Batamaloo Market and Old Srinagar City. The majority of merchants use hand carts to sell these dry fish. Hogard is ideal for winter because it's not infected by insects. Most of the time, the natives boil the dry fish first and then cook it.

Hagada Ta Hak Ya Bum needs a bit of pre-preparation in handling the dried fish and sorting the hak leaves. For the latter, one must remove the rough stems and wilted parts; after washing, they need to soak in water. 

Hogada Ta Hak 

Ingredients

• 250 gm hogada or dried fish
• 125 gm hak or karam sag 
• 1/2 cup mustard oil
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 ts salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida
•  1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Method

• Dry fish fins need to be cut off and scraped clean. You can roast over a flame that doesn't make smoke or use live charcoals. After that, wash and clean with hot water twice before cutting into pieces.
• From the bunch of hak leaves, pick the best ones. Throw the rough stalks and wilted portions, and wash.
• If you are using bum, take 100 gms. If it is to be cooked with dried fish, chop it into between 3 and 4 inches long pieces. When you've sliced it up, let the slices soak in some hot water for half an hour before cooking them. 
• Manually wring off any excess water that may have accumulated.
• Heat a wok, pour the mustard oil on medium flame, and when the foam evaporates, blend in half a litre of water, turmeric powder, chilli powder, a pinch of asafoetida and salt.
• Bring the water to a steaming boil, then add dried fish pieces that have been prepared and the sorted hak leaves.
• Cook for half an hour, occasionally stirring with a ladle, to tenderise the fish and the hak. After that, stir in some crushed garam masala or vari masala.

Serve it with hot steamed rice.