Kolmi Saak Bhaaja

Kolmi Saak

Kolmi saak ( Ipomoea aquatica or Ipomoea reptans) is also known as Swamp Cabbage.

Kolmi Saak Bhaja is almost a staple dish in almost all Bengali homes. This saak grows in the wild. This is a traditonal recipe and a saak dish is generally eaten at lunch in most Bengali  families. Being a Bengali I love to eat leafy greens (Saak).

Kolmi Saak Bhaja

Krishna Banerji

This dish came to us with the packed lunch my sister in law, Krishna Banerji sent us, as we were unable to attend a family get-together, last week.

I wanted to make this my way. As it requires just a few ingredients to make  I decided to go ahead. It is home cooking and not restaurant style though I do remember it being cooked the same way at a few Bengali restaurants in  kolkata.
Please have a look....


Ingredients :

Kolmi Saak..........................................................2 bundles
Green Chillies......................................................2-3
Garlic.....................................................................4
Dry Red Chilly......................................................2
Mustard Seeds.....................................................1/4 tsp
Oil..........................................................................1 tbsp
Salt.......................................................................as per taste
Sugar....................................................................just a pinch


   Clean the saak well select the leaves and soft fresh stems. Wash under running water to remove all dirt.  Drain off water. 

Chop the garlic fine and slit the green chillies.

Chop the saak fine and  keep aside while you heat up a tablespoon of oil in a deep pan.
Add the mustard seeds and the slit dry red chi;lies and let them splutter a bit. Then add the finely chopped garlic and let them brown slightly. Add the finely chopped saak and give it a stir to mix. 

Add salt and sugar as per taste. Sugar is optional.

Put a lid and let cook for five minutes.

After a wait of five minutes remove the lid. When the saak is soft and the water released by the saak is dry serve.

Issy-Pissy!!!

This is a very healthy dish and you will enjoy it with rice.

Just added......

Make it with Ilish maacher Matha ( Crispy Fried Fish Head) and it turns into a delicious non-veg dish. For more details pl. refer to my blog ...

 Coat Ilish Maacher Matha with salt and turmeric and fry till crisp in mustard oil. Select the green leaves and wash well. Chop finely. Heat mustard 2 tsp , add a pinch of Nigella and 1 dried red chilly broken into two and the chopped saak. Add salt,turmerc powders ,cover and cook. Saak leaves a lot of water so it cooks and softens in its own juices.

After a while remove the cover and add the fish heads. Mix with the saak. Cover and cook again.

After a few minutes,remove cover and dry up all water. Mix and then remove to a serving dish.

Serve with plain Rice.