Khar (raw papaya with banana-ash alkali)
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The signature Assamese dish: raw papaya and pulses cooked with kola khar, an alkaline liquid filtered from the ash of dried banana peel.
Region: AssamOccasion: Start of an everyday or festive mealTime: 35 minServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw papaya, peeled and cubed
- ¼ cup masoor or moong dal, washed
- 2 tbsp kola khar (or ¼ tsp baking soda as a substitute)
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 green chillies, slit
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups water
Method
- To make kola khar, burn dried skins of the bhim kol banana to ash, put the ash in a cloth or a pierced pot and slowly pour water through it; collect the clear brown liquid.
- Heat the mustard oil and fry the garlic and fenugreek seeds until fragrant.
- Add the papaya and dal and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the water, salt and chillies and cook until the papaya and dal are soft.
- Stir in the kola khar and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Lightly mash a few pieces.
- Serve with steamed rice as the first course.
History
Khar is the name of both the alkaline liquid and the dishes made with it. Using ash-filtered alkali in cooking is an old practice of the Brahmaputra valley.
Significance
An Assamese meal traditionally begins with khar, which is believed to aid digestion. The word is so tied to the State that Assamese people jokingly call themselves 'kharkhowa', khar-eaters.