Khar

Name: Khar
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Assamese
Ingredients: 300 g raw papaya; 150 g taro stem (kosu); 250 ml khar water (alkali filtrate); 30 ml mustard oil; 6 pieces moong dal bori (lentil dumplings); 3 pieces green chilli; 4 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Salt

The dish that opens a traditional Assamese meal — raw papaya and taro stem simmered in home-made alkali water made from sun-dried banana peel ash.

🇮🇳India· Assam

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 180 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g raw papaya — peeled and cubed
150 g taro stem (kosu) — peeled and chopped
250 ml khar water (alkali filtrate) — strained from dried banana peel ash
30 ml mustard oil
6 pieces moong dal bori (lentil dumplings) — optional, sun-dried
3 pieces green chilli — slit
4 cloves Garlic — crushed
1 tsp Salt — to taste

Equipment

•Bell metal kadhai
•Muslin cloth for straining

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 180 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 14 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 180 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat mustard oil in a heavy kadhai (deep pan) until it lightly smokes. Turn down the heat.
2
Fry the lentil boris (crisp dumplings) until golden. Take them out and set aside.
3
In the same oil, fry the crushed garlic and slit green chillies for 1 minute.
4
Add the raw papaya and taro stem. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes.
5
Pour in the strained khar water (alkaline ash liquid) and enough plain water to cover the vegetables.
6
Cover and simmer gently until the papaya and taro turn soft and slightly mushy.
7
Add the fried boris back to the pan. Simmer for another 3–4 minutes.
8
Add salt and mash lightly with the back of a ladle. Serve hot as the first course.

Chef's tips

Traditional khar water is made by soaking sun-dried banana peel ash in water overnight and straining it through muslin. You can use food-grade sodium bicarbonate mixed in water instead. Khar should taste mildly alkaline, never bitter.