Khar

Name: Khar
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 47 min
Total time: 67 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Assam)
Ingredients: 300g raw papaya, peeled and cubed (2cm pieces); 3 tbsp khar (alkaline water — filter water through banana peel ash); 1 tbsp mustard oil; 2 dried red chillies; 1 tsp ginger, grated; ½ tsp turmeric; ½ tsp salt

🌱 Vegan🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

Traditional 16. Khar recipe

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥47 minCook

🕒67 minTotal

🍽️3Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Khar

Prepare khar water (15 mins, no heat): Sun-dry banana peels for 2 days, then burn to white ash. Filter boiling water through the ash using a fine cloth — the dark, alkaline liquid that drips through is the khar. (Alternatively use 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in water as a shortcut, though authentic khar has a richer flavour.)

📖 Cultural notes

Khar is the defining dish of Assamese cuisine — every traditional meal begins with this alkaline preparation, which aids digestion, and its unique taste from fermented banana ash is impossible to replicate with substitutes. ---

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