Khar with rice
Khar starts an Assamese meal: raw papaya, often with a handful of masoor dal, cooked soft in mustard oil with methi seeds, ginger and chillies and the alkaline khar that gives the dish its name, eaten with the first mouthfuls of rice. Homes in Assam use kola khar, water filtered through the ash of dried banana peel; elsewhere a pinch of baking soda does the same job. Some homes also fry crushed garlic in the oil.
- 35 minTime
- 18 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 10 gprotein per portion
- 450kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 600 gRaw papaya, peeled, seeded, in 2 cm cubes
- 50 gMasoor dal (optional)
- 2 tbspMustard oil
- 1 mlFenugreek seeds
- 2Dried red chillies
- 1 tspGinger, grated
- 2Green chillies, slit
- to tasteSalt
- ≈ 400 mlWater
- 1 mlBaking soda
On the side
- 350 gRice
- ≈ 800 mlWater, for the rice
Method
- Peel the papaya, scoop out the seeds and cut it into 2 cm cubes. Rinse the masoor dal.
- Heat the mustard oil in a kadai until it smokes, then lower the flame. Add the methi seeds and dried red chillies and let them darken for a few seconds, then add the ginger and green chillies.
- Add the papaya, dal and salt and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the water and stir in the baking soda (it will froth up). Cover and cook on a low flame for 15–20 minutes, until the papaya is very soft and the dal has broken down.
- Meanwhile, wash the rice two or three times, put it in a pan with the water and bring to the boil.
- Cover, turn the heat to low and cook the rice for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Keep it covered.
- Mash the papaya lightly with the back of a spoon; the khar should be thick and a little soupy. Check the salt and serve with the rice.
