How Authentic Assamese Khar Surprisingly Transforms Your Cooking Game?

Khar - The Pride of Assam

It is the core of Khar or alkaline cooking tradition of Assamese cuisine which has inspired me to pen this blog. The face of contemporary Assamese cuisine what I feel was altered by Khar owing to its flavoall-timell as its novelty.

Aunt Kalita’s home still held me hostage with memories of my easier childhood. It was her lovable character and mouth-watering cooking that I kept returning to her home. I loved her Black Lentil Dal and my all time favorite Aloo Pitika. I will say that her cooking has a warmth to it that makes for dishes that could hold up to the best of anywhere.

The Magic of Authentic Assamese Cuisine

But before I disclose my aunt’s cookery secret let’s see how come Authentic Assamese food was a class apart? Assamese Cuisine stands out in its easy cooking method with rare flavors. Chefs prepared their dishes by combining leafy greens and bamboo shoots with silkworm and bhoot jolokia. These special dishes consisted of duck meat with pumpkin, tanga fish and a few more.

Khar - The Secret Alkaline Ingredient of Assam

It was Khar a special alkaline extract which was used directly by the cook to convey the flavors to the dish and I learned the secret of her Assamese traditional flavors. For several generations now, Khar has been the most essential flavoring agent of Assamese cooks. I never knew that Assamese invented it years ago as a salt alternative.

Why Khar is Close to My Heart?

That was a long list but I tried to shorten it. I have some reasons that would definitely make you a fan of this ingredient in no time.

• It provides unique flavor to vegetables, meat and fish.
• Khar works great as a heat-beating recipe.
• It is environmentally friendly.
• The taste of this authentic Assamese cuisine makes me feel like home no matter where ever I go.

A few Saturdays ago, I called Aunt Kakati to told her I would visit the next morning to learn how to make Khar.

How to Prepare Kola (Banana) Khar at Home

Wondering how Khar is made? The morning of my visit she greeted me before starting to prepare Khar.

Your Basket of Ingredients

• Banana (Bhimkol) peels dried
• 2 cups of water
• A clean cotton cloth

I noticed the banana peels were crisp because she had cleaned and dried them in the sun for a few days.

Preparation Hack

• On your stove heat banana peels until they become ashes.
• Take a clean cloth and soak the ash in two cups of clean water.
• Let the water filter through the ashes into a bowl for a few minutes (It works better if it is kept overnight).

She comforted me by saying, "The dark smoky liquid became an alkaline delight which we call our homemade Khar."

On tasting it, I found it has got a sharp intense taste and aroma. I knew this special ingredient give life to all her traditional dishes.

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Tips and Pitfalls for Preparing Khar

• The success of banana peel or stem sun-drying depends on careful handling to avoid flavor retention.
• Excessive heat during the preparation makes Khar taste bitter.
• Khar should be stored in clean airtight containers.

Traditional Assamese Recipes with Khar

Oh, what a treat! Mrs. Kakati made me coffee and asked me to stay for lunch. She told me she prepared her signature Mati Mahor Dali and Masor Tenga which she always makes with Khar. So I could not say no because I don't want to miss out on her food.

Spiced Urad Dal with Khar (Mati Mahor Dali)

Mati Mahor Dali in Assamese Style

Urad Dal is an authentic Assamese dish which is a traditional comfort food. This high-protein rich dal is given an added health boost by Khar which benefits the liver and detoxifies the body. I requested the recipe and she gave it to me.

Things to arrange

• 1 cup of split urad dal (soaked whole night)
• 0ne sized onion cut into pieces
• One teaspoon of ginger garlic paste
• Two tablespoons of mustard oil
• One pinch of black mustard seed
• Five spices (panch phoron)
• Khar
• Red chilies and green chilies
• Bay leaf
• Turmeric powder
• Curry leaves for garnish
• Salt to taste
  

Let's start Making

• Clean the black lentils and soak them for a whole night.
• Cook them in a pressure cooker together with Khar and water on the following day. Let it cook for one whistle.
• Leave dal in pressure cooker with an unopened lid.
• Take two tablespoons of mustard oil in a kadhai and heat it for two minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
• Add panch poron along with the bay leaf, and the red chilies to the mixture. Stir for one minute.
• Heat diced onions until it turns brownish in color.
• Then add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and green chilies. Mix everything for some time.
• Add the cooked dal to the pan then blend all contents together.
• Add water together with salt according to desired consistency.

Quick Tip: When the dal reaches boiling point you should add a blend of mustard oil and Khar. Stir the ingredients well before you serve with fried curry leaves.

Masor Tenga Assamese Style (Fish Curry with Khar)

Masor Tenga in Assamese Style

Masor Tenga is a greatly celebrated summer dish in Authentic Assamese cuisine. Besides this dish is not only refreshing but also aids in digestion due to Khar's alkaline nature.

Next, Aunt served Rohu fish with Khar. She told me this authentic Assamese delicacy is the best choice for summer because fewer spices and less oil are used.

In a Plate

• 5 pieces of Rohu fish
• 1/2 Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)
• 5 small pieces of Elephant Apple
• 1 chopped Tomato
• Turmeric powder
• One tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste
• Khar
• Green chilies
• Salt to taste

Traditional Style of Cooking Masor Tenga

• Marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder.
• Whittle the fish pieces, cooking them over medium flame before placing them to the side.
• In a wide pan take one tablespoon of mustard oil and heat it for 2 minutes.
• Then add fenugreek seeds and keep it on medium heat for a while.
• Then, add green chilies, ginger garlic paste and salt.
• Fry for few minutes on low flame.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and pieces of elephant apple and saute till the it gets tender.
• Add one tablespoon of Khar alongside two cups of water into the mixture.
• Add the fried fish to the boiling mixture of water.
• Cook the mixture slowly for a few minutes before the right texture emerges then serve it.

After trying it I found Khar works great as a heat-beating recipe.

Fun Facts about Khar - My Findings

• Khar is used for purifying water.
• Khar is mostly made in winter.
• Some Assamese women believe that drinking diluted Khar keeps the skin clear.
• Not only Bhim Kol (banana)! Khar can also be made from papaya stems, bamboo or even dried pumpkin skins.
• Some Assamese individuals think Khar is good luck so used in all events.

Khar - An Assamese Cultural Treasure

For centuries, the very artistic and genius aspect of Assamese cuisine has been highlighted in the kitchens in terms of the use of alkaline extracts that Khar represents. We settled on the sofa after lunch to talk about Khar in greater detail.

She explained that Khar possessed integral functions within Assamese life due to its alkalinity as well as its religious values. Individuals use Khar derived from Papaya tree bark and stem to wash both domestic articles and textiles.

During times of salt scarcity Khar became a necessary ingredient in Assamese kitchens. Yogini Tantra shows Khar as a part of Assamese cultural traditions through its 16th or 17th century writings. During our discussion Granny, who was also present there, revealed her worries about sea salt.

She said while it is impossible to avoid the use of salt in our meals, adding Khar to our diet twice a week for its health benefits. With a laugh, she said, " We Assamese start our day with Khar. That's why we are fondly called Khar Khuwa Axomiyaa."

Where to find Authentic Khar: Local Markets and Online Stores

As per Granny, we begin with Khar prior to our main courses to get our palate ready for future flavors. You might be interested in knowing that you can also obtain Khar in your local markets or through the internet. This has brought the unique flavor within reach of more kitchens worldwide. Some of the few online sites that I found trustworthy are:

• Amazon India
• Flipkart
• Oluit

Tips for Selecting the Best Quality Khar

Yes! To obtain the finest flavor and benefits to your health choosing best quality Khar is mandatory. Here are the tips:

• You must inquire about the origin of Khar if it's a traditional home-based or mass production version.
• Paying attention to the texture and color in form of dark brown color and powdery texture Khar is the finest.
• Khar possessing smoky scents are the original ones.
• Good Khar is sharp and alkaline in taste but not overly bitter.

I left my aunt after the day came to a close. She put a small glass jar of her handcrafted Khar and few Ghost Peppers into a package for me to take back home. It was a fruitful Sunday as I got valuable insights into Khar.

Khar is more than just a mixture of herbs and spices. It has a proud heritage in the kitchens of our grandmothers and you now see it even in modern restaurants.

Khar in Modern Cuisine

As a food motif Khar offers the fundamental basis of operation for chefs who practice in traditional and contemporary Assamese cuisine. Khar's alkaline nature elevates salad and soup flavors to levels which strongly appeal to my taste buds. 

Khar has gained health benefits recognition through its applications in plant-based foods and herbal teas created by professional chefs. Khar promotes our culinary food heritage and allows chefs to create new textures in their dishes.

Health Benefits of Khar in Assamese Cuisine

Khar the alkaline-rich Assamese culinary extract has lots of health benefits:

• It supports digestion
• It detoxifies the liver
• It helps maintains pH balance
• Khar contains high amounts of iron combined with zinc and potassium

KOUROSITY TIPS

A combination of Khar with mustard oil and rice serves as my remedy for treating colds and fevers.

What Assamese People Have to Say about Khar

"Khar is an essential part of our life." — Mr. Buddhi Satya Das, Lumding.

"My mother always says that have Khar once in a week to remain fit and healthy!" — Kamal Kalita, Tezpur.

Khar - The Heartbeat of Assamese Cuisine

As a savory musical note Khar gives Assamese cuisine its characteristic flavor. This scrumptious treasure used to be protected by traditional kitchens but is now on tables around the world.

Do you want to experience the authentic Assamese Khar receipe at your kitchen? 

It’s a cooking essential which will turn every cook up a notch, and one personal food flavor secret weapon. You should attempt home preparation of this Khar-based recipe and communicate your result to us.

Which is considered to be the authentic Assamese dish?

Typically fish, mutton, and papaya cooked in khar is considered to be the authentic Assamese dish. Khar is an alkaline water prepared from burning the peels of bananas (Bhim Kol).

Is Assamese Khar healthy and what are its health benefits?

Khar is a discovery by the Assamese people of Assam which can be defined as a similar but alternate form of 'salt'. Not only does it provide flavor, but there are also many health benefits of khar because it aids digestion, maintains pH balance, is helpful for the skin and the liver, etc.

Is baking soda an alternative to Assamese Khar?

Yes, we could use baking soda but the taste may not be the same. If Khar water is not available, you can use half a tsp baking soda in half a cup of water instead.