How to make KHAR of Assamese Cuisine

Khar is an alkali prepared from sun dried skin of some varieties of banana. It is prepared by filtering the water from the burn ashes of the skin of the banana. Therefore it is also called kolkhar (kol means banana). It is preserved in bottles and can be used for months. It sounds bizarre but Assamese people are using khar as a cooking ingredient since time immemorial when salt was not discovered. It is believed that khar cleanses the stomach.

 A traditional Assamese meal begin with khar recipe.  A khar recipe can be prepared with raw papaya, bottle gourd, dry Jasmin flower,  doron bon xaak, fish head etc. In a khar recipe khar is the key ingredient.  One or two tablespoons is enough to prepare khar recipe.  Khar can also be consumed as raw by just adding chopped garlic,  few drops of mustard oil and salt.

• Doron Bon Khar
• Papaya Khar

Khar 

Recipe of making khar from banana peels :

Ingredients :

• Dry peels of 2 banana
• 2 cups of water.

Method :

1. Khar is generally prepared from bheem kol  (Botanical name : Musa bulbasiana)
2. Peel off the skin of two bheem kol . Let the peels sundry for few days.
3. In a large bowl take 2 cups of water .
4. Burn the banana peels. Immediately add the burn ashes of banana peels in the water of the bowl. Mix well. Let the liquid cool itself. 
   
5. With the help of a strainer, filter the liquid in a bottle. Discard the remaining. 
   
6. Khar is ready now.  You can store it now and use it wherever you want.  Only a few drops or one or two tablespoons is enough to prepare khar recipe.