Amitar Khar

Ingredients

• 1 medium raw green papaya (about 600 g)
• 120 ml khar (banana-ash filtrate), or 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 120 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp mustard oil
• 1 tsp panch phoron
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 ml water
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Before you cook

• To make khar the traditional way, burn sun-dried banana peel to a fine ash, steep 100 g of the ash in 300 ml water for 30 minutes, then filter it twice through muslin until the liquid runs clear.
• Peel the papaya, scrape out the seeds and grate it coarsely.
• Rinse the grated papaya twice in cold water to wash off the sticky sap.

Steps

1. Heat the mustard oil in a kadai until it smokes lightly, then lower the heat.
2. Add the panch phoron and dried red chillies and let them crackle for twenty seconds.
3. Tip in the grated papaya with the salt and fry for four minutes.
4. Pour in the water, cover the pan and cook for twelve minutes until the papaya is soft.
5. Add the khar and the slit green chillies.
6. Simmer uncovered for eight minutes, during which the mixture turns slippery and the sharp smell mellows.
7. Stir in the sugar and mash the papaya lightly with the back of the spoon.
8. Cook for two more minutes until it is thick but still spoonable.
9. Serve as the first course of the meal, with plain rice.