April 2008 saw us in The Netherlands. Haagshe Markt in Den Haag is an absolute treasure trove of ‘exotic’ vegetables and fruits and it was fabulous to find fruits and vegetables that we had not tasted for many years.
fresh vegetables and olives in a stall
one of the fish stalls with an impressive array of fresh fish
One 'treasure' we bought in the market was raw papaya. Mother-in-law, Mrs Shanti Gogoi, taught us how to cook a typical Assamese dish made with raw papaya - ‘Omita’r Khar’. Alas, we had no access to the traditional alkali used to spice up the dish and bicarbonate of soda was substituted in its absence.
The traditional alkali is made with the skins of certain species of bananas – athiya kol or bhim kol - in our ancestral village home of my paternal grandfather. The banana skins are dried for a few days and then burnt to an ash on a wood fire. The ‘ash’ is then soaked in water and filtered to give a blackish liquid which is the ‘khar’ or alkali used for cooking.
Does the absence of such a traditional ingredient make a difference to the dish? To the connoisseur, yes. But then we have to adapt and modify according to where we live. And even to the discerning connoisseur, the slight difference in taste is acceptable. And I hear that these traditional ingredients are also difficult to come by even in the cities and towns of Assam, as town and city dwellers are in favour of more modern ingredients!!
A helping hand for mother-in-law by sister-in-law, Mitali
Recipe for Papaya Khar – Omita’r Khar
1 raw papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
handful of skinned mung dal, washed (about a third of a cup)
3 cloves of fat garlic, sliced
1 tbsp oil, sunflower or vegetable ( I use sunflower )
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda or 1 tbsp of the real kol khar liquid
salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
250 ml water, approximately
1 tbsp mustard oil, optional and if available
Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan. Then add the garlic and fry for a few seconds until the slices turn a golden brown. Do not let the garlic burn!
2. Add the papaya chunks and stir until coated with the oil. Then add the mung dal, salt, the bicarbonate of soda or the kol khar alkali and give everything a good stir.
3. Add the water, bring to the boil and cook on a low fire until the papaya chunks are butter soft and nearly broken down and the mung beans too are soft. The mixture should be like a thick soup. Stir from time to time.
4. Take off the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle the mustard oil if using and serve.
