Pork cooked with khar — an alkaline solution made from the ash of banana skin — giving a unique slippery, distinctly flavoured preparation that is one of the most unusual curries in Indian cuisine.
Ingredients
600g pork — belly or mixed cuts
2 tbsp khar (alkaline ash water — made by burning banana skin to ash, mixing with water, and straining to a clear liquid; OR substitute with 1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 cup water for a very rough approximation)
1 inch ginger — sliced
4 garlic cloves — crushed
2 green chillies — whole
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
Method
Prepare khar (if making traditionally): collect the dry skin of a ripe banana.
Burn it completely to a grey-white ash. Mix 2 tbsp ash with 1 cup cold water.
Stir well. Leave 20 minutes. Strain through a fine cloth — the strained clear liquid is the khar. It should be slippery to the touch, similar to soapy water.
Place pork pieces in a pot. Add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Skim foam.
Add sliced ginger, crushed garlic, whole green chillies, turmeric and salt.
Add 2 tbsp khar liquid or the baking soda water substitute.
Reduce to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until pork is tender.
The khar gives the broth a distinctive mild alkaline flavour and the pork a slightly unusual slippery texture.
The colour of the broth will be slightly different from regular broth — more yellow-green from the khar.