Bodo Khardwi

Khardwi is a popular traditional dish in Bodo cuisine, prepared from the burnt ashes of giant banana, mustard plant, lentil, and sesame stems. Sodium bicarbonate is used in the preparation, which tastes like strong cooking soda and is used in small quantities in gravies like lafa, mwitha bangal, sojona bilai, and green leaf khardwi. The main ingredients include Besor (mustard), Sibing (black gram), Sobai (pules), Talir Posla Gwran (dried banana stems), Owa Swikwnda Bibu (remains of split bamboo), and Katri Pipang (wild turmeric plant). The natural khardwi extracted from banana is called 'Kol Khar' or 'Kola Khardwi'. Kolakhar, a food additive made from the ashes of banana plants in Assam, is also used.