Watermelon Rind Recipe (Curry)

Have you ever tried to cook watermelon rind, and do you always throw it away? Unknown to many, watermelon rind has numerous health benefits, and in fact much more nutrition than its juicy pink pulp. Our recipe of a watermelon rind curry will show you how to turn this part of a giant berry, that is normally sent straight to trash, into a delicious side dish. As always, we will pair with some unexpected spices, that will gift the watermelon dish a delicious flavour.

What does watermelon rind taste like? You can compare it with a type of a guard or a pumpkin, yet the flavor is distinctively different. One of the most common things to do with a watermelon rind is to turn it into pickles, but you can also eat it just slightly cooked.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups of watermelon rind
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• cinnamon (2 cm stick)
• a pinch of salt
• cooking oil of choice

• 2 dry whole chillies (optional)

Method:

Step 1. Peel the watermelon rind. You need to peel off the hard green skin of the watermelon, what we need, is a whitish / light green rind, that is hiding between the pink flesh and the green skin. Cut the rind in small squares.

Step 2. Add some cooking oil to a pan and heat it. Add chillies, cinnamon and cumin to the oil. Cook for a minute or so, until the cumin seeds start to crackle. Keep it at a medium heat, so that the spice doesn’t start burning.

Step 3. Add asafoetida and  mix very quickly. Add the watermelon rind immediately.

Step 4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes. Mix it from time to time, to make sure that the rind doesn’t stick to the pan. If the vegetable starts sticking to the pan, add a bit of water. Don’t add additional oil.

Step 5. The watermelon rind curry is ready when it is soft and tendet. Enjoy it as a side dish or with a peace of bread.