There are many dishes which you can make with watermelon rind, ie, poriyals/thorans or yogurt based curry (morekozhumbu/kalans) but this one is my favourite. The ingredients in this dish marry well and work in harmony to make this dish a nutritious and a tasty one.
The same recipe can also be made with squash, ridge gourd, cabbage, snake gourd or white pumpkin.
Ingredients:
Moong Dal (small yellow lentils) OR Chana dal (bengal gram dal) – 1/2 cup
Watermelon Rinds chopped – 1 1/4 cups (see note below)
Water – 1 cup + 1 cup
Green chillies – 2
Onion – 1 small chopped
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Red chillies – 2
Saunf /aniseed – 1/4 tsp
Shredded or Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup + 1/2 tsp for garnishing
Salt to taste
For seasoning:
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Udad dal – 1/4 tsp
Red chillies – 2
Curry leaf – 1 sprig
Oil – 1 1/2 tsp
Preparation:
Note : Wash and cut the watermelon rind without the green outerpart, into small pieces. Remove all the red portions inside and the outer green skin and chop only the white portion inside.
Grind jeera, saunf, red chillies and 1/4 cup grated coconut coarsely, in a mixer and keep it aside.
Boil the watermelon rind in 1 cup of water alongwith 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, slit green chillies, chopped onions and salt. Close the lid and let it cook. Once cooked, keep it aside.
In another vessel, wash the yellow moong dal and cook it in a kadai or pan with salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Cook it with 1 cup of water and keep it aside. Once cooked, add the cooked watermelon rind and mix it well. Add the ground coconut and boil it once and put off the flame.
Season it with the ingredients mentioned under ‘seasoning’ and mix it well. Garnish with grated coconut and serve with rice or chapathis.
Meal Haven 