Summer is here and with that, time to enjoy some summer fruits. There are many seasonal favorites but Watermelon is definitely at the top of the list. No summer vacation has ever passed without gulping watermelon everyday, be it just eating it plain or watermelon juice.
Obviously the most interesting and consumed part of a watermelon is the pinkish red pulp but the green part called the rind is not sweet but is also edible. As a kid I used to love to eat the rind after going through the watermelon pulp… and now my kid loves to eat them too :).
Infant watermelon shell is used for cooking biryani, The sweetness of the water melon and the thick shell works well in it. It is also added to dosa batter, made into a curry, pickled and used in so many different forms. I have also tried making the traditional Rasam or thin soup with watermelon and tomatoes and it tastes super delicious.
Watermelon is part of the melon/cucumber family and high water content makes it a very light and nutritious substitute to other sugary drinks during hot months.
What is Watermelon Rind?
Watermelon rind is the tough, outer layer of a watermelon, and is typically green on the exterior, fading to a pale white inside. Then starts the sweet red and pink flesh of the fruit itself. This rind is harder and less juicy than the fruit it but it is completely edible and contains most of the nutrients within the entire fruit, yet we simply throw the rinds.
This melon is 92 percent water with a healthy amount of vitamin A and C, potassium, magnesium, and other important nutrients. The green rind around the melon keeps the fruit intact and safe.
So here is my version of chutney made from watermelon rind.
Watermelon Rind Chutney | Summer chutney
Equipment
- Mixie or stone grinder
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup watermelon rind
- 1/2 tomato tomato
- 2 tbs roasted gram
- 1 tbs coconut optional
- 1-2 red chillies
- 1/2 piece ginger
- salt to tast
For Tempering
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp black gram/Urad dal
- 1 red chilli
- curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp hing
Instructions
- Peel the watermelon skin off the rind and chop it into small pieces.
- In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add the chopped watermelon rind
- Let it cook down for 5-6 minutes till soft.
- Then add in the tomato and the coconut and cook for another 3-5 mins
- once done remove it into the blender jar. saute the red chilli for a minute in the hot pan and then add it to the blender along with the gram dal and ginger
- Once cool ( in about 5 minutes) blend the mix into a smooth chutney. Add salt when done and add the tempering.
#BTS of this shot 
Editing #BTS
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