This column explores root-to-leaf cooking, which uses all edible parts of the plant. Our August focus is watermelon with the rind.
Many cultures have a rich culinary history of cooking and eating watermelon rind. Pickling watermelon rind is standard practice in many households, as is simmering it in stews or cooking it down into preserves. This watermelon rind curry is a simple preparation that you can enjoy immediately.
Watermelon rind acts as a neutral base for added flavors, soaking up spices and sauces. The texture is somewhere around a tender-crisp bell pepper or lightly sautéed onion. The rind releases water as it cooks, which gets reabsorbed in the spice paste, melding into a smooth sauce.
Include your favorite vegetables in this recipe. Chopped bell pepper and onion would be welcome additions as well as cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini and snap peas. Add these hearty veggies at the same time as the watermelon rind, and scale up the curry paste and cream by volume — if you add an additional 3 cups of veggies, double both curry paste and cream.
This recipe works with any kind of curry paste, store-bought or homemade. I used a spicy northern Indian curry paste made with garam masala, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, tamarind, mustard powder and ginger. Use an equal amount of Thai red, yellow or green curry paste, or another Indian curry base as well.
Watermelon rind curry
Ingredients
1 small watermelon, about 4 pounds, making 3 1/2 to 4 cups rind
2 to 3 tablespoons curry paste, depending on desired spice level
1 tablespoon neutral oil or ghee
Optional: 1/4 cup coconut milk or heavy cream
Wash the watermelon with a little soap and water so the peeler doesn’t carry germs from the outside skin to the inside of the melon.
Peel the tough green exterior with a potato peeler; save for future use or compost. It’s easiest to cut the watermelon into halves or fourths first to create a stable surface for peeling.
Cut the rind from very light pink to green from the flesh (about half-inch deep) and cube the rind into roughly half-inch pieces.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the watermelon rind and curry paste to the skillet and stir to coat, 1–2 minutes.
Put a lid on the skillet and turn heat to medium-low. Let the watermelon rind simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, give the curry a good stir. If the curry starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add 1–2 tablespoons water.
Put the lid back on and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Remove lid and stir for 1–2 minutes until most of the released water is reduced. Taste; if the rind is a little bitter, add a large pinch of sugar to the curry and stir until dissolved.
If using, add the coconut milk or cream to the pan and stir to combine. Divide between bowls and serve hot. Serves two.
Serve with naan, basmati rice, chickpeas, lentils or tofu for a heartier meal, and play with toppings such as cilantro, sliced jalapeños or serrano peppers or crushed roasted peanuts.
Watermelon lassi
Lassi is a yogurt-based drink that often includes puréed fruit, spices and a little sweetener. Lassi can be sweet, savory or salty. The sweeter version here creates a nice contrast to the well-spiced curry. Sprinkle a little cardamom on top for a sweet-savory profile, or a little cumin for a savory version.
While many recipes call for a lower fruit-to-yogurt ratio, with watermelon’s high water content, using a 1:1 ratio by volume (1 cup watermelon to 1 cup yogurt) achieves a consistency closer to lassi served in restaurants. For an even creamier drink, use Greek yogurt. A generous pinch of salt added to the blender does a world of good, and a tiny pinch sprinkled on top of the lassi adds even more oomph.
Ingredients
2 cups watermelon
1 to 2 cups plain yogurt (Greek, full-fat or low-fat, or another favorite)
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cardamom or cumin (optional)
Cut watermelon into large chunks. Add watermelon, yogurt and salt to a blender; blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with spices if using.
Pro tip: Freeze leftover lassi into popsicles with a sprinkle of cardamom, chili powder (think Tajin) or a little extra sweetener to taste.
Notes: The peeled green skin of the watermelon can be pickled or added to fermenting recipes like kimchi and sauerkraut.
Treat watermelon rind more like a vegetable than a fruit, and you’ll find countless uses for this otherwise discarded food. Experiment with the rind as a substitute in recipes that use hard squash like pumpkin or butternut, adjusting cooking time as needed.
Hannah Green’s Root-to-Leaf column runs the first week of every month.
