Once we bought a large watermelon and when we cut it, it had very less edible fruit. Not a person to throw away the thick unripe rind, which is rich in minerals, I tried a few dishes. Among them, this Watermelon Rind Gojju is my favourite. If the red/crimson part is diligently removed, it can not be distinguished from ash gourd.

Also, even when the fruit is ripe, we throw away lot of the rind, instead try this dish. Goes well with dosa, chapati or rice

Category: South Indian dish

INGREDIENTS :

Watermelon rind : 1 big bowl, peeled and cut in to cubes

Jaggery : a dash (optional), salt to taste

For Seasoning :

Oil : 1-2 tbsp

Onion : 1 small, chopped

Chana dal : 1 tbsp (optional)

Mustard seeds, Curry leaves

FOR GRINDING :

Coconut : 2-3 tbsp, grated or 1/4 of a coconut, pieces

Onion : 1 medium

Tomato : 1 large

Curry/rasam powder : 2 tbsp (to taste)

Fried gram or soaked chana dal : 1-2 tbsp

Tamarind : peanut size or to taste

Jeera : 1tbsp

METHOD :

Boil watermelon cubes in water till it turns soft. Add ground masala, salt, jaggery and let it boil. Meanwhile make the seasoning by spluttering mustard seeds in hot oil, add chana dal, curry leaves and saute well. Add to the Gojju and serve hot.

Preparation Time : ~30 min

VARIATIONS IF ANY : Instead of watermelon, bottle gourd or unripe, green papaya can be used with this recipe. You could pressure cook the vegetable.

INFORMATION

Vegan - YES
Gluten Free - YES
Keto Friendly -

CALORIES :

1 cup equals ~130 Cal (1 katori is ~80 Cal)

NUTRITIVE VALUE :

Watermelon is a sweet and refreshing low calorie summer fruit. It provides hydration (with 90% water) and also essential nutrients, natural sugars, with no fat. It has vitamins C and A, minerals, and antioxidants. A cup of watermelon of ~150 g provides 46 Cal, 11.6 g carbs, mostly sugars, 12.5 mg vitamin C (14% -16% of RDI). It contains Lycopene, L-citrulline and L-arginine, phytosterols, Choline, etc

HEALTH BENEFITS :

Antioxidants in watermelon are said to provide many health benefits such as prevention of Asthma, cancer, control of blood pressure, heart health, skin health, improves digestion, hydrates the body, etc.

ORIGIN :

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), belongs to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), and is native to tropical Africa and cultivated around the world. It has a long history and fruits are depicted in early Egyptian art, indicating an antiquity in agriculture of more than 4,000 years. It is known as Tarambujam in Sanskrit. The fruit is a type of berry, known botanically as a pepo.

WATER FOOTPRINT (is litres of water needed to produce the food) :

Watermelon is 235 L/Kg

DID YOU KNOW :

Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide. Every part of watermelon is edible including seeds.

Antioxidants can help remove molecules known as free radicals, or reactive species from the body. The body produces free radicals during natural processes, such as metabolism. They can also develop through smoking, air pollution, stress, and other environmental pressures. If too many free radicals stay in the body, oxidative stress can occur. This can result in cell damage and may lead to a range of diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. The body can remove some free radicals naturally, but dietary antioxidants support this process.

REFERENCES :

https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/plant/watermelon

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266886#nutrition

Watermelon Rind Curry