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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Curried Watermelon Rind & Mango Salad

This dish was inspired by Penniless Parenting's "Watermelon Rind Salad (Moroccan Inspired)."
Penniless Parenting's adventures in extreme frugality lead to lots of interesting recipes, like "Banana Peel Chutney."  Her "Zero Food Waste Challenge"  goes way beyond composting to "Eating Food Scraps" my wasteful American tastes have trouble comprehending.  Check it out for things you never knew you could eat and other money saving tips.

Now for my recipe:
Watermelon Rind Prep:
  1. Start with 1/2 a medium-large watermelon, after the insides have been eaten or frozen.
  2. Slice  the rind into manageable slices about 1.5 inches wide.  Using a sharp knife, peel off the tough green skin and scrape off most of the pink inside.
  3. Cut into squares and steam.  I steamed in my pressure cooker for 2-3 minutes on high pressure with natural release.

Dressing: Mix rind with:
  • 1 Tbs (or less to taste) curry powder 
  • 1/2 Tbs garlic powder (or fresh crushed garlic if you like)
  • 1/2 Tbs ginger powder or crushed fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbs oil
  • juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon
  • fresh chopped scallions  

Salad: When rind has cooled, or right before serving:
  • Chop watermelon rind pieces smaller (optional) 
  • Add chopped fresh mango (alternatives could include oranges, peaches, or even strawberries)

Serve chilled plain or on top of lettuce of bulgur wheat.

Also check out my recipe for the easiest pickled melon rind on the web

2 comments:

  1. So funny, I just read about using watermelon rind in salads in the NY Times. I had no idea it was even edible. This looks like a great recipe to try.

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