Today is celebrated as Watermelon Day in the USA, so we have decided to extend the culinary revelry with a desi twist, courtesy a Bengali dish made from the rind of this water-based fruit
Torbuj’er khoshar bati charchari
If you love watermelons and want to try something interesting that goes beyond the commonly available salads and cocktails, chef Semanti Sinha Ray has just the right thing to offer — torbuj’er khoshar bati charchari.
A childhood spent in a middle-class household taught her not to waste any part of fruits or vegetables. It is, in a way, right to say that cooking dishes from the peels and skins of vegetables and fruits is a cuisine by itself. “Watermelon rind is highly nutritious and can be used in various dishes, but I absolutely love it in this form. Though it has a slightly sweetish taste, the rind can be adapted to any other flavours,” says Sinha Ray of The Slow Fire Chef.
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Chef Semanti Sinha Ray
“I thought it would be nice to add some more flavours to this dish, so I picked kalonji and green chillies for the dish, giving it a very Bengali flavour and aroma to it.” she said. The chef says that cooking from leftovers has been a common practice for most people in rural and semi-urban areas, and is also a sustainable form of cooking.
Torbuj’er khoshar bati charchari
Ingredients
. 1 large onion thinly sliced
. 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
. 1 watermelon rind (chopped small)
. 1 tbsp mustard oil
. 1/2 tsp turmeric
. Salt to taste
. Green chillies to taste
Method
On a stove, heat some oil in a frying pan. Now, add kalonji and onion into it. Fry the onion till it starts to change colour. Add the watermelon rinds with
some turmeric, salt and green chillies. Stir thoroughly. Cover the pan and continue to cook the dish on a low flame. Keep stirring the mix from time to time to prevent it from burning. There is no need to add water as the rind will release the required water into the dish. Keep cooking till the oil starts to separate. Garnish it with fresh coriander. Typical of a Bengali fare, this tastes delicious and is best served with steaming plate of
hot rice.
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