Why Should I Eat Watermelon Rind?
Just a warning. Things are about to get awkward. Ok, maybe not that awkward…
We all know that watermelon is nature’s candy, right? Welllll, research shows it might also be nature’s viagra. Watermelon is rich in citrulline, an amino acid that relaxes and dilates blood vessels. It has also been shown to reduce muscle soreness in athletes and might even help fight free radicals.
The rind of watermelon just so happens to contain more of this amino acid than the juicy red flesh we’re used to eating. So, watermelon rind = good for you = don’t waste the rinds, folks.
Watermelon Rind Curry
That leads me to today’s recipe… Watermelon Rind Curry.
This Indian curry is also known as tarbooz ke chilke ki sabji (pronounced: tar-booze kay chill-kay for those of us with a strong American accent – aka, me) and is considered a specialty dish from the state of Rajasthan in India.
Watermelon rind has a crisp texture, almost like cucumber, and holds up well to heat – which makes it great for cooking. I think of the rind more as a vegetable than as a fruit. The rind, like cauliflower, also tends to soak up flavor really well. You do have to be careful with the spices you use because the melon will soak it right up. You can leave out the Serrano pepper and Kashmiri chili powder in the recipe below and you’ll still have a really flavorful dish.
“This is absolutely legend! I will never throw out a watermelon rind again. I wonder if watermelon rind freezes? It would be nice to have some set aside for the winter when no watermelon is growing. Maybe I’ll just make a ton of this and freeze the completed curry. Either way, it’s very good, and I’ll continue to make it until local watermelon goes out of season. 7 out of 5 stars on this one.”
Katherine P.
This recipe is good for you and good for the environment. You can use almost every bit of watermelon – you’ll only need to discard the thin tough green peel. Sustainability for the win!
This curry is economical. I mean, you’re making food from something that’s usually trash. Can’t get cheaper than free, right?
It’s also tasty. If you have a large watermelon, then you can easily double or triple this recipe. Or, you can make my sweet and spicy Watermelon Rind Chutney.
Have any ideas on how to use leftover watermelon rinds? Share them with us!
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon rind tough green skin removed and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- ½ serrano pepper seeds removed, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon amchur dried green mango powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- Melt ghee in a pan on medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds. Once they begin to splutter, add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper.
- After a minute, add the paprika, coriander powder, amchur, paprika, turmeric, and salt.
- Add the watermelon rind and water and mix well.
- Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark.
- Once the rind is soft and most of the water is absorbed, remove the lid and add the garam masala.
- Mix well and cook for another couple minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Sources:
Disclaimer: I’m not a scientist or a doctor, so I can’t give you any expert health or medical advice. I’m just a paleo food blogger who likes to eat. The information on my blog should not be construed as professional medical advice. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information. If you have any health concerns, contact your physician or another health care professional.
Jess says
I made it as listed and it had barely any flavour. The texture is nice though. I would increase the spices added.
Katherine P. says
This is absolutely legend! I will never throw out a watermelon rind again.
I wonder if watermelon rind freezes? It would be nice to have some set aside for the winter when no watermelon is growing. Maybe I’ll just make a ton of this and freeze the completed curry. Either way, it’s very good, and I’ll continue to make it until local watermelon goes out of season. 7 out of 5 stars on this one.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Katherine! I’m so happy to hear that you liked this so much 🙂 I haven’t tried freezing this so I’m not sure, but if you experiment please let us know!
Nayeli Gonzalez says
In the ingredients you wrote
1 Tsp paprika and then
1/4 Tsp paprika
Which is the correct amount?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sorry about that, you can use 1 teaspoon 🙂
Irina says
A lovely way to make what would otherwise go to waste into a delicious dish. My watermelon rinds ended up being a bit bitter after cooking so I added some half & half and a touch of brown sugar to soften out the bitterness, and also added some garbanzo beans for protein and a texture contrast.
My Heart Beets says
Irina, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing your additions – those sound lovely 🙂
brutus sanchez says
How would this be served cold as an Independence Day picnic item?
Cheri says
I found your recipe when I was looking for watermelon rind pickle recipes – and I’m very glad I did!! This was so good!! I cooked only a half recipe, but am sorry I didn’t make a whole batch, it was so good! I did double the amount of spices and used 1/2 a jalapeño instead of serrano pepper. I added some fresh basil and cilantro , too. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!!
Lily says
I made this recipe to the T and it was inedible.
Lauren says
It was a little bland at first, so I added some more cayenne and some tandoori spice which really punched it up! It was good, but became great when we served it with sour cream – I imagine yogurt would work too. Thanks for a great way to reduce food waste!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks for sharing, Lauren! 🙂
+852hkroo says
Watermelon Rind Curry Recipe
Having recently discovered the rind can be used as well from the watermelon, I looked for a recipe other than pickles or jam for which I have no interest in what so ever and because its seems the traditional way to use such things. No disrespect to the picklers & preservers and i enjoy as much as the next person
I am not overly fond of having to watch a video how to do any recipe, preferring to read the concept and then to go ahead and make a dish.
However I more or less followed this recipe (not the video lol) and found it to be absolutely brilliant, marvelous, delicious, flavoursome, scrummy “was that really watermelon rind” mouthwatering, hats off to the creator of the dish and i am off to the local market to see what additional ingredients I can add to vary the recipe. Not that there is any need to do so.
Cheers all.
My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it!
yiwei says
This is great! I used all the spices I had at home, and added some carrots, shiitake mushrooms, soya chunks so it is more filling for me. Will totally be cooking this everytime my morning my mom watermelons 🙂 thanks so much!
My Heart Beets says
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Anna of Stuffedveggies says
“This is delicious!” said my 10-year old daughter on her first try : ) I made a few minor changes to suit our tastes: omitting the “heat,” using ground cumin for the seeds, and using lemon juice instead of mango (I’m allergic!). It turned out great! Thanks so much : )
My Heart Beets says
Anna, hooray! I’m so happy to hear that you and your daughter liked this dish!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Milas Hertz says
Why Can’t we also eat the green part u mention that we can’t? I’ve been doing that for quite some time now 😀
Dee says
Hard outer rind is delicious pickled, fermented or braised (can be done quicker in pressure cooker). Acid helps soften, so I often use tomato or citrus too. Thanks for this recipe – delicious!
My Heart Beets says
That’s great to hear! Glad you liked it!
Brian says
This looks a great recipe for using the watermelon rind and vegan as well (without the ghee). Do you add the water at the same time as the watermelon?
My Heart Beets says
Brian, yes at the same time – I’ve added that to the directions! Hope you love the curry!
Ellen says
Made this yesterday and the smells while cooking were amazing! But when we ate it, we thought it was lacking something. Today I added some shredded roast duck to the leftovers and it was fantastic! Something about the texture just seemed to beg for some contrast and this did the trick. Love your recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks for the tip, Ellen! That roast duck addition sounds fantastic 🙂
Alysha says
Can I just say how much I love your website and how extremely excited to try practically EVERY ONE of your recipes I am?! This recipe and the chutney one have really just blown my mind. Thank you so much for blogging. I really appreciate it!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Alysha!! Let me know how the recipes turn out for you 🙂
Jacquelyn @ LittleOwlCrunchyMomma says
This is SO fun, Ashley! Thanks so much for sharing. Definitely want to give this a try. I’ve heard that lacto-fermented watermelon rind pickles rival cucumber pickles in flavor, but I haven’t tried making them yet. 😉