Most of us, me included, have been using and serving the juicy red portion of the watermelon, discarding the white rind in the center. Truth is, it is this rind that actually packs in a lot of nutrition, and also has a crunchy texture to it- just like carrots. And with that in mind, I recently tried this sauteed watermelon rind recipe.
I used up all the rind that I had left over, and sauteed it with some of my favorite sides, and it turned out insanely delicious.
Tempted enough to give the recipe a try? Scroll down to get a quick overview of everything you need to know about it.
Jump to:
Ingredients For the Recipe
To make this incredibly flavorful side dish, here’s what you’ll need.
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Nigella seeds: ½ tsp
- Carom seeds: ½ tsp
- Green chilies (roughly chopped): 1-2
- Onions (sliced): ¼ cup
- Carrot (julienne): ¼ cup
- Watermelon rind (julienne): ½ cup
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Red chili powder: 1 tsp
- Garam masala: ½ tsp
- Salt: 2 teaspoon or as per taste
- Coriander leaves: For garnish
How to Make the Sauteed Watermelon Rind
Once you have the ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make the sauteed watermelon rind.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the cumin seeds, nigella seeds, and carom seeds. Saute.
Next, add the green chilies and onions. Saute. Cook for 30-40 seconds.
Add the carrots and watermelon rind next. Saute and cook for 4-5 minutes. The watermelon rind should start getting soft after 2-3 minutes of cooking.
Add the powdered spices and salt and mix well.
Let it cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot as a zero-waste side dish to your meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Along with a watermelon rind, I have also added carrots and onions, but you can add almost any other vegetable you like or have at hand.
Green beans, potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes are all good choices. Just make sure you julienne them or cut them until they are roughly the same size as each other, so that they all end up getting cooked together perfectly. 
Your leftover sautéed watermelon rind can be refrigerated and stored for up to 3 days.
You can transfer it to a clean container, preferably one that’s airtight and then store it until you’re ready to enjoy it again.
Your leftovers can be reheated in a pan over medium heat or in the microwave. If you’re using a pan to reheat the dish, you may want to use a non-stick pan and sprinkle a bit of water over it to lend it some moisture.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Zero Waste Sauteed Watermelon Rind
Think you are ready to give this recipe a shot? You might want to keep these little tips and tricks in mind.
- Depending on your personal taste preference, you can also add some other spices into the mix.
- If you want this sorted watermelon rind to be more spicy, you can add some chopped green chilies.
- I also like to add a pinch of asafoetida into the tempering before I add the watermelon rind in. Doing this can help make the dish easier to digest, and also lend it a nice earthy, rustic flavor.
- I’ve used Indian spices to make this sauteed watermelon dish, but you can totally use Asian sauces and seasonings to give this recipe a different twist if you want to.
- Team up the rind with some sliced Asian veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, spring onions, carrots and even some bok choy, and stir fry them in a base of your favorite Asian sauce.
- If you’re not too keen on all the chopping and julienning the watermelon rind, you can also just chop up the rind roughly into bite sized pieces. Just remember that if you do this, you may probably need to stir fry the rind for a longer time to ensure that it is completely cooked.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
You are sorted, watermelon rind can be sold as a side dish to any of your Indian meals.
It can also be taken down with some fresh, chapatis or parathas, and turned into a complete meal of its own
Feeling inspired to try some more fun and interesting recipes in your kitchen? Here are a few handpicked sides that you can choose and replicate.
📖 Recipe
Zero Waste Sauteed Watermelon Rind
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon Nigella seeds
- ½ teaspoon Carom seeds
- 1-2 pcs Green chilies , (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup Onions , (sliced)
- ¼ cup Carrot , (julienne)
- ½ cup Watermelon rind, (julienne)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 2 tsps Salt
- 1 sprig Coriander leaves, (For garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add the cumin seeds, nigella seeds, and carom seeds. Saute.
- Next, add the green chilies and onions. Saute. Cook for 30-40 seconds.
- Add the carrots and watermelon rind next. Saute and cook for 4-5 minutes. The watermelon rind should start getting soft after 2-3 minutes of cooking.
- Add the powdered spices and salt and mix well.
- Let it cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot as a zero-waste side dish to your meals.
Notes
- While cutting the watermelon rind, make sure to remove the outer dark green layer. You can utilize the inner white layers of the rind for this recipe.
Leave a Reply