Try making this delicious watermelon pith pickle today. (Source: Sangeeta M Khanna/Instagram; designed by Gargi Singh)
Many of us love a bit of pickle with our meals, but making one at does sound like a long, effort-taking process. So what if we tell you that you can make a lip-smacking as well as immunity-boosting pickle right at home using just a few ingredients. And one of the main ingredients you will need is the discarded parts of a . Yes, you read that right! Instead of throwing away the white pith (which is attached to the fruit’s green skin), turn it into a delicious pickle, as demonstrated by food and nutrition consultant Sangeeta M Khanna.
And taking quick notes and trying her hand at making one was none other than Mira Kapoor, who is often seen cooking and baking these days.
Have you ever tried making watermelon pith pickle? (Source: Mira Kapoor/Instagram Story)
So, if you have been curious about the recipe, we have you covered. Check out the post below:
Ingredients
Watermelon pith pieces enough to fill a 1 liter glass jar
1.5-2 tbsp – Yellow mustard powder
2-3 tsp – Red chilli powder
1 tsp – Salt
1 tsp – Turmeric powder (optional)
Method
*Remove the hard green peel and cut the white pith into thin strips. Avoid large chunks because they take longer to ferment and are difficult to bite into.
*Boil one litre of water and let it cool down.
*Mix all the pickle ingredients in a glass jar and pour the boiled (and cooled) water over it.
*Close the lid and keep it under sunlight on your kitchen platform. Shake it once everyday for two days. It usually takes two or three days to get pickled.
*But if you have tried this pickle previously and will use about 25 per cent of the pickling water from the previous batch, it will be ready overnight.
*The sour taste, slightly translucent appearance of the pith pieces and a pleasant fermented aroma are indication of the pickle being ready for consumption.
Pro tips
*Carefully remove the peel of a . The white part is what you want to pickle, but some bits of the red parts will also be good for fermentation because there is some sugar in it.
*The pickle can be kept at room temperature for a week but it keeps getting sour. So, it is good to refrigerate before the sourness starts getting too much. The pickling water turns to vinegar after a point.
*In the refrigerator, the pickle can be kept for a month.
*This tart pickle pairs well with all Indian fried foods like poori subzi, chhole bhatoore, pakodas, parathas, dal and rice, khichdi, poha and upma.
*You can also use it with your sandwiches and burgers.
*The pickle can be chopped fine and used as a topping over your noodles, congee, stews and soups etc.
*Chopped pickle and its pickling water makes a wonderful salad dressing too.
*Finely chopped watermelon pith pickle can be mixed with hung curd along with garlic and pepper to make a delicious dip.