A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ W for Watermelon Rind Dose / Kalingana Polo

I did not have to think much about the alphabet 'W' in this series as I was set on this watermelon rind dose recipe early on. I could not think even one recipe from Karnataka with a local name that starts with the letter 'W'. In fact I have saved this recipe for ages in the hopes of doing a Karnataka recipe series in the alphabetical order some day. Mysore pak, hitakida bele saaru, nuchinnunde, some of the classic recipes were not posted on my blog until this series for the same reason.

This watermelon rind pancakes called kalingana polo is a traditional recipe from Konkani households. Dosa, the popular south Indian breakfast is called dose (though-say) in Kannada whereas it is called polo in Konkani. It is one of those recipes which shows how our ancestors in the agrarian economy had been frugal and nothing went wasted in their kitchens. The white part of the watermelon rind which is usually tossed away after enjoying the fruit is used in these dose preparation. The white rind is crisp with a very mild flavor and is used in preparation of other dishes as well.

These dose are not instant and needs advance planning. The ingredients need to be soaked, ground and fermented overnight similar to regular dose. These are soft and spongy in texture like surnoli / set dose. One cannot even notice the watermelon flavor here. In fact one can hardly notice these dose being any different from the regular version except these being softer. The yummy dose go well with any spicy accompaniment like the regular dose.

I find summer to be the best time to prepare these dose when the watermelons are available in abundance. I freeze the white part of the rind after enjoying the fruit so that I can have access to it even during winters when the fruits are not found. Any cheap quality rice will work for dose recipe, if living in India. I use extra long grain rice for my dose which they sell in bulk at Sams / Costco stores. 

Ingredients:  (Yield - about 9 to 10 dose)

1 cup rice
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 cup puffed rice or flattened rice (I used puffed rice.)
1 heaped cup of white watermelon rind
1/4 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut 
Salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Oil to make dose

Prep work:
* Rinse rice, fenugreek seeds and flattened rice (poha) if using with water and drain. Soak them in water for at least 3 to 4 hours. If using puffed rice / murmura instead of flattened rice / poha then just rinse them before grinding the dose batter.
* Cut the red fruit from the watermelon and you will be left with the outer green skin and the white rind.

* Carefully remove the white part with a knife and discard the outer green part.

* Drain the water used to soak the rice or save about half a cup to grind the batter and drain the rest.

* Thaw if using frozen coconut. First grind together watermelon rind and coconut. Then add soaked rice and fenugreek seeds, rinsed puffed rice / flattened rice, coconut and salt. Grind into a thick and fine batter adding water as needed. (I used about half cup. You can use the water that was used in soaking the rice. If you live in a hot climate, salt can be added before making the dose instead.)

* Transfer the ground batter to a container, cover it and leave it in a warm place overnight to ferment. (I ground the batter the previous evening at around 4 pm and made dosas for the breakfast next morning. Basically I left it to ferment for about 15 hours.)
* The batter in this case won't rise dramatically but it will become thicker and porous and you can lightly smell the fermentation.

* Heat a tawa and pour a ladleful of batter at the center and don't spread it. 

* Add a tsp. of oil around the edges and COVER it with a lid. You will start to notice holes developing and when the dose appears dry  on the surface, flip it.

* Cook for few more seconds until the bottom side gets cooked as well and transfer the dose onto a plate using a spatula.

* Repeat the steps of dose making with the remaining batter.
* Serve them warm with a chutney any spicy accompaniment. Mine were served with vegetable saagu and chutney pudi.

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W ~ WaterMelon MilkShake

Event: Blogging Marathon #32
Theme: Free Choice

In this marathon, we had an option of posting two recipes of our choice given that they don't fall under the already assigned themes. I had decided upon a walnut recipe only to realize at the last moment that it involved baking. I wasn't planning to cook anything elaborate as the last minute frenzy kicked in and went hunting in my refrigerator for any "W" thing I could use. I luckily spotted some watermelon in my freezer and so this recipe happened which is a perfect thirst quencher on a hot day. It had a beautiful pale pink color which my camera couldn't capture well. 
There is no exact recipe when it comes to milkshakes and you can adjust the following ingredients according to preference. Or even add vanilla ice cream to prepare the milkshake. Just blend everything until smooth and serve immediately.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen watermelon cubes
1 cup cold milk
Sugar if needed
1 tsp vanilla essence

 
Logo courtesy : Preeti

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Watermelon Granita

 

This recipe just screams summer with words "watermelon' and 'granita' next to each other in the title. Granita, a semi-frozen dessert is light and refreshing. It is originally from Italy and is made from sugar, a liquid (such as fruit juice / coffee / wine) and other flavorings. The texture can range from a coarser, crystalline ones to smooth. The preparation is easier than ice cream and is refreshing especially during the hot Summer days. It is quite simple to prepare. We just pour the prepared liquid into a shallow baking dish, occasionally scrape it with a fork / spoon until a granular consistency is attained. And the "melts on tongue kind" granita is ready to enjoy.
There were plenty of recipes over the internet to prepare granita and going through a few, I roughly got the idea.

Method:
3 cups watermelon cubes
Juice squeezed from 1/2 lime / 1 Tbsp lime juice
1 - 2 Tbsp sugar

Method:
* Using a seedless watermelon to prepare granita would be a smarter idea. Even though it would have few tiny seeds they will be gone after blending. Prepare the melon and cut it into cubes.

* Blend melon cubes, sugar and lime juice together. Filter if any seeds are present. Pour the juice into a shallow baking dish and place it in the freezer. Leave it at least for 2 - 3 hours.

*

* It would have started to solidify, especially around the edges. Scrape it with a fork or spoon. It would be less frozen around the middle section.

* Again cover and freeze it for a couple of hours or more. Repeat this process of freezing and scraping until all is scrapped. I skipped these intermediate steps. I froze it and scraped later. During hot climates, I guess it almost turns into slush by the time the scrapping is done.

 * Light and refreshing granita is ready to enjoy.

 

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this month long marathon.

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In Quest of Quenchers: Watermelon Juice

Before going to the recipe, some watermelon facts from wiki and here.

• Watermelon is native to South Africa and records show that it was cultivated in Nile valley as early as 2nd millennium BC. Numerous watermelon seeds were recovered from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhmun.
• Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries now.In Japan, farmers found a way to grow cubic watermelons, by growing the fruits in glass boxes and letting them naturally assume the shape of the receptacle.
• The flesh of the fruit is red / yellow /orange. Water melon is a good source of vitamins A & C. Watermelon is 92 percent water by weight, the highest percentage of any fruit.
• It's seeds are rich in fat and protein, and are widely eaten as a snack, added to other dishes, or used as an oilseed.
• Their rinds are also edible, and sometimes used as a vegetable. In China, they are stir-fried, stewed, or more often pickled. Pickled watermelon rind is also widespread in Russia, Ukraine, and Romania. The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
• Watermelons have higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable.
• The largest watermelon ever grown was 262 pounds according to the Guinness book of world records.

Here is a refreshing drink for these sultry, summer days. Grab a blender / juicer and few chunks of watermelon and you are ready for the simple job. I used the seedless variety and hence directly blended the watermelon with a little quantity of water until smooth. For a cup of chopped melon, you will probably need a tbsp or two of water. Using chilled water is much more better. There is no need to add sugar unless you prefer a very sweet drink. I didn't intend to dilute my juice with ice cubes and hence went ahead with some crushed watermelon ice that I had prepared earlier.
For watermelon ice, just pour the above juice in ice cube trays at least a couple of hours before serving the juice. Remove and use them when needed.

This is for AFAM - Watermelon hosted by Jugalbandi's Bee & Jai . The person behind the fruit event is Maheswari of Beyond the usual.

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