It’s watermelon season, and these juicy fruits have to be devoured without question, with the rind of course. While the fruit can be consumed as is, the seeds and its rind can also be used so no part goes to waste. Wanna know how? Keep reading for some special sweets or desserts made with the watermelon rind!
Watermelon Rind Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 480 g grated watermelon rind
- 249 g flour
- 400 g sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 360 ml neutral oil
- 4 eggs
For the icing:
- 226 g room temperature cream cheese
- 55 g room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 360 g powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180 C, and grease two 9-inch round pans with some butter and flour. Shake off the excess flour and set the pans aside.
- Sift all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Remove most of the red part on the watermelon rind, then grate into fine shreds.
- Place the grated rind on a dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can from it.
- Mix the rind along with eggs and oil, then combine the dry and wet ingredients together.
- Once the batter is well-combined, pour it into the prepared cake tins and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Insert a wooden skewer or a toothpick in the cakes to test for doneness. If the cakes are cooked through, the skewer will come out clean.
- Let the cakes completely cool down at room temperature.
- In the meantime, you can start preparing the cream cheese frosting.
- Take the room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter, and whisk them until creamy and airy.
- Fold in the powdered sugar in batches and also the vanilla extract.
- When the cakes are cold enough, frost the bottom layer of the cake, then put the top layer over it.
- Ice the top of the cake with the remaining frosting, and even if the sides of you have enough left over.
Watermelon Rind Halwa
Ingredients:
- 600 g watermelon rind
- 200 g khoya
- 200 g sugar
- 5-6 green cardamom pods
- 20-25 unsalted cashews
- 2 tbsp desi ghee
Instructions:
- Peel the thick and dark coloured rind from the watermelon, then grate it finely.
- Place a pan or kadhai on medium high flame and melt a 1 tablespoon of ghee and place the watermelon rind in it.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook the rind for 5 minutes.
- Chop the cashews, then add to a spice grinder along with the cardamom to make a fine powder. Pulse the cashews, don’t blend them for long otherwise they will release their oils.
- After 5 minutes have passed, give the rind a stir and let it cook for 15 minutes so it softens.
- The rind should have cooked down and lost all water by now. Then add the sugar.
- Cover and cook this down too, stirring intermittently. The mixture should look dry. You can remove the pan from heat as you prepare khoya and wait for it to cool down.
- As the rind cooks, prepare khoya by melting a tablespoon of ghee in another pan.
- Add the khoya into it and cook until there’s a change in color. Turn off the flame and allow the khoya to cool.
- Place the pan with the rind back on heat, and the cooled down khoya to it along with the cashew-cardamom powder. Mix everything really well but on low flame.
- Once the halwa looks glossy, you know it’s done. Serve it with more chopped cashews and almonds.