A more-ish, hearty, and oh-so-satisfying carrot curry with an ingredient you never saw coming: Watermelon Rind! Such a perfect blend of carrot and watermelon rind, each bringing their own magic to the mix. The result: an amazing summer main.
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Ever tried cooked watermelon rind? It tastes kinda like zucchini.
Now, imagine that beautifully cooked tastes-like-zucchini rind mingling with sweet carrot pieces in a creamy coconut tomato sauce spiced with curry, chili, and zesty lemon.
Next up: Slightly crunchy cooked almond bites as a delightful surprise.
The result? A symphony of flavors and textures.
Why This Curry Is Amazing
Do you agree? Sweet cold watermelon straight outa the fridge is unbeatable on scorching hot days. Thankfully, we're in deep watermelon season here in Germany. So, we're having my favorite summery fruit on repeat.
Which also means: A mountain of watermelon rind left, just begging to be transformed into something tasty.
More often than not, we're having the watermelon rind carrot curry. Because:
- It’s super easy to make.
- The list of ingredients is delightfully simple.
- Cooks itself for up to 1.5 hours—no babysitting required.
- DE
- LI
- CI
- OUS!
- You'll feel like a kitchen superhero for using the rind that everyone else carelessly discards.
Told ya it was aaah-mazing!
What to Serve This Watermelon Rind Carrot Curry With
Like any curry, rice is a perfect match (white or brown, both are fab).
But I also love serving this curry with cooked millet. Or quinoa with a pinch of cinnamon (soooo goooood!).
And sometimes, I enjoy it plain, all on its own, kinda like a hearty stew.
DON'T Peel the Firm Outer Skin of the Watermelon Rind
Isn’t this the best news ever?! You don't have to get rid of the dark green layer.
The first few times I made this curry, I painstakingly peeled the watermelon rind, removing the hard, dark-green outer layer (the pictures here show the curry with peeled rind), keeping only the white part. Geeee, what a tedious task. I loathed it!
Then I tried making the curry with unpeeled rind, letting it cook long enough (crucial!), and voila! The watermelon rind was perfectly cooked through, with a delightful bite thanks to the dark layer.
Preparation Tips
Wash the Watermelon
Sounds crazy, I know. But tell me, do you ever wash a watermelon? I bet you don't. I never did until I started using the rind for cooking. Hence, someone has to say it (even if it sounds like a parent's "Brush your teeth" or "Wash your hands before eating").
So. Wash the watermelon before cutting it open and devouring its sweet flesh. Since you want to use the watermelon rind for this recipe, it’s imperative that you thoroughly clean and wash the fruit BEFORE cutting it open (way easier than trying to wash individual slices of rind after eating the sweet parts).
Also, try to get your hands on an organic variety. I always recommend using organic produce whenever possible, especially when you’re putting the outer parts (the rind) centerstage (those parts that are typically sprayed with all sorts of chemicals in non-organic farming).
Use a Dicing Device
For chopping, I love using my little wonder tool: a vegetable dicer. I’m not getting tired of recommending it (nope, not sponsored, I bought my Nicer Dicer myself) because it’s so incredibly useful, especially when you have to chop up a ton of onions or dice loads of firm veggies like carrots (in this recipe) or extra firm produce like watermelon rind (also in this recipe). You’re really doing yourself a favor as a home chef by investing a few bucks in this gadget.
Leave the Carrot Curry to Cook for > 1 Hour
The long cooking time is a must when using unpeeled watermelon rind, so don’t skip this step – but hey, there’s no work involved for you, just give this curry some time and let the stove work its wonders.
Other than that, making this curry is a breeze. Fry the onion and garlic, add the spices, mix in the finely diced veggies and the remaining ingredients, stir well, and let everything simmer dreamily away for about 1.5 hours.
🍽 Recipe
Amazing Watermelon RIND Carrot Curry (vegan)
Equipment
- Vegetable dicer optional
Ingredients
- 600 g carrots* about 4-5 large
- 600 g watermelon rind rind of one small organic watermelon that you washed before cutting it open
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4-5 tablespoons neutral oil or coconut oil
- 5-6 teaspoons curry powder I like using a mix of both hot and mild curry powder
- 2-3 small red chilies chopped finely
- 400 ml coconut milk (1 can)
- 700 ml tomato passata (puree) or two cans of tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder (or 2 veggie bouillon cubes)
- 100 g almonds coarsely chopped
- 6 (Kaffir) lemon leaves (or juice of ½ lemon once the dish is cooked)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Some Thai basil leaves or parsley for topping optional
Instructions
- Start by preparing the vegetables. Peel and trim the carrots, then dice them. Use a dicing device if you have one.
- Dice the watermelon rind finely. Use a dicing device for this step, makes your life so much easier.
- Peel and dice the onion.
- Heat the oil on medium to high heat and fry the onion until translucent.
- Peel and chop the garlic, then add it to the translucent onion. Give it a good stir and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the curry powder and the chilies, stir for a couple of seconds, then add the remaining ingredients starting with the liquid ones (coconut milk and tomato passata/canned tomatoes).
- Stir until well combined, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer, place the lid on the pot and leave to cook for about 1.5 hours. You can stir 2-3 times in between.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste. If you didn’t use lemon leaves, now is the time to season with lemon juice.
- Enjoy over cooked rice, millet, quinoa, or on its own.
Notes
FAQs for this Watermelon Rind Carrot Curry
Yep, you can store the fresh rind for up to 3 days in the fridge before you use it for making this curry (or any other dish).
Good news: you can! I recommend dicing it first and then storing it in a freezer-friendly container. Pop it in the freezer, and it will stay fresh for up to 6 months.
You could use zucchini instead! Just make sure to add the chopped zucchini pieces once the carrots start to soften, and cook the curry for only about 45 minutes.
You can store the curry in the fridge. It'll stay happy and delicious for up to 4-5 days.
You can swap them with some sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Absolutely! Make a big batch and freeze it in individual portions. Just let the curry cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags.
I like adding a handful of brown lentils, they don't turn to mush even with longer cooking times. Another option would be a can of chickpeas. You could even use a handful of fresh chickpeas that you soaked in water overnight.
Seriously, will you give this a try? I'd love to hear what you think of using watermelon rind in a curry (and how you liked it).
If you're feeling even more adventurous, try this raw watermelon rind salad.
Wishing you planty of summery delights,
Ramona
Gorgeous Watermelon Recipes for You ...
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Ovidiu says
Wow!This food awakened my imagination in this quiet and peaceful sunday.Never heard of this.It looks original even for someone who is open to free food experiences.The first words that came about it are savory and inspiring!
Ramona says
Thank you, I hope you'll like the curry once you get a chance to try the recipe.
Ovidiu says
Hi!
I ve done it, and yes. it was good! I have to say it was a bit challenging, probably the idea of cooking watermelon. I cut the smallest pieces in the world to make sure they don't stay tough.
I find it tasty and nutritious! The idea of using something not usually used (rind) is comfortable. Excellent for expanding culinary horizons on a holiday when you have more time. Thank you! I wish you a beautiful end of summer.
Ramona says
Thank you for sharing how it went, so happy you and your mom liked the result.
Wishing you a beautiful rest of summer, too.