Earth and Space News: North Indian Chef Kunal Kapur's Watermelon Chutney Is Refreshing

Summary: North Indian Chef Kunal Kapur's Watermelon Chutney is a refreshing relish that deliciously upcycles rinds and irresistibly complements various dishes.

North Indian Chef Kunal Kapur's culinary repertoire includes refreshing watermelon recipes; Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, image of Chef Kunal with fresh watermelon: Chefkunal (Kunal Kapur), CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

North Indian Chef Kunal Kapur's Watermelon Chutney is a refreshing relish that delectably upcycles rinds; entails easy preparation; plates appealingly, colorfully and flavorfully; and irresistibly complements a variety of dishes, including Caesar Salad.

Chef Kunal describes his Watermelon Chutney as a "truly interesting recipe" in the summary for his May 10, 2020, YouTube presentation. He recalls the idiom "to make something from scratch" and invites: "Well friends let's make something from scratch today."

Starting from scratch sometimes implies a lengthy process. Chef Kunal's made-from-scratch Watermelon Chutney, however, promises a quality dish produced with uncomprised brevity.

Chef Kunal identifies watermelon rind, which usually is discarded, as ". . . the most intriguing ingredient of this Chutney . . ." Watermelon Chutney ends the "complete waste" of this recipe-friendly ingredient.

The rind is the section between the fruit's juicy, soft, sweet inner pulp, also termed flesh, and the tough outer skin. The thick rind's whitish color contrasts with the skin's speckled or striped greenness and the pulp's most common coloration of red or pinkish red. Watermelon pulp's color range also includes orange, pink, creamy white and yellow.

Chef Kunal's Watermelon Chutney calls for 2 1/2 cups of peeled and puréed watermelon rinds, 3 tablespoons of oil and 3 to 4 tablespoons of vinegar as main ingredients. The base is sweetened with 1/2 cup of sugar and salted to taste. Other seasonings are listed as one dry red chilli; 1/2 teaspoon of black salt (Hindi: काला नमक, kālā namak; also known as Himalayan black salt); 1 teaspoon each of cumin, fennel seeds and mustard seeds; 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger; and 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri chilli powder.

India's cuisines prize Kashmiri lal mirch (Kashmiri red chilli) powder's vibrant red color and mild, smoky flavor. North Indian celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Sanjeev Kapoor describes Kashmiri red chillis as "ruby red wonders" in the "Know Your Ingredients" section of his recipe portal, Sanjeev Kapoor Recipes.

The chutney's watermelon requires preliminary preparation. The watermelon rind is sliced into chunks to ease peeling the skin. Chef Kunal uses a y-shaped vegetable peeler to shave the skin. He notes that, unlike the skin, patches of pulp on the rind do not require removal as they are "fine" and pose "no problem" (timestamp 1:15).

As he crosshatches the skinned rind wedge, he observes: "Roughly cut" (timestamp 1:25). The slight irregularity of the wedge's cubes and triangles "does not matter" (1:28).

The roughly cut wedge chunks are deposited into Chef Kunal's grinder (1:36). Another chopped wedge is added to the mixer. At least two more batches of rind chunks, chopped off-camera, are dropped into the mixer. The mixer breaks the chunks into a slightly rough purée.

Three tablespoons of oil are drizzled into a frying pan. The red chilli and mustard seeds are added for sautéing until the mustard seeds splutter (2:47 to 3:04). Fennel seeds (3:05) and cumin (3:10) are added to the sauté. Chopped ginger (3:30) and then Kashmiri chilli powder (3:45) are added and blended well with a spatula into the other spices.

The watermelon purée is poured into the pan (4:02). The purée is spatulated into the sautéed spices and then is cooked for five minutes. Salt and Himalayan black salt are sprinkled into the seasoned purée (4:46).

Another 10 minutes of cooking and intermittent stirring ensues. Chef Kunal likens the desired consistency of the heated purée to that of a jam: "Just like a jam" (5:18). While the purée heats to jamminess, Chef Kunal adds 3 to 4 tablespoons of vinegar (5:42) and then 1/2 cup of sugar (6:24).

The purée's jam-like consistency signals its qualification as chutney. He says, "Have a closer look" (7:14), in a closeup of a portion that balances prettily on Chef Kunal's spatula.

Chef Kunal aesthetically spoons his Watermelon Chutney into a frosted glass bowl (7:34). He proclaims his Watermelon Chutney recipe as: "Done" (7:46).

The chutney is set aside and allowed to cool before transfer from the pan to a serving bowl or storage jar, according to the printed recipe on Chef Kunal's website. If not consumed at cooling, Watermelon Chutney requires refrigeration, with a shelf life of two to three weeks.

Chef Kunal's website recommends pairing Watermelon Chutney with bread, roti or a sandwich. Also, the Indian-style preserve teams well with rice.

Additionally, Watermelon Chutney serves as an appetizing, colorful dressing variation for Caesar Salad. As fusion cuisine, Chef Kunal's Watermelon Chutney aesthetically nuances Caesar Salad with India's favored seasonings.

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Kunal Kapur, "Watermelon Chutney / तरबूज के छिलके की चटनी / Kunal Kapur Recipes / Summer Watermelon Recipe," via YouTube May 10, 2020, @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT4K0VR7gdE

For further information:

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HungryFace @HungryFacee. "CLICK LINK TO VIEW POST => https://is.gd/0rPbfQ Watermelon Chutney / तरबूज के छिलके की चटनी / Kunal Kapur Recipes / Summer Watermelon Recipe You Hungry Face #recipes #food #cooking #delicious #cook #recipe PLEASE FOLLOW US! - Retweet [RT]." Twitter. May 18, 2020.
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Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT4K0VR7gdE

Kunal Kapur. "Watermelon is ❤️ these days. It’s sweet and juicy, making it the perfect treat to quench your thirst during the summer heat. This fruit is loaded with benefits - It helps you to stay hydrated, is packed with nutrients and beneficial plant compounds, may improve heart health and may aid skin health." Facebook. April 27, 2022.
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Kunal Kapur Chef. "Watermelon & Feta Cheese Salad. Cut watermelon into large dices. Whisk 2 spoons of feta cheese, pinch of pepper & a spring chopped basil. Make a dollop Of the cheese and drizzle some virgin olive oil. Serve cold." Facebook. January 21, 2015.
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Earth and Space News

Thursday, July 28, 2022

North Indian Chef Kunal Kapur's Watermelon Chutney Is Refreshing

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