Avarekai - Watermelon Rind Curry (Field Beans)

Watermelon fruit is plenty in the market. Summer and Water Mellon go hand in hand. You all agree with my words. Water Melon keeps us cool. It is full of water and quenches our thirst, most of them know about it. How about using its rind in our kitchen ? Have you given a try ?
There are so many dishes that we can prepare using this rind. Use the rind of watermelon fruit and get the benefits. Here is a curry with Watermelon rind. Prepare it and enjoy.

This time it is with Avarekai (Field Beans) and tomatoes. No coconut or dal in this curry. (Avarekalu is used instead of toor/moong dal.
Lets see some benefits of Watermelon Rind :
Watermelon rind also got a healthy amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium. magnesium and other important nutrients. It is very good in controlling blood pressure. They are good for eradicating prostrate and they help to keep our urinary tract in healthy condition. They are good for our skin and good for our nervous system. They are loaded with amino acids and anti oxidants and they protect us from free radical damages, circulatory system and immune system.
Onions and garlic are not used in this "Avarekai- Watermelon Rind Curry'. You can have this curry with almost all main dishes like plain rice, chapatis, idli, dosa, poori etc etc etc...
Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed : 

To Cook :
Watermelon rind : 1 big bowl grated. (3 to 4 big pieces).
Tomatoes : 2 to 3 (medium size)
Avarekai/Field beans : 1 Bowl (1 Cup pods)
To Add : 
Rasam/Sambar Powder : 2 to 3 Teaspoons
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : Grated : 1 Tablespoon
Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Lemon juice (Extract) : 1 Teaspoon (1/2 Lemon)
Methi/Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : required salt
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Seasoning :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon (Any cooking oil)
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and cook Avarekai (Field beans) in pressure cooker and leave it for cooling.

2. Wash and remove the green part (outer skin) of watermelon rind and grate the rind and keep it aside.

3. Wash and cut tomatoes into thin pieces and keep it aside. Slit green chilly into two.
4. Now keep a pan and heat. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add jeera and curry leaves.
5. Add ingh and green chilly and fry for 10 seconds. Add cut tomatoes, turmeric powder and fry nicely till it turns soft. Add grated ginger. Add methi seeds.

6. Now add Grated watermelon rind, cooked Avarekai. Add required salt.
7. Mix it well and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Now add sambar powder and mix it nicely and let it boil for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice.
9. Shift the curry into a serving bowl, add cut coriander leaves and serve the main dish you have prepared.

Note : 

You can cut watermelon rind in to small pieces and then cook till soft. Grating of watermelon helps the curry to be quick. You can also add any other vegetables with watermelon. Use of onions and garlic is optional. No dal or coconut is used in this curry. Adding of any brand of rasam/sambar powder is optional. I have used home made sambar powder. Adding little jaggery helps to reduce the gastric level in the curry. Adding methi seeds helps to reduce the cholesterol level in the curry. Adding more/less chilly is optional. Use of home made spice powder taste good. You can use tamarind pulp instead of lemon extract. (soak marble size tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and use it).
Time : 30 minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 

Preparation of Sambar powder : 

Dry roast 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 5 to 6 seeds of methi, 1/2 teaspoon of channa dal, 5 to 6 byadagi chilly, 1/2 Teaspoon of jeera, 5 to 6 curry leaves and little ingh. Dry grind when the roasted spice cools down. ( 1 Serving only).

Coriander Leaves Chutney

Coriander leaves/kottumbari soppu/ chutney is a spicy chutney which is used as substitute for pickle. This chutney has its own place in South Canara (D. K) people's Kitchen. It is one of the Authentic Chutney I can say. It can stay for long, goes well with almost all dishes.

We prepare and use pickle in larger quantity. Even now my younger sister does it every year mango pickling in traditional way. Pickles are done during the mango season. Varieties of pickles are prepared during summer season and kept in big Pots during those days. Now preparing pickle at home has become very rare and only some still do it and sell it too. Once the pickle gets over they need  to have some thing spicy which can substitute for pickle. So this way coriander chutney has derived I feel.
In villages this chutney is ground in grinding stone. It should be done without using much water, with little or without coconut.
Coriander Leaves Chutney has coriander leaves, green chilly, salt and ing. I have used mustard seasoning. But normally seasoning is not used since the oil might turn or leave bad smell.

Lets see some benefits of  "Coriander Leaves ".

Coriander leaves are good for skin inflammation. They are good for Skin disorders. They contain the property of disinfectant, detoxifying, antiseptic, antifugal and antioxidant. They good for clearing fungal infections. Coriander leaves contain Vitamin C and other acids and are good for reducing cholesterol level in the blood. They also help to reduce the level of bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol. They are good for digestion of the food, well functioning of the liver and good bowel movements. Coriander leaves are good for mouth ulcers, anemia and blood sugar disoreders. Eating coriander leaves are very good for eye care.( Not the spicy chutney of course )
Lets see the recipe.

Things Needed :

To Grind :
Coriander Leaves : 3 Bundles.
Green chilly : 10 to 12
 Dry Coconut : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : 1 To 1 1/2 Tablespoon
Tamarind : 1 Small ball size
Ingh/Asafoetida : a littel
To seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Oil : 1 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and dry coriander leaves and green chilly. Let all the moisture disappear.

2. Now cut green chilly and coriander leaves into small. Grate or cut coconut in to pieces.
3, Grind coriander leaves, green chilly, coconut, tamarind, ingh and salt. Try to dry grind. (Or use very little water to grind). (Grind little quantity at time)

4. Remove from mixi jar and put it in a big bowl. It should be thick.

5. Add mustard seasoning and mix it well.

6. Fill ready "Coriander Leaves Chutney" in a glass bottle once it is cooled.
Serve with curd rice and any other dishes (little quantity) like pickle.

Note :

Adjust the salt quantity according the quantity of the coriander leaves you take. Wash and dry coriander leaves under a fan. Spread it on a plate or tray. (Do not use news papers to dry the leaves. News papers might leave the ink used for printing). Adding green chilly according to your wish. More/less. Adding oil seasoning is also optional. Adding copra/dry coconut helps the chutney tos tay long. Use of coconut also optional. Keep the coriander chutney in the refrigerator. It helps the chutney stay long. You can use boiled salt water to grind chutney. Boil water and add salt. Let it boil and the water reduce to half. Use this water to grind chutney.
Time : 3o minutes
Serving : As you use.