India is estimated to be around 68 million tons of food waste annually, and a significant portion of that includes the peel and skin of fruits and vegetables. On this World Environment Day, let us make a commitment to consciously include them in our meals. If you were wondering how? Here are two recipes from Chef Natasha Gandhi, founder of House of Millets.
Tour peel kebabs
Turai or Lauki bowls are low in calories and extremely high in fiber and nutrients. And with a little work, they can be turned into delicious melt-in-the-mouth kebabs.
Ingredients: Turai bowls – 2 cups, whole spices (2-3 cashmere chilli, 3 cloves, 3 elaichi, 2 cinnamon, 5-6 black pepper, 1 bay leaf, onion – 1, chana dal (soaked overnight) – 1/2 Cup, red chili powder – 1 tsp, turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp, water – 1/2 cup, roasted besan – 1/4 cup, oil as needed and salt to taste
Recipe:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add whole spices. Add chopped onions and fry.
2. Add turai bowls along with chana dal. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix them well, add 1/2 cup of water and cook on high heat for 2 pipes.
3. Once the dal is cooked and the shell is soft, put it in a blender and puree it into a smooth paste
4. Add toasted besan and mix well to give it a soft, dough-like consistency.
5. Shape them into kebabs and fry them with a little oil until they are golden brown on both sides.
Also read | World Environment Day: Make These 7 Easy Switches To Live More Sustainably
Dosa. made from watermelon rind
Like a cucumber, every part of a watermelon is edible. But to make this dosa we only need the thick white flesh of the rind and not the green skin. But don’t throw away the green part, it can be used to make plant compost and make it break down faster. Cut it into small pieces before adding it to the compost.
Ingredients: Watermelon peel – 1/2 cup. Rice flour – 1/4 cup, semolina – 1/4 cup, chickpea flour – 1/2 tbsp, water – 1/2 cup, and salt to taste
Recipe:
1. Take the watermelon peel, add rice flour, semolina, semolina, chickpea flour, salt and water and mix into a paste. The dough should be runny but not runny.
2. Let the mixture rest for 15-20 minutes
3. Grease the pan with oil, heat it up. Pour the dough and spread it like dosa.
4. Once it has turned a light brown color, remove it and enjoy with chutney
Also read | World Environment Day: This 125 year old company in Bengaluru weaves discarded silk saris and PET bottles into their carpets
