MAJjige Huli – Watermelon Rind Yogurt Curry

Majjige Huli is a curry which is yogurt based . ‘Huli‘, is a typical brahmin kannada word for Sāmbar. Every marriage, every housewarming ceremony, every gathering that serves traditional South Indian meal will for surely have Majjige Huli…. This dish is delicately tangy and mildly spicy.

Majjige Huli can be made with Ash gourd, amaranth, french beans and my favourite Watermelon peel.

It gives me immense pleasure as i use everybot of the fruit. I eat the fruit, use the rind in dishes, seeds and peel go into making compost. I am very proud of how less wet waste goes into the bin from my kitchen. 

Ingredients
1/2kg – Watermelon Peel
1/4 cup – Grated fresh coconut
3 /4nos – Green chillies
2 tbsp – Chana dal (Bengal geam)
2 tbsp – Chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp – Jeera (Cumin seeds)
1 inch – Ginger (optional)
1/2 cup – Yogurt (sour is good)
A pinch of Turmeric 

For tempering
1 tbsp – Oil
1 tsp – Mustard seeds
10 nos – Curry leaves
A pinch of hing
4 nos – Red chillies

Preparation

Soak chana dal overnight or in hot water for an hour.

Remove the flesh part of the melon and the dark geen peel. 

Now you will be left with the light green part of the rind. Cut it into cubes.

Grind coconut, coriander, jeera, soaked chana dal, ginger, green chillies into a fine paste.

 

Method
In a pressure cooker or in a kadhai cook the watermelon with turmeric and salt.

Cook it till the cooker lets out one whistle. It should be just cooked yet firm.

Add the ground paste and 2 cups of water and let it simmer. 

Cook it till the raw smell of chana dal is gone. Add more salt if required. 

Due to bengal gram the gravy might get thick very soon. Just add more water and cook it till it smells cooked. 

Keep stirring it continuously to avoid curdling.

Beat the yogurt and add it too and remove the kadhai from the flame. 

For tempering
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add hing, curry leaves (stand back ) , red chillies and pour it over the gravy.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee ,fried curd chilly(Baalka),Sandige (a type of puffed rice condiment)