Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

Waste not, want not. These days of lockdown, everything is precious even peels of vegetables! Here is a simple recipe made with the peels of ridge gourd! You can tailor it to your taste, increase the spice quotient, decrease or increase the tang.

Collect it:

• 2 cups of ridge gourd skins

• ¼ size of raw mango (Substitute with a small ball of tamarind)

• ¼ cup tightly packed of grated coconut

• 4 light green chillies

• 1 tbsp cumin/jeera

• 1 tsp jaggery

• 1 tbsp oil

• Salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp oil

• 1 tsp mustard

• 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera

• 2 dry Bedki chillies

• 10-12 curry leaves

Make it:

You would ideally wash the ridge gourd before peeling. With coronavirus I recommend that you soak peel in water. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Heat oil. Sauté peel until soft. It will shrink. Add green chillies, coconut and cumin/jeera. Sauté till fragrant. Set aside to cool.

When cool, add salt, mango, jaggery and grind to paste using a little water (1/4 cup or less). Remove in a bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, mustard, curry leaves and let it crackle. Add red chillies. Do not burn. Pour over chutney.