recipe for 4-6
- 1 big watermelon, without seeds, 3,2 kg
- 2 tb sunflower oil
- 1/2 tsp ajowan seeds
- 1 tsp black seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 2 bird eye chilies, seeded, finely chopped
- 5 gloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 cm ginger, peeled (20 g)
- 1/2 tsp curcuma
- 20 g fresh coriander with its stems, chopped
- coarse sea salt
pickled melonen bark
- 200 ml apple vinegar
- 250 ml rice vinegar
- 60 g sugar
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 medium size cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fresh black pepper
how to do
- leave the green skin of the melon carefully, not to thick & litter them
- divide the melon into 2 parts, then cut each into 3-4 chinks
- leave the white layer from each chink
- cut the flesh into 3 cm big cubes
- leave the seeds if necessary
- 1,2 kg or 3/4 of the flesh put aside
- the rest about 700 g blend to juice & put into the fridge
- cut the white skin/layer into 4-5 mm long & 3 mm thick stripes
- boil 1 l water to dissolve 3 tb salt in a medium sized saucepan
- set it aside & let it cool down
- pour the white skin with it & cool it covered for minimum 24 hours
- drain the bark into a colander & swill with cool water
- add both vinegars, sugar, cloves, mustard seeds, pepper & cinnamon into a small pot to dissolve the sugar
- let it cool down & pour it over the skin
- earliest after 1 hour the skin is ready for consumption
- it is possible to store the skin in a sterilized jar for some month
- the longer it pervades the softer it is & the more intense its flavor
- for the soup heat the oil by medium temperature in a big pot with a lid
- add the Ajowan, the cumin & fennel seeds, the cardamom 6 chilies & roast for about 1-2 minutes, stir regularly
- add the garlic & ginger & sweat for another min. by stirring
- add 180 g of the pickled white skin, weighed without the liquid
- add the curcuma & salt
- sweat for 3-4 min
- add the water, the water melon juice & 4 tb of the pickle juice
- boil up for 2 min
- then skim & cook for 4-5 min lid closed by medium temperature
- add the water melon cubes, cook by medium to high temperature for 4 min, stir carefully
- take from the cooker, serve with fresh coriander
smell, taste & go for the show…
recipe picked of: Nopi – das Kochbuch, Y. Ottolenghi & R. Scully, DK Verlag