By Rissa Miller, Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor
I kind of thought… there’s no way. Not that I doubted Vegetarian Journal columnist Nancy Berkoff. She’s a chef and dietitian, a food expert. Every quarter she has great ideas on easy things to do with vegan eats. But watermelon curry? As I stared at her monthly column (page 32 coming up in Issue 3, 2019), I wondered if Nancy was mistaken.
Never one to back down from a vegan culinary adventure – or a challenge – I decided to check it out. As it happens, there are many, many variations of this traditional dish from Rajasthan, the largest state in India, which is in the northwest corner of the country. I rarely meet Indian food I don’t love, so I set about making my own version with easy-to-find spices and directions simple enough to prepare on any weeknight.
Watermelon curry is sweet and savory; it comes together in 20 minutes, about as long as it takes rice to get fluffy in my rice cooker. I used pre-cut and seeded watermelon from the grocery salad bar. If you’re ambitious enough to cut your own melon, make sure you remove the seeds.
Watermelon Curry
Serves 4
Sauce
3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. powdered mustard seed
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
Pinch salt (optional to taste)
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional to taste)
Curry
1 Tbs. neutral oil, such as canola oil
1 small onion, cut into half moons
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped into rings
15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed
4 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional topping)
1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional topping)
2 Tbs. chopped cashews (optional topping)
Lime juice (optional topping)
4 cups prepared rice
To prepare the sauce, purée watermelon cubes in a blender or food processor until liquid. Add puréed watermelon and all spices to a large pot. Cover and cook over low heat until infused, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a second pan over medium heat, sauté chopped onions, green pepper, and minced garlic in the oil until fragrant and lightly browned, about 4-6 minutes. Pour into large pot with the watermelon sauce, adding chickpeas and cubed watermelon. Stir gently to coat. Cook to warm through, about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
Serve over one cup of warm cooked rice. Top as desired with chopped cilantro, cashews, jalapeño, and/or a splash of lime juice.