Watermelon rinds?

Well now, what have we here?

In my view, the watermelon is one of the most beautiful fruits. We have just carved one into huge slices and so we have some rinds left over. Now, in the Southern United States, these rinds might be used to make a pickle. You may well see the same in India. Here is what I just did although, let it be said, it does not make a terribly long lasting pickle.

You have eaten your watermelon. If you didn't wash the rinds, do it now. Cut them into strips and then into little squares. Put them in a big bowl. Take a big green fresh chilli (the contrast -not too much contrast, though.-is very pretty). Cut the chilli, seeds and all. into fine pieces, add it to the rinds with a big pinch of sea salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper and, say, a hazlenut-sized piece of ginger root which you have grated finely. Mix it all up with your hands, then add the juice of a lemon, its finely grated peel and two teaspoons -but taste and taste again to see if you'd like to add more -- of  chaat (or chat) powder, one specifically marketed for fruit chaat which, like anything else with chat/chaat in its name, is a snack food. Chat is usually  spiced with aromatic flavourings, such as black cumin and pomegranate and green mango powder.  Might be a fresh peach salad (which you need tio eat straight away because it wilts fast!)or perhaps a potato salad. More on which soon. You can find chat powder easily enough in Asian supermarkets and shops; I tend to get mine here www.spicesofindia.com I like the 'shaan' brand best!

Mix everything in with your hand and pile into jars. The pickle is ready to eat after two days but will keep for a week. To make it longer lasting you'd need more preserving liquid, but that's jot quite what I'm after here. Keep it in the fridge. I will be serving this pickle with lots of South Indian snacks next weekend.

The photos you see are all mine: of the pickle itself, but also a few images from my kitchen showing some balti dishes hanging up, the plate of chilli and ginger which is invariably sitting on top of my big salt jar, plus one of my piles of thali dishes. I like the colours of my watermelon pickle against the vintage 'Ball' preserving jars. I collect these and you can still get them for just a few dollars at flea markets in the U.S. I've bought mine in Virginia and Georgia. Ball is still is business, the jars are still great but not, alas, in the same lovely colour.Clear these days.