RECIPE - Watermelon pancakes

"Waste not, want not" was my grandmother's motto. It sure made sense back in the days where resources were scarce and consumerism was non-existent. 

In my grandmother's home, everything could be re-used, recycled or repurposed. The outer husk from the coconut became a scouring pad along with ash from the wood stove. Condensed Milk cans were washed and either became storage containers or measures for rice and flour. There were several other ways she found a use for things we would throw away here in Australia - like the rind of a watermelon, which is the base of today's recipe.

Has this thought ever crossed your mind when carving through a watermelon?  - Gee whiz, this rind weighs more than the darn flesh itself! If only I could make use of this rind. 

Fortunately for you, good old nana (bless her soul) discovered the answer to that age old question - use the rind to make pancakes! Here's a tasty recipe, from the Konkan coast of India, that we hope you will enjoy now that it's summer.

    1. Wash, then soak 1 cup rice for 1/2 hour
    2. Peel off the green skin, then roughly chop up the watermelon rind.  You need 2 1/2 cups peeled watermelon rind.
    3. Strain, then place the soaked rice, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 cup coconut milk and the watermelon rind a grinder.
    4. Grind till it forms a smooth paste.
    5. Empty the ground rice into a bowl and add 1 cup of water (you can use this to wash out the residue in the blender).
    6. allow to rest for 8 hours or overnight.
    7. When ready to cook stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (3 strands) and 2 tbsp rice flour, 1 green chilli, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 1 tsp sea salt.  (This step is optional)
    8. Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat
    9. Then add 1/2 cup of the batter and sprinkle a teaspoon of oil around the edges and watch for tiny bubbles to form and the edges to turn brown.  When you see this flip and cook for about 30 seconds on the other side.
    10. Serve warm with your favourite chutney or curry.

NOTE:  You can make a sweet version of this - in place of the chilli and ginger and coriander add sugar.