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The use of food scrap is important in this world as it meets the needs of cutting expenses and at the same time reducing wastage. With its many culinary customs, India has a wealth of recipes that skilfully use these frequently disregarded ingredients. From the outer skin of ordinary vegetables to the core of fruits there has been found creative ideas by culinary experts across the country for making edible, and delicious meals out of garbage.
These recipes demonstrate how each component of an ingredient may add to the essence of a meal, while also promoting the art of sustainable cooking and reflecting local flavours. Looking at these dishes, it will be easy to cut kitchen wastage while at the same time having fun preparing new meals. Check out the seven delightful Indian recipes which are made from the leftover substances in the most different and tasty ways possible.
Lauki Peel Sabzi (West Bengal)
Although the bottle gourd, or Lauki, is a beloved vegetable in Indian cooking, many people frequently throw away its peels. However, a popular dish in West Bengal that turns these peels into a tasty stir-fry is the Lau Er Koshar Torkari or lauki peel sabzi. To make a dish packed with fibre and minerals, the peels are thoroughly cleaned, diced, and cooked with traditional Bengali spices like panch phoron, a five-spice combination. Then, add the ginger, green chillies, and finely sliced onions. Sauté until the onions become transparent. After adding the lauki peels, sauté them until they are soft. For spices continue to add salt, turmeric, and red chilli powder to properly blend the spices. When ready you can enjoy the pleasant taste and the texture by eating it with chapati or steaming rice.
Watermelon Rind Sabzi (Gujarat)
In India, watermelon is a popular summertime fruit, yet its skin is often thrown away. Watermelon rind sabzi is a tasty way to use this frequently discarded ingredient in Gujarat. To prepare this dish, first cut the white portion of the rind into small pieces after scraping off the outer green skin. Add cumin seeds to hot oil in a pan and allow them to crackle. Then add the ginger pieces, green chilly and chopped onions. Sauté until the onions become tender. Add the coriander powder, salt, turmeric, and the chopped watermelon rind. Let it cook until the rind is soft but still has a little firmness. Serve this sabzi with roti or paratha.
Mooli Ke Patte Ki Sabzi (Punjab)
Mooli ke patte, or radishes' leaves, are frequently disregarded in Punjab. However, they are packed with nutrients and one can prepare a good sabzi with them. Rinse the radish leaves well and finely cut them for this recipe. Add cumin seeds to hot oil in a pan and let them sputter. Add the green chillies and finely chopped onions, and cook until golden. Add the chopped radish leaves, salt, turmeric, and red chilli powder after that. Cook until the spices are absorbed and the leaves wilt. This recipe goes well with dal and rice since it has a strong flavour and a distinct, slightly bitter taste.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Banana Stem Thoran (Kerala)
Often thrown away, banana stems are a staple in Keralan cooking, especially when used in thoran, a classic stir-fry with coconut and vegetables. To begin making this dish, remove any fibrous parts from the banana stem by peeling and slicing it into thin rounds. Add mustard seeds to a skillet with heated coconut oil. When they begin to sputter, add the green chillies and onions, and cook until the onions become transparent. Season with salt and turmeric and add the chopped banana stem. Add the grated coconut at the end for flavour and stir till thoroughly mixed. This delicious and aromatic thoran recipe, which spices up the banana stem, is the pride of the region and best served as a side dish to rice and pappadam.
Image Credit: WIkimedia Commons
Jackfruit Seed Curry (Karnataka)
In many regions of India, jackfruit is praised for its delicious fruit, but the seeds are frequently disregarded. Jackfruit seed curry is a tasty way to utilise these rich in nutrients seeds in Karnataka. To make this dish, first boil the jackfruit seeds until they are tender, then cut and peel them. Add the urad dal and mustard seeds to a pan with hot oil. Add fissured red chillies, onions, and green chillies after they start to smell aromatic. Sauté the onions till they turn golden. After that, simmer the turmeric, coriander powder, salt, and boiling jackfruit seeds until they are well mixed. Savour this dish that will even save on costs by preparing leftovers warmly and taking it with rice or chapati.
Khosa Bharta (West Bengal)
The peels of many vegetables, especially potatoes or brinjals, are skilfully used in the classic Bengali cuisine khosa bharta to make a tasty mash. First, toast the vegetable peels in the oven or over an open flame until fragrant and browned. Peel off the skins to use in your dish after they have cooled. Next, mash the roasted peels with finely sliced ginger, green chillies, onions, and coriander leaves in a mixing dish. To improve the flavours, add salt and mustard oil, and after that add a few drops of lemon juice. This bharta is very plain and yet full of taste and it proves how with simple more ingredients can produce a great and tasty dish. Serve the khosa bharta alongside parathas or rice and dal.
Pumpkin Skin Chutney (Andhra Pradesh)
Although pumpkin is a multipurpose vegetable and is prized for its meat, the skin is frequently thrown away. Pumpkin skin chutney is a tasty way to make the most of this ingredient in Andhra Pradesh. Peel the pumpkin first, then put the skin aside. Then, the onions and green chillies which have been chopped should be cooked by frying until they turn golden. Stir-fry the pumpkin skin until it becomes tender. After letting the mixture cool, combine it into a smooth chutney and add the jaggery, tamarind, and salt for a sweet-tangy taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pumpkin skin chutney adds a unique and surprising flavour to rice, idli, or dosa and goes well with them.
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