30 June

Most of the time we throw out the peels of the vegetables and fruits we eat. It was during the lockdown last year that people started promoting the concept of 'no-waste' cooking where you are encouraged to use all the part of a fruit or vegetable to make food. But just ask your mother or grandma, and they will tell you their stories of how they used to incorporate the same concept in their cooking even without knowing that it will become a fad one day. I have seen my mom use the produces in its entirety to spin up many innovative dishes. It was mostly done when your pantry was running dry and you had to make do with whatever is available at hand. And as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, when one is trying to use everything in a produce there has to be some inventive cooking involved to give the peels, seeds etc. a unique flavor and taste which will be loved by everyone in the house.  Thus I grew up on recipes which were following no waste lifestyle always.

Did you know the peels has more fiber than the vegetable or fruit itself? That is why they keep you full for a longer time even if consumed in a small amount. They are healthy too.

I started making dishes out of vegetable peels a couple of years ago and discovered my love for them. More than the actual subzi, I ended up loving the dishes made form the various peels. Out of all the peels I feel the peel of a Bottle gourd is the most versatile because of its neutral taste and flavour. It blends well with any spice or seasoning. 

Bottle gourd or lau as we call in Bengali, is a summer staple in Bengal. But when you are staying out of Bengal, this is something you get round the year and of same quality. Many people hate the idea of having lau in any dish, but we never hear that complaint in Bengali dishes, maybe because Bengalis have invented beautiful dishes from this much hated vegetable and turned them into culinary wonders. I really love any Bengali dish made with bottle gourd. And it has been the same case from early childhood days. I loved it with mach (fish) or spinach or in the form of a fish curry or even stir fry.

Today I am going to talk about a very basic stir fry made out of the bottle gourd peels which is tasty and healthy at the same time. Pair it with steamed rice and choice of your daal and you are sorted.

Checkout other vegetarian recipes on my blog:

• Kochur Dom
• Potol Shorshe Posto Aam Diye
• Chola Shaak Ghonto
• Rajasthani Bharwa Bhindi
• Bharwa Karela

Cooking Equipment:

• Pan
• Sharp Knife
• Peeler

Procedure:

1. Peel the skin of the bottle gourd a little thick so that some flesh also is there with the skin.

Tip: Put the peels in a bowl of water the moment you peel them, it will prevent blackening of the peels due to oxidization in air.

2. Chop the peels into thin julienne (long strips) 

Tip: If you cut them long and thin the look of the preparation enhances.

3. Take a saucepan and fill it with water. Bring the water to a boil and add half a tsp of salt. Add the peels and  boil it for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and place under running room temperature water to stop the cooking process.

4.  Now heat a pan. Add mustard oil and let it get heated. Once hot fry the bori (lentil dumplings ) till they are crispy. Take them out and keep aside.

5. In the same pan while the oil is hot, temper the oil with dry red chili and Nigella seeds (Kalonjee). Allow it to sizzle for a few seconds and then add the blanched peels. 

6. Add turmeric, salt and sugar and give it a good stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Open the lid give it a stir and let it cook covered for another 3-5 minutes.

7. Now break the fried bori roughly and add it and grated fresh coconut to the pan. Give it a stir. Add about 1/4th cup of water and let the peels get cooked till a little tender. 

Note: If you want to make it spicy add a few slit green chilis or red chili powder and skip the sugar. But the recipe tastes awesome when sugar is added.

Serve it with steamed rice and daal.