Bottle Gourd Peel Chutney

Wait!! check this out before you throw the vegetable peels. A lip smacking chutney that can be served as accompaniment for Rice, Idli and Dosas. Before long, your family will be asking you for more!

I have seen both my mum and granny make this chutney. Though they made many variations for the Bottle Gourd peel chutney, my little brother and I loved this the most. You can also make red chutney with bottle gourd peel using Red chilles, Urad Dal and tamarind. My granny says when you throw away the peels of Vegetables and Fruits, you are actually throwing away half of their health benefits. [-X The peels of Vegetables and Fruits are packed with nutrients and surprising amount of flavor. Using them can make your meals healthier and more flavorful.

 There are many recipes you can try to make using the peels of Vegetables(Ridge gourd, Bottle gourd, Raw banana, cucumber, Pumpkin, Tomato, Squash )and fruits (Orange, Grapefruit, Watermelon rind, Lemon, Peaches). Last time I made Bottle Gourd Halwa, I had a whole cup of bottle gourd peels and the recipe for chutney was just a phone call away. You may find it strange cooking Green chillies with the peels but my mum says that the aroma of Green chillies blend with anything that it is cooked with. So the flavor is deeper and authentic. I prepared this chutney and served it with hot white rice and a sprinkle of coconut oil on it. Guess what happened the next day? Hubby bought another kilogram of Bottle gourd back home asking for the chutney again! /:) :>

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	86		Calories
Fat	7		%
Carbohydrates	4		%
Dietary Fiber	2		%
Sodium	2		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	16		%
Calcium	2		%
Iron	1		%
Protein	2		Grams
Sugar	0		Grams

Ingredients
Peel of Bottle Gourd	1 Large
Green chillies	3 or more
Oil	1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Water	1 cup
Peanuts	1/4 cup
Tamarind/Tamarind paste	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Corainder leaves	to garnish

To temper
Oil	1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal	1/2 teaspoon

* Wash the Bottle Gourd well before you peel the skin. Slit Green chillies and keep aside.
* In a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add slit green chillies and the peel. Fry for 5 minutes.
* Add water, cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Check once after 5 minutes and add more water if required.

* Check one of the strands if the peels are cooked and soft. If the strand falls apart, remove the mixture from heat and let it cool.
* Now, I have added raw peanuts for this chutney but you can dry roast peanuts if you wish. It tastes better for this chutney if it is not roasted since it overpowers all the other flavors.
* Grind the cooked mixture, Peanuts, Tamarind and salt to a coarse paste. Add water if necessary. Temper with oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Urad dal and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice, dosas or Idlis and enjoy!

* You can increase or decrease the quantity of water you add as per the consistency of chutney you need.
* I have not found curry leaves here in Oslo yet, but feel free to add it while tempering for better taste.
* The flavor of cooked cumin seeds with any vegetable peel is a match made in heaven. You can skip cumin seed while tempering if you are not a fan of cumin.

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