Watermelon Rind Halwa
Fragrant • Resourceful • Comforting
Watermelon Rind Halwa transforms a part of the fruit that is usually discarded into a warm, comforting Indian dessert. The rind is slowly cooked with ghee, suji and besan, then enriched with milk, saffron and cardamom for a soft, aromatic finish. Garnished with almonds and pistachios, it’s a delicious example of turning a simple ingredient into something completely unexpected.
Recipe Details
Total Time: 30 mins
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Dessert
Best Served: Warm
Nutrition / Macros:
Calories: 197 kcal
Protein: 4 g
Carbs: 16 g
Fat: 12 g
Recipe Highlights
♥ A creative way to use watermelon rind
♥ Warm and aromatic Indian-style halwa
♥ Flavoured with saffron and cardamom
♥ Made with suji, besan and milk
♥ Finished with almonds and pistachios
Ingredients
- Watermelon rind — 250 g
- Suji — 10 g
- Besan — 10 g
- Milk — 50 g
- Ghee — 10 g
- Kesar / saffron — as required
- Cardamom powder — as required
- Nutmeg powder — as required
- Sweetener — to taste
- Almonds and pistachios — for garnish
Method
1. Prepare the Watermelon Rind
Peel off the thick outer green skin of the watermelon using a vegetable peeler.
Peel away another thin layer just beneath the green skin so that you are left with the tender white rind.
Roughly chop the rind and transfer it to a grinder. Grind into a paste without adding any water.
2. Roast the Suji & Besan
Heat a pan and melt the ghee.
Add the suji and besan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until they become lightly browned and aromatic.
3. Cook the Watermelon Rind
Add the watermelon rind paste to the roasted suji and besan.
Cook over low to medium heat until the mixture thickens and the excess moisture reduces. This should take approximately 15–20 minutes.
4. Sweeten & Flavour
Add sweetener according to your taste and continue cooking for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
Mix the saffron into the milk, then add the saffron milk to the halwa.
Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring until everything is well combined and the halwa reaches a soft, rich consistency.
5. Garnish & Serve
Remove from the heat.
Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
Tip
Do not add water while grinding the watermelon rind. The rind naturally contains plenty of moisture, and adding extra water will only increase the cooking time.
Cook the halwa patiently over low heat so the moisture evaporates gradually and the flavours develop properly.
Ipshita’s Note
Watermelon rind is something we usually throw away without giving it much thought. This halwa is my way of turning that overlooked part of the fruit into a completely different dessert — warm, fragrant and finished with saffron, cardamom and nuts.
