The watermelon is 90 per cent water, so whichever diet you are on, it can do no harm. In fact it is good for you. The fruit is high on potassium, so easily replenishes salts that are lost due to sweating. It prevents dehydration, dry skin, tanning and headaches. It enhances the Vitamin D level and protects you from the UV rays. It is also a rich source of vitamins A, C and B6. Last but not the least, this thirst quenching fruit (Pablo Neruda has waxed eloquent about it in his poem Ode to the Watermelon) can brighten up your meal with its good looks.
...Jewel box of water/phlegmatic/ queen/of the fruit-shops/warehouse/ of profundity, moon/ on earth!/You are pure/ rubies fall apart in your abundance…
Remember…
Watermelon should be consumed within an hour of cutting it
Refrigerated watermelon juice with lemon juice stays a little longer.
A quick remedy for dehydration is to mix water melon juice with glucose. It quickly helps cope with loss of vitamins in the body.
Watermelon is a thirst quencher but avoid having it as the potassium content in it could react with other acidic or citric content leading to discomfort.
A study says that 21 litres of water melon juice consumed over a period of seven days helps one to detoxify.
As it’s a low-glycemic fruit, anyone can consume the fruit. Diabetics should take it only on doctors’ recommendation
White salad
Most of the goodness is retained in the base white flesh which we generally throw away. It can be chopped and mixed with radish, slat and pepper, lemon juice and vinegar and consumed as a salad.
You can also make raita with it with a sprinkling of chaat powder
How to cut a watermelon?
Cut it into two and then use a kuzhi karandi to scoop out the flesh. Or Keep it erect. Remove the skin to make an opening at the top and scoop the flesh with a spoon and refrigerate.
Recipes
Summer granita
Ingredients
Watermelon cubes – a small bowl
Sugar syrup – 2 tsp
Lemon juice – 10 ml
Chopped mint leaves – as required
Method
Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate it. After 30 minutes, shuffle the mix. Repeat the process every 30 minutes. It enhances the flavour and is crisp and crystal like feel.
Transfer the contents to a tall glass and serve it with a scoop of ice cream.
Health drink
Water melon juice – 150 ml or a glass full
Lemon juice – 5 ml
Ginger extract- as required
Jaggery- as required
Mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate. It’s a remedy-oriented drink and it is believed to relieve gastric issues.
Mulan
Ingredients
Watermelon (deseeded) 150 grams
Sugar syrup 1 tbs
Ice cream 1/2 scoop
Ice cubes 4
Method
Blend watermelon with sugar syrup and ice cubes in a blender
Pour it into tall glasses
Add a scoop of ice cream on top
Serve immediately .
Courtesy: That’s Y On The Go
(Race Course).
Watermelon and Cheese salad
Ingredients
Water Melon diced or scooped into balls (from half a fruit)
Mint few fresh sprigs
Feta cheese to taste
Balsamic vinegar 3 tsps reduced (take double this quantity of balsamic vinegar in a pan and boil till reduced to half)
Lime to taste
Crushed pepper/cumin powder
Black salt Use with discretion as both the feta and the vinegar are salty
Method
Place the scooped watermelon in a bowl, drizzle the balsamic vinegar on it, sprinkle the cumin or pepper powder and toss. Throw in the mint, crumble the feta cheese over it, and your salad is ready.
If you retain the hollow rind of the fruit once the flesh has been scooped out, you can use that as your serving bowl.
Courtesy: Vishakh of Vs
Vishakh says when he worked in a hotel, where beauty pageant contestants stayed regularly, they always requested their daily tipple of plain watermelon juice with nothing else but cumin powder and a pinch of black salt.
Water melon custard
(for kids)
Ingredients
Cold milk – a glassful
Custard powder- 30 gms
Warm milk – a glassful
Water melon juice- a glassful
Method
Dissolve custard powder in cold milk. Once it settles down, add warm milk, cook and cool it for a while. Then, mix water melon juice into it. Refrigerate for an hour.
Every scoop is calorie-rich and is ideal for kids during summer.
