What is Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo?
Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo is a Gluten Free + Vegan soft and spongy Dosa made with Watermelon rind and basic pantry essential. No lentils added . Remains soft and spongy a long time after this is made, so makes for excellent lunch box recipe too. Served with any spicy chutney or sambhar.
Konkani Cuisine has a huge variety of dosa - called Polo in Konkani - in their repertoire. I have a feeling they make dosas out of everything - rice, millets, vegetables, jackfruit, coconut, veg peels, and also - yes - fruit discards. When I read about Watermelon Rind Dosa _Kalingana Polo (also sometimes called Kalingada Polo) , I wasn’t even sure I was reading it right. For a moment I thought it was with the pulp (I mean, who really uses the pith), and no I was proven wrong with this wonderfully moist, soft and spongy Watermelon Dosa. Equally delicious and unqiue also is this Cucumber Dosa (from the same Konkani cuisine)
And that’s not all, they have two varieties of Watermelon dosa - sweet and savoury. As my family prefers savoury for these kind of experiments, went with the latter, and was it delicious ! And again within sweet and savoury, there is a version with turmeric, which we skipped.
For detailed tips and tricks to get this right, scroll below to the end of the post.
Other recipes with Watermelon you might like
Takes 4 simple ingredients, including the watermelon (white) pith that are abundantly available in the summers and you are set for a delicious Gluten Free, Vegan Dosa (pancake / flatbread - whatever one chooses to call it), and tastes yum with a Spicy chutney or sambhar on the side.
So, tell me what else do you make with watermelon rind ? Keen to know.. do let me know in the comments below
What ingredients go into Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo?
Watermelon Pith - the white fleshy part
Rice - Raw rice would do - I have used Brown Rice
Poha / Flattened rice - again I have used Red Poha
Coconut - Fresh or frozen would work. Desiccated coconut is not suitable
Salt - to taste
Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo
Cuisine - Indian, Course - Breakfast / Snack
Prep time - 15 mins, Soak + Grinding + Fermentation Time - 12 hours ; Cook time - 25 mins
Makes - 25 dosas / pancakes
Other UNIQUE Dosa varieties you might like on the blog:
What you need to make Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo
- 2 cups Watermelon Rind
- 1 cup Raw Rice (any short grained rice / Dose Akki will also do - not Idli Rice)
- ½ cup Fresh Grated Coconut
- ¼ cup Flattened rice (thick variety Poha)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Tips to make a soft and spongy Kalingana Polo
- Soak for only 4 hours, grind and ferment only for 4 hours (for moderately tropical climates)
- A few recipes make this instantly without fermentation too, but I haven't tried that.
- Make sure you grind the pith / rind to a smooth paste before mixing it with the rice-flattened rice batter.
- If you use White rice and white poha (against the brown rice and red poha I have used), the colour of the dosa will be milky white
- Do not spread the batter too much - the batter is very fragile , so take 1-2 deep ladles of this and pour to a moderately hot skillet.
- Moderate the flame / tava temp to be medium (not high / not low)
- If you wish you can skip the oil entirely for the dosa (as I did it for myself and the husband man) - in that case, pour the batter to a thickish omelette kind of disc, cook and cover for 1-2 mins
- Traditionally, this dosa is porous and soft and spongy, If you have issues fermenting the batter in cold climates or otherwise, try adding ½ teaspoon of cooking soda / eno, mix and try making the dosa / Polo immediately.
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How to make Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo
- Cut the watermelon into wedges, Scrape the red flesh out (use as fruit / juice),
- With a sharp knife, cut the white flesh part close to the green skin, cut into skin
- A teeny weeny bit of green or red sticking to the white flesh will not make any difference, as long they are negligible tiny bits
- Wash and Keep the white flesh aside, or cut this later close to grinding time (as it doesn’t need soaking)
- Wash the rice in several changes of water till water runs clean.
- Soak the rice and poha in separate bowls for 4 hours
- For the rest of the stages, watch the video below for the complete recipe, and let me know how you liked it
This dish to goes to this edition of Shhh Cooking Challenge - Flatbreads - suggested by Anu Kollon. I am so in awe of her Dosa using Idli Rava - something I am going to try it soon. My partner for this edition was Sujata who gave me two secret ingredients - Coconut and Watermelon to make this delicious dosa. See her Cabbage Cauliflower Paratha with Cabbage and ginger as secret ingredients given to her. From her blog, would love to try out the protein rich Moong Dal Chilla for breakfast on a weekend.
Watermelon Rind Dosa | Kalingana Polo | Kalingada Polo
Equipment
- 1 Wet Blender
- Tava / Skillet (pref cast iron)
- Ladle
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups Watermelon Pith (Watermelon Rind)
- 1 cup Raw rice any short grained rice / Dose Akki will also do - not Idli Rice
- ½ cup Fresh Grated coconut
- ¼ cup Flattened Rice thick variety Poha
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Oil 1 teaspoon oil for each dosa
Instructions
- Cut the watermelon into wedges, Scrape the red flesh out (use as fruit / juice),
- With a sharp knife, cut the white flesh part close to the green skin, cut into skin
- A teeny weeny bit of green or red sticking to the white flesh will not make any difference, as long they are negligible tiny bits
- Wash and Keep the white flesh aside, or cut this later close to grinding time (as it doesn’t need soaking)
- Wash the rice in several changes of water till water runs clean.
- Soak the rice and poha in separate bowls for 4 hours
- For the rest of the stages, watch the video below for the complete recipe, and let me know how you liked it
Video
Notes
Tips to make a soft and spongy Kalingana Polo
- Soak for only 4 hours, grind and ferment only for 4 hours (for moderately tropical climates)
- A few recipes make this instantly without fermentation too, but I haven't tried that.
- Make sure you grind the pith / rind to a smooth paste before mixing it with the rice-flattened rice batter.
- If you use White rice and white poha (against the brown rice and red poha I have used), the colour of the dosa will be milky white
- Do not spread the batter too much - the batter is very fragile , so take 1-2 deep ladles of this and pour to a moderately hot skillet.
- Moderate the flame / tava temp to be medium (not high / not low)
- If you wish you can skip the oil entirely for the dosa (as I did it for myself and the husband man) - in that case, pour the batter to a thickish omelette kind of disc, cook and cover for 1-2 mins
- Traditionally, this dosa is porous and soft and spongy, If you have issues fermenting the batter in cold climates or otherwise, try adding ½ teaspoon of cooking soda / eno, mix and try making the dosa / Polo immediately.
Renu says
I make this watermelon rind dosa and it taste so refreshing and the best part is that it not wasted and so healthy at the same time. I however never added coconut to it, will try it next time
Kalyani says
that's so nice to know you make it too Renu! yes it makes full use of the fruit. Coconut is added to give it extra softness to the dosa
Mayuri Patel says
Interesting dosa recipe Kalyani. While I have used the watermelon pith for salad and sabji have not tried it in a dosa. Kalingana Polo will be on my list to try during summer when we will get whole watermelons.
Kalyani says
Thank you Mayuri. Do try this Polo when possible. I will also check out the sabji with the pith
Sujata Roy says
First I love the name Kalingana polo. Such a lovely name. Recipe sounds quite interesting. Never used watermelon pith but now I have to try this polo. Looks so soft and delicious. I will use white rice to get milky white polo as you mentioned. Wonderful share.
Kalyani says
Thanks Sujata, Do try when possible
The Girl Next Door says
This is such a unique recipe! Lovely way to make use of watermelon pith - best out of (what might have been) waste. The dosas look super soft and delicious!
Kalyani says
absolutely. we discovered a great recipe with the pith!
Preeti Shridhar says
I too add watermelon rind to dosa and idli batter but never made it with just rice and never used coconut also. Kalingana Polo is a new name for me. The dosas look so soft and spongy. Will try your recipe soon.
Kalyani says
thats so good to know you use it in Idli too ! do try this version with coconut when possible, Preeti
Seema Doraiswamy Sriram says
I have just ground the maav and it already feels so good. The dosas with some chutney will be perfect for lunch.
Kalyani says
oh, that's so awesome! enjoy maadi, and do let me know how you liked it.
Radha says
I use watermelon rinds to make dosa in the season. This dosa is a great way to eliminate food waste. Your dosa has turned out perfect and love the color. This would be a satisfying meal for us.
Kalyani says
radha - Absolutely, using that rind not just eliminates food waste but also makes the dosa fibre rich
Anu says
Watermelon rind dosa are so unique. We had no luck guessing the secret ingredients. We make curries out of watermelon rind but never tried to make dosas out of it. Would love to try them.
Kalyani says
THanks Anu! do try !
Poonam Bachhav says
I use Watermelon rind to make stir-fries but making dosa with it sounds brilliant ! Would try this for sure. Thanks for the wonderful share.
Jayashree T.Rao says
This is a good way to use the rind which is usually thrown. I have made it a couple of times.
Kalyani says
great to know !
Sasmita Sahoo says
Watermelon Rind Dosa soundsa amazing. Such a yum gluten free n vegan soft and spongy Dosa ............
Kalyani says
Thank you, Sasmita. it is truly delish...
Priya Vj says
Interesting dosa recipe using watermelon rind . Would love to try this dosa in this summer when I buy watermelon.
Kalyani says
thanks pa. Do try!
Shobha Keshwani says
Very innovative dosa recipe. I will definitely try it soon. In summer we have so much of watermelon everyday and the rind can be used too. Lovely idea.
Kalyani says
Thanks Shobha. Do try...
preethi says
Watermelon rind dosa looks so soft and is very delicious. Love this dosa with spicy chutney. Best part is the watermelon rind does not go waste.
Kalyani says
Thanks PReethi. It is indeed very soft and tasty 🙂 of course eco friendly too!
NaadBrahma Idli says
very nice dosa recepie...Thanks for sharing
Kalyani says
thanks for dropping by!