image courtesy: Cookist

My social media feed, has been filled by cooking videos or pictures posted by friends and families as the coronavirus pandemic spreads across our country,people again have switched as Masterchef's, curating recipes while being stuck at home.

However,have we ever wondered that in our quest of experimenting with food trends, we are wasting more than consuming.I say this,as because during this tough time, people while fearing for food dearth ,are stockpiling, both perishable and non-perishable food items in larger quantities ,giving a blow to another crisis in the name of, 'Food Wastes in Households.' Many a times,owing to reasons like Food spoilage,Over prepping and Over buying has lead to this situation. 

It has largely affected people's consumption habit.Thus,a lifestyle change needs to be adopted through ecofriendly measures. Amongst various alternatives,one of them is cooking with food peels, rather than throwing them away whilst reducing and utilising our kitchen food wastages. The stems from the green vegetables can be used in dals or chutneys. 

Image courtesy: Wageningen

We often discard,the peels,skins ,scraps of any vegetables or fruits while preparing our meals.It might sound horrid,but trust me that these can also turn out to be as tasty and as healthy than the whole dish itself. Scroll down below, incase you are wondering what delicacies you can make out of those leftover peels.

Potato Peel Stir fry or Jhol

Potato, a comman staple in every other household is quite versatile when it comes to making a lot of dishes but the skin of the potatoes provides many other nutritional benefits.

Let's get started with the recipe:

Ingredients 

• Potato peel - 1potato's or whatever leftover peels you have.
• Any preffered oil- 1 tablespoon 
• Onion - 1 small thinly sized 
• Salt - As per test 
• Turmeric - A pinch
• Green chilli which is optional - 1 
• Semolina/ Suji which is optional - 1 teaspoon 

Cooking Method 

In a heated pan, add onion and green chilli, after stirring it for good 1 minutes, add the washed potato peels,followed by salt and turmeric or your choice of spice. Then, add semolina into the pan and give it a stir for another 3 minutes. Close the lid and let it cook on it's own.If you want a jhol, then add water, depending on how much gravy you want. Remove the lid if it's cooked and have it with rice and lentils. 

Watermelon rind Curry

Picture courtesy: Dr.Sagarika Chakraborty 

In this hot weather, we relish the red colour portion of the fruit and dispense the white part/rind. But,that same rind is packed with lots of healthy vitamins and nutrients. 

If you have any watermelon at home, what are you waiting for? Try it ASAP.

Ingredients 

Picture courtesy: Dreamstimes and LaxmiaCanteen

• Rind of any sized (1)watermelon 
• Salt - As per test
• Any preffered oil - 1 tablespoon 
• Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
• Tomato - 1
• Green chillies -2 optional
• Any other vegetable -Optional

Cooking Method 

Cut the white part of the fruit in small cubes and add it into the heated oil followed by tomato, chillies. You can also add any other vegetable like potato,which is completely optional.Add salt, turmeric or any spice into the mixture.Give it a mix and cover the lid for 10 minutes.Once, cooked serve it hot.

Mango Syrup

Picture courtesy: Tasty Kitchen. 

Mango season is officially here,wherein we can't help to salivate, but the peels donot get their due treatment even if they are packed with healthy antioxidants and vitamins making our summer super glowing, too.

So,give this recipe a try and thank me letter.

Ingredients 

Picture courtesy: Etimes

•  Mango peels - 1or 2,depending on how much leftover you have 
• Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon 
• Sugar- As per taste

Cooking Method 

Picture courtesy: Serious eats

Boil the mango peels with sugar and water,add lemon juice to improve the taste of it. Afterwards transfer it to any bowl with the help of stapula, to extract the syrup and refrigerat it into a glass bottle.

Note: Mango peels can cause allergic reaction ,so be mindful while using it.

Carrot Peel Pakoda 

Picture courtesy: PBS

Pakoda made from Carrot peels? Don't be astonished because it tastes exactly like any normal Pakoda.Only, that the peels contain good amount of vitamins, calcium,among other nutrients. 

Ingredients 

Picture courtesy: Home of taste

Carrot peel - 2or 3 carrots

Gram flour or Flour - 100 gram

Beaten egg - 1

Salt- As per taste

Turmeric- 1teaspoon

Any preffered oil of your choice. 

Green chilli-2 optional 

Chopped mint or coriander- optional

Cooking Method

Mix flour or gram flour with beaten egg,salt, chillies ,coriander/mint and other spices of your choice.Put the washed and dried peels into the mixture.In a pre heated pan, add the mixture and enjoy it with tea.

Besides that, we can incorporate the peels into soups, vegetable crisps and make other dishes from fruit peels like apple,avocado and so on.

Follow the given sites for delicious treats made from Lauka,karela,orange and cucumber peels respectively. 

https://www.archanaskitchen.com/healthy-recipes-to-cook-with-vegetable-and-fruit-peels

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/5-ingenious-ways-to-cook-with-vegetable-and-fruit-peels-1759590

https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/vegetable-peeling-pakoras-recipe

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-use-fruit-vegetable-scraps

https://tasty.co/recipe/vegetable-peel-chips