Watermelon Rind Rotti: Arpitha and Sarojini Bhat

In many homes, recipes come to be, through memory, season, and whatever is growing in the backyard. For Arpitha, that dish is a rotti made from watermelon rind. Every summer, her Ajji, turned that ‘nothing part’ of the fruit into a comforting rotti—a recipe shaped by patience, frugality, and inventiveness.

In this recording from their home in Bengaluru, Arpitha sits with her maternal grandmother, Sarojini, to remember how the recipe began and what it means to them. Their conversation is part of Longing for Home—our ongoing audio collection of memories carried through food.