Years ago in Kolkata I had the most delicious warm salad prepared by my aunt. I gorged on it. That’s when my love for water chestnuts, also known as paniphal or singhada, began.
Come the monsoon and you see street vendors selling water chestnuts by the heap. A delight to pick up, the water chestnut grows on marshland and keeps you well hydrated. Urine infections that cause pain when you urinate can be alleviated by drinking a cup of sweet water chestnut soup. This of course does not mean that you do not visit your doctor! When it is not raining during the monsoon season in Mumbai, it is extremely hot. Water chestnuts are coolants for the body and are thus appropriate as they help to beat the heat.
The water chestnut is a great way to detoxify. Those battling jaundice are asked to consume a lot of this water fruit.
Powdered water chestnuts taken in water help keep away a cough. Nausea and indigestion can also be cured with the juice of water chestnuts. Nutritionally, water chestnuts are a good source of potassium and fibre. They are low in sodium and their fat content is virtually non-existent.
Water chestnuts are relished most commonly in their raw form, peeled. Otherwise, they could be steamed or even sautéed. Being a good source of energy, you could powder dry water chestnuts and use them as a flour to make rotis.
Being a fruit, this makes a popular roti, ideal for those who are fasting. But water chestnuts are laxative in nature. If not eaten in moderation, they could lead to stomach gas problems and a bloated feeling.
The writer is a Mumbai-based nutritionist