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Crunchy delight

A good source of potassium and vitamin B, it can be eaten as a snack or used in cooked dishes

PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO

TUB TIM GROB Water chestnuts in sweetened coconut milk

Popularly known as ma tai in China and kurokuwai in Japan, water chestnuts are tips of a rush grass. The Chinese have cultivated these in their rice paddies, streams and ponds for centuries.

Water chestnuts actually do not belong to the chestnut family at all but are a sweet root vegetable or bulb about the size of a walnut. It is not an aquatic plant but rather swamp or edge plant. It is white and crunchy. Beneath the papery outer skin is a flesh similar to palm fruit. Their flavour is understated, yet addictive. Water chestnut grows to a maximum height of 1mm, and is native to swampy areas. It belongs to the tropical region of Asia (primarily southeast Asia). There are two types of water chestnuts.

Trapa natans — It has an edible seed and a floury texture and is eaten raw, boiled or roasted in the Asian subcontinent and Europe.

Trapa bicornis — It is grown abundantly in Korea, China and Japan. It has a hard seed, which is eaten normally boiled. It is used for making chestnut flour.

Health benefits

Water chestnut is a nutritious and a good source of potassium and vitamin B. It contains antioxidants, which may help reduce wrinkles and protect skin from ultraviolet rays. Many bioactive agents in water chestnut help reduce hair loss when combined with nimenynic and lauric acids. The Chinese water chestnut ointment and lotion may help reduce inflammation and pain caused by sprains and other injuries.

Culinary uses

In China, water chestnuts are eaten as a snack — boiled with their skin intact or peeled and simmered in rock sugar. It is even used in cooked dishes, especially in southern China. Water chestnuts can be sometimes obtained from Chinese grocers or good supermarkets. These are tastier than the canned ones and can be kept unpeeled in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Water chestnuts have a good texture but little taste.

In the raw state, they are refreshing but plain cooking removes the starchiness. It is a common ingredient in Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian cookery.

Tub Tim Grob

(Crunchy water chestnuts in sweetened coconut milk)

Ingredients

Water chestnuts - 100gm
Rose syrup - 250ml
Tapioca flour - 200gm
Fresh coconut milk - 150ml
Sugar syrup - 75gm
Water - 1lt
Tender coconut malai - 25gm
Crushed ice - 50gm

Method

Cut the water chestnuts into small cubes and soak them in rose syrup and keep them overnight in the fridge. Strain the soaked water chestnuts and dust with tapioca flour. Boil water in a big saucepan and put the dusted water chestnuts and allow them to boil. Stir slowly, avoiding lumps. Once the white colour of the water chestnut cubes changes and the flour creates a coating on it, strain the chestnuts and put them in crushed ice to prevent lumps from forming. Once it comes to room temperature, strain the water and mix with a little sugar syrup and refrigerate.

Boil coconut milk and remove from fire. Keep it aside for some time. Remove the coconut cream, which is on the top, and add a little sugar syrup, and chill it. Cut the juliennes of malai from the tender coconut.

Finishing

Cut the tender coconut base and the other end uniformly. Empty the contents and cut open one side of the nut. Pour the prepared water chestnut, sweetened coconut cream and garnish with tender coconut juliennes. Serve chilled topped with crushed ice.

(Note: The water chestnut could be flavoured with different varieties of tea, and fruit flavours. You could also garnish it with litchis or jackfruit.)

HRUDANANDA BEHERA

Sous Chef, Hip Asia, Taj Connemara

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