Water Chestnut , Water Caltrop , Singhara - Benefits- Good for Health

Singhara سنگھاڑا is also known as water caltrop, water chestnut, ling nut, devil pod, bat nut, and buffalo nut, in different parts of the world. They are abundantly found in the warm temperate areas of Africa and Eurasia. This fruit resembles the silhouette of a flying bat or the head of a bull. It is very nutritious and healthy.

سنگھاڑا

Water Chestnut or Singhara, is an aquatic vegetable / Fruit which grows in marshlands in underwater mud. Water Chestnut is grown in countries of Asia (China, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Australia, and tropical Africa for its edible corms. 

With the scientific name of Trapa bispinosa, water chestnut is called Singhara in Pakistan, India, and in Bangladesh, it is called Paniphal. This plant grows in ponds, marshes, and lakes. It requires full sunlight and rich organic content. More than two-thirds of the plant remains submerged in the water.

Singhara or caltrop is great for a winter-season snack. As it grows in slightly runny water, the fruit may have some toxins when sold fresh, and so after washing properly, it should be neutralized by blanching, boiling, steaming, or roasting for at least seven minutes prior to peeling or slicing for blending into a drink, adding to salads, clear soups, stew or curry, stuffing for wraps or in whole chicken, or as pizza toppings, making its powder (used as a gravy thickener), mincing it to make puddings or cakes and storing as a pickle. After cooking, it retains most of its crunchiness which is even retained when leftovers are reheated. It is full of nutrition and Healthy for Human Health.

Taste of water chestnuts:

Fresh water chestnuts taste like That's because real water chestnuts the fresh kind, that is being fantastically flavorful and downright fruity sweet and nutty and tart all at once, like a cross between a coconut and an apple, with the texture of an Asian pear.

It has many health benefits:

The fruits are eaten raw or boiled. The dried fruit is ground to make flour called in the Urdu language singhare ka atta which is used in many religious rituals and can be consumed as a phalahar (fruit diet) on the Hindu fasting days.

Fresh singhara is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, iron, and iodine, which gives double the amount of magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, and multivitamins in comparison to the canned varieties that are available around the year.

Singhara is rich in vitamin B6, which is known to reduce stress and uplift your mood. So, when you are more relaxed, your quality of sleep improves, and so does your health

It is the perfect food for a healthy life :

Half a cup of singhara carries just 0.1-gram of fat, 14.8 grams of carbohydrates, 0.9 grams of proteins, 22 percent more micro and macro elements and minerals as compared to buffalo milk, only 60 calories, zero cholesterol, low sodium, and 10pc of the daily value of vitamin B6 and B7 to support healthy brain and immune system function, while thiamin and riboflavin portion help body to convert food into energy.

Different ways to consume Singhara :

It is a little sweet when eaten raw. It can also be slightly boiled, grilled, or used as pickles. These can also be ground into flour to make the cake. 

Since singhara does not rise while being cooked, it is best used in making flatbreads. Where rising is required, it is often mixed with other flour, such as wheat flour.

In India, singhara is used to make chapatis and pakoras during the auspicious occasion of Navratri. It is also quite common to make samosas, papri chaat, matthi, halwa, and many other recipes. Singhara flour is used as a thickening agent as well.

Water chestnuts, or singhara, belong to the non-starchy, low-calorie fruit group, which has zero fat content and may help you lose weight. 

Nutritional Composition :

Singhara has many nutrients. Most of it is made of water and carbohydrates. There is almost no fat in water chestnut and even the proteins are in very fewer quantities. Essentially, it is rich in different vitamins and minerals which give it many of its benefits.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

 Energy                           406 kJ (97 kcal

Carbohydrates                 23.94 g

Sugars                            4.8 g

Dietary fiber                    3 g

Fat                                 Protein

Thiamine (B1)                 0.14 mg  12%

Riboflavin (B2)                0.2 mg  17%  

Niacin (B3)                     1 mg  7%

Pantothenic acid (B5)      0.479 mg  10%

Vitamin B6                     0.328 mg 25%

Folate (B9)                    16 μg  4%

Vitamin C                      4 mg  5%

Vitamin E                      1.2 mg  8%

Calcium                        11 mg  1%

 Iron                            0.06 mg  0%

 Magnesium                  22 mg  6%

Manganese                   0.331 mg  16%

Phosphorus                  63 mg   9%

Potassium                    584 mg   12%

Zinc                             0.5 mg  5%

Water                           73.5 g

Milling Process of Water Chestnut:

You would be interested to know how to make flour out of the watery ‘singhara’. First of all, Singhara is roasted. In order to speed up the process, it is marked with a serrated knife at different portions of the fruit. It is then put in the oven and roasted, letting the moisture escape. After this, it is peeled off and again put to drying. These can be cut into pieces and then dried for a day on a dehydrator or in an oven with the lowest possible heat setting. Once dried, these are ready to be ground into flour using the blender or spice grinder commonly used in a home. 

some precautions for water chestnuts:

The National Parks Service says that water chestnut plants often form dense floating mats, severely limiting light. Once established, it can reduce oxygen levels, increasing the potential for fish kills. It competes with native vegetation and is of little value to waterfowl.

Water chestnuts have only moderate amounts of antioxidants. They are not only cold (as a coolant) but are also extremely laxative in nature. If not eaten in moderation, water chestnuts could lead to stomach gas problems and a bloated feeling.

Awareness before taking it out of Water chestnut to water:

Water chestnut fruits are often found along the shoreline and bottom of waterways, they have very sharp spines with barbs that can cause painful wounds when stepped on.

This is Nature who guides us, we need to just find and research it.