Water chestnut is an amazing tuber vegetable native to South East Asia and is predominantly found in marshes and ponds. They are an amazing source of anti-oxidants and have proven to lower the risk of stress related diseases like blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, cancer and more. Due to a high amount of fiber and water content, they are really healthy and keeps one full for a long time.

I have lovely childhood memories of going to my dadi’s (granny’s) house during Diwali when we would wander off in the fields and eat water chestnuts fresh from there to our heart’s fill. I have bought and had them multiple times over the years but they aren’t so sweet and fresh like the ones we got in our own fields. What can I say, I am spoilt that way!

So when my brother was visiting me and he got these beautiful water chestnuts from my dadi, I jumped in joy and finished almost half of them. And then spared some for a quick Thai flavored Water chestnut salad. I think the Thai flavors do a lot of justice to the sweet flavor of the chestnut.

See the picture below of some other produce my brother got for me.

Fresh water chestnuts
Fresh water chestnuts

If you are a fan of Thai cuisine like me, then don’t forget to try these simple and great Thai recipes too:

  1. Raw Papaya Salad/Som Tam
  2. Thai Green Curry

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 5-7 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Low

Water_chestnut_salad
Water Chestnut Salad

INGREDIENTS: 

  1. Water Chestnuts – 1 cup, peeled
  2. Cucumber – 1
  3. Tomato – 1
  4. Ginger – 1 tablespoon, julienned
  5. Coriander leaves – 1-2 tablespoons, finely diced
  6. Vinegar – 1 tablespoon
  7. Brown sugar – 1 tablespoon
  8. Lemon zest – ½ teaspoon
  9. Sesame oil – 1 teaspoon
  10. Peanuts – 1 tablespoon, toasted
  11. Sesame seeds – 1 tablespoon, toasted
  12. Salt – to taste

UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT:

  1. Mixing bowl
  2. Small bowl
  3. Non-stick pan
  4. Wooden spoon

RECIPE:

  1. Peel the skin off the water chestnuts and cut them into 2 pieces and add them to a salad bowl. They have a cute little heart shape and usually cut them from the middle partition.
  2. Dice the cucumber and tomato into small pieces and add toss them in the bowl too.
  3. Julienne a little piece of ginger and throw it in as well.
  4. Take a small porcelain/glass bowl and mix vinegar, brown sugar, salt, sesame seed oil, and lemon zest and mix well.
  5. Take a non-stick pan and toast peanuts in it. Cool them and remove the skin. Slightly crush the peanuts.
  6. Similarly, in the same pan, toast the sesame seeds lightly for about 2 minutes. Keep moving the pan and be careful not to burn them.
  7. Add the dressing to the salad and throw in chopped coriander as well.
  8. Add the crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds on top and serve.

Remember to adjust the sweetness and acidity according to your taste buds. The water chestnuts I used were really fresh and sweet so I added a little sugar, you can add more if you like.