Description
Despite their name, water chestnuts aren’t nuts at all. They are the edible corms of an aquatic sedge, Eleocharis dulcis, grown in wet soil and shallow water. South African gardening sources describe them as producing underground corms that are harvested once the green growth yellows and dies back.
Fresh water chestnuts have crisp white flesh with a mild, slightly sweet flavour. One of their best tricks is that they keep much of their crunch when cooked.
Peel away the brown outer skin before using. Slice them into stir-fries, noodles, rice dishes, salads or minced-meat fillings. Add them towards the end of cooking if you want to preserve as much crunch as possible.
A little tip: If you’ve only ever eaten canned water chestnuts, try the fresh ones before judging them. Freshly harvested corms are noticeably crisper.
Water Chestnut Stir-Fry
Ingredients
100 g fresh water chestnuts
1 carrot
1 small sweet pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon oil
A little fresh ginger or garlic, optional
Method
Wash and peel the water chestnuts, then slice them thinly.
Slice the carrot and pepper.
Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the carrot and pepper for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the water chestnuts, soy sauce, honey and ginger or garlic.
Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, tossing everything together.
Serve with rice or noodles.
Tammy’s tip: Add the water chestnuts near the end. The crunch is the whole point.
