On one of my weekly local market visits, I landed up seeing green beauties. It was the singhada shape, structure, and green/red/reddish-green colours that attracted me.

Being curious by nature I went and asked the vendor what they were. He kindly replied they were fresh Singhada / Singharas and let me taste one.

Unlike the black-cooked/roasted variety that I have usually eaten, the fresh Indian Water Chestnuts are bland, have more water, and are more refreshing.

About Singhada:

The Indian water chestnuts are different from the Chinese water chestnuts. Chinese Water Chestnuts are a vegetable while the Indian ones come in the category of fruits.

Also, the Indian varieties are mainly obtained from 2 varieties of plants:

• Trapa bispinosa (singhara nuts)
• Trapa bicornis (ling nuts)

The Indian chestnuts that we normally consume are from Trapa Bispinosa.

 Indian names:

• Water caltrops
• Panniphal (Rajasthan, Bengal etc)
• Singhada (Maharastra) and Singhara (Northern India).

Nutrition:

These Singharas or chestnuts are gluten-free, a moderate source of fibre and are a good source of Vitamin B, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, and Potassium.

Culinary Usage:

-Raw as fruit

-Boiled

-Roasted

-As flour to make Rotis, porridge, etc.

Ideal for a mid-day meal or as an evening snack. But make sure you consume them in moderation.