This spicy water chestnut and asparagus stir-fry will take you 10 minutes to make, and boost your antioxidant levels!
This water chestnut recipe was made using my Meyer Nonstick Chef’s Pan (10.25”)
What Is A Water Chestnut?
Let me introduce you to the water chestnut. These tiny pocket sized aquatic vegetables don’t look edible from the outside but they’re extremely powerful from the inside!
Water chestnuts are extensively used in East Asian cuisines. Soups, stir-frys, and salads are often made using this crunchy, nutty veggie. Water chestnuts are also naturally sweet, many Chinese-style desserts incorporate the vegetable for extra flavour.
Although water chestnuts have a high carbohydrate content, it has a low glycemic index (GI) and it wont cause major changes to your blood sugar levels. 74% of the vegetable is made up of water, it is extremely low in sodium and naturally gluten-free.
Water Chestnuts and Your Health
Water chestnuts are extremely beneficial for your health. This vegetable contains an extensive range of antioxidants that can help balance excessive free radical activity in the body. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules that help fight off pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc) in the body. However, when there are an excessive number of free radicals in the body, free radicals can attack the immune system, causing chronic illnesses such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
This is where antioxidants come in and help the body balance the free radical activity. Antioxidants are naturally produced by the body but a wide range are not, which is why ensuring we get enough of them from our diet is so important.
Examples of antioxidants found in water chestnuts are
- Ferulic acid (anti-aging, anti-inflammatory)
- Epigallocatechin gallate (heart and brain health)
Additionally, water chestnuts have a high amount of vitamin B6 (brain development and nervous system health), potassium (supports normal blood pressure), copper (maintain healthy nervous and immune system) and manganese (helps with blood clotting, connective tissues and maintaining nervous system)
Water Chestnuts and TCM
Water chestnuts are widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) because of its ‘cooling’ properties. According to TCM, water chestnuts help aid the ‘heat’ in the body, reducing phlegm, aid digestion and inflammation.
According to TCM, consuming many processed foods can lead to the body overheating, resulting in an imbalance in the body. Symptoms such as heat rash, allergies, acne, and bloating are believed to be caused by excessive ‘heat’ in the body. Therefore, consuming ‘cooling’ foods such as water chestnuts can restore balance in the body to help relieve the system of any harmful toxins.
Water Chestnuts and Asparagus
Along with a multitude of vitamins and minerals, asparagus includes the combination of vitamin B6, calcium and magnesium, which is vital in supporting premenstrual stress (PMS).
Here is my easy immunity boosting stir-fry that can help with balancing your body, increasing your antioxidant levels and reducing PMS symptoms.
Water Chestnut Immunity Boosting Stir-Fry
Equipment
- 1 Meyer Nonstick Chef’s Pan (10.25”) from the Spark Collection
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Colander
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 110 grams water chestnuts Gently scrub off any dirt on the water chestnuts, and wash thoroughly. Carefully peel the brown skin off the water chestnuts and rinse clean with water.
- 80 grams asparagus cut into 3 equal parts, with the hard ends cut off (only cut 1/2 an inch off the end)
- 2 tsps garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 red birds eye chilli minced
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water room temperature
- 1/2 tsp organic brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp chilli oil
Instructions
- Cut the asparagus into 3 equal parts, leaving 1/2 an inch off the bottom of stem (we'll not be using this hard part of the stem, you may dispose it or keep it in a container to make vegetable broth another time)
- Slice the water chestnuts sideways to create thin, oblong shaped pieces of water chestnuts. Place this with the asparagus in a medium sized bowl.
- In the Meyer Nonstick Chef’s Pan, add 1 tbsp of sesame oil and heat this over medium to low heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Sauté this until fragrant using a wooden spatula.
- Add the water chestnuts and asparagus and stir-fry for about half a minute.
- Add the seasoning and sauté together until the sauce has fully incorporated with the vegetables, and the sugar has dissolved and thickened the sauce.
- Serve warm & don't forget to rate this recipe if you loved it!