Thursday 5 June 2014

Refreshing Water Chestnut Barley Dessert

Water Chestnuts have slightly sweet flavor and crunchy texture. It's also a hallmark of Asian cuisine and popular ingredient in the Chinese cuisine. Water chestnuts are known to posses a remarkable nutritional composition, which makes them an excellent food source. The best part is that they are free of any cholesterol and are almost fat-free. They are also gluten-free. They stay crunchy even after they’re cooked or canned.
Nutritional & Health Benefits of Eating Water Chestnuts

1) Water chestnuts are just the perfect choice of food for those who want to lead a healthy life as half a cup of water chestnuts contains only 0.1 g fat.


2) It is an excellent source of potassium. Half a cup of water chestnuts contains 350 to 360 mg of potassium.

3) Water chestnuts are known to have cooling properties and as such, they are just perfect to beat the summer heat. They are also known to have numerous curative and supplementary properties. 

4) Drinking water chestnut juice can help alleviate the problem of nausea and bad appetite in kids.

5) Water chestnuts are also known to contain detoxifying properties and are considered to be good for people suffering from jaundice.

6) Water chestnut powder helps to relieve cough. Grind water chestnuts to make powder and consume this powder with water twice a day. This dosage will bring quick relief in cough.

7) Most Chinese believe that water chestnuts are also good in treating conditions like measles. Boiling them in water makes the best drink for the measles patients, which can be given from the third day till the ninth day of the cycle. Know what? It's very refreshing and yummy too!

Selection & Storage Tips
- When selecting water chestnuts, look for the ones that are firm and have unwrinkled skin. Also, check that there are no soft spots. 

- Fresh and unpeeled water chestnuts can be kept for two weeks, in a plastic bag, inside the refrigerator.
Peel off the skin and cut off the top of water chestnuts, before you start cooking them.

Serving Tips
1) If you can get fresh water chestnuts, they must be peeled and rinsed well. Whether you use them raw, boiled or from a can, sliced water chestnuts work well in soups and any type of salad, including egg, tuna or chicken salad. They’re classically used in stir-fried dishes, where they can be mixed with any type of meat or vegetables. Add some flavor by marinating them in low-sodium soy sauce, ginger and garlic, then make a lettuce wrap with water chestnuts, carrots, mushrooms, chicken and cashews.

2) When make into dessert, it's very refreshing and cooling especially during summer and it's very effective in cooling a 'heaty' body.

As the current weather over here (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is rather hot and humid, having a bowl of water chestnuts with barley acts as a 'coolant' to our body.


Ingredients : (to taste)
- 1 cup of barley (washed)
- 15 pcs of water chestnuts (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup of candied winter melon (diced)
- few cubes of sugar cane candy (to taste)
- 1 block of honey grass jelly/chin chow (cubed)
- some pandan leaves
- water (enough to boil 1 cup of barley)

Method :
1) Boil water and barley together.

2) When the barley is almost cooked or soft, add chopped water chestnuts and continue to boil at low medium heat.
3) Add screw pines (pandan leaves), candied winter melon and sugar cane candy. Continue cooking until the barley is fully soft and cooked.
4) Serve it warm with some grass jelly.
Refreshing and rejuvenating dessert
One bowl is not enough....
This simple dessert is simply slurpylicious....
Most kids love this....
Have a fabulous week ahead :)


To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING on FACEBOOK. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

27 comments:

  1. Hi, Ivy! How are you!
    This is a good dessert especially during hot sunny day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ivy , I will have to try this dish , sound delish . I enjoyed the music , just lovely . Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jozelyn, Thank you. I am fine here, just quite occupied lately. Yes, this dessert is perfect especially during this hot sunny day.
    Thanks for dropping by, Jozelyn. You have a wonderful day ahead and regards :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, Nee, this is yummy and refreshing too. Thanks for dropping by and glad that you like the music. You have a great day and warmest regards :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is my kind of food, I think I could live on it...so refreshing!
    Enjoy the rest of your week Ivy :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Julian for dropping by. Yes, this dessert is very refreshing and healthy too. You too, have a great week ahead and warmest regards :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Ivy! Very nice and refreshing tong sui! I must try it to cool down :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Phong Hong, yes, tong sui is very refreshing and yummy too. Thanks for dropping by and warmest regards :)

      Delete
  8. So many things I never knew about water chestnuts! I think we can only get them canned here. I would love to try some of these ideas for summer!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Inger, Glad that you like this post. It's indeed great to have water chestnuts barley dessert during summer. You can also blend water chestnuts with your favorite smoothie. Have a great summer and warmest regards :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Ivy, thanks for sharing this dessert. I didn't know water chestnut has healing properties. I shall try this dessert.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lian for dropping by. Glad that you like this dessert. Yes, water chestnuts has many nutritional values and healing properties. You have a wonderful weekend ahead and warmest regards :)

      Delete
  11. Ivy, good to hear from you.
    This is a fantastic treat, looks delicious and with amazing health benefits.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Daniela, it's nice to hear from you too. Glad that you like this refreshing dessert. Great to have it during summer. You have a great weekend and warmest regards :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello Ivy, wow! I sure would love have this while watching TV or after dinner dessert. Seeing that pandan leaves I can practically get the lovely scent. I would have this cold, with ice preferably. Looks so sinfully tempting! And yes, 2 bowls would be fine with me, ha ha.
    Ivy, you always impress me with your imaginative, creative foods and desserts. Outstanding!
    My wife quite often buys that grass jelly....and adds either soya been or longan, or lychee. And ice cubes.
    But never tried with water chest nuts....yet. She will after I tell her about yours.

    Good to have a wife, a mother like you able to come out with these mouth watering desserts. Seeing your this so nice dessert brings to mind...
    Ivy, just to detour a bit, is it durian season now? I really miss having it with gula Melaka and satan. Have you tried that?
    Send me a telegram if ever you make any durian desserts.
    Have a fun weekend and keep a song in your heart.
    Lee.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Lee, thanks for your ever sweet sweet compliments. Yes, I think you will like it if your wife ever try this recipe. Very refreshing and if you prefer it with ice, reduce the water during the cooking process.

    It's not the durian season yet and yes, I love durians!!!! The dessert you are mentioning is pengat durian, right? Love this dessert too but I prefer to cook it myself as I would reduce the sugar according to our taste. Commercial pengat durian is too sweet for us and less durian flesh too. Another dessert I think you will love is durian with mung beans. Will definitely send you a telegram if I ever cook any durian desserts :)

    Lee, you have a wonderful summer and take care :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have never tried this combination, sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi LHB, this combination was actually more or less at the spur of the moment while shopping at the supermarket and couldn't resist those fresh water chestnuts. So, just bought it and then only planned what to do with it and finally,this is the result ; refreshing dessert! Have a wonderful weekend and cheers :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Ivy,
    I just love those fresh water chestnuts. I would add them in my ngo hiang, never thought that they can be made into such a delicious tong sui.Thanks for sharing!!

    mui

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Ivy!

    Fresh water chestnuts are a delicacy around here but when I can get my hands on them, I LOVE it! I would never think to combine the chestnuts with barley though for a yummy dessert. How intriguing Ivy. I would love to give this a try one day. Thank you so much for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Mui Mui, water chestnuts is indeed delicious when added to ngo hiang. It's also yummy when added to any tong sui. You have a great day and cheers :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Louise, fresh water chestnuts is yummy when added into dessert. Besides, it has nutritional values too. You have a wonderful day ahead and warmest regards :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ivy!
      Can you believe it's that time of year again? I can't! Thank you so much for joinging in on the fun once again this year. You are invited to bring the letter B but unfortunately, the letter C has been "spoken" for:) I'll put you down for B in the mean time and if you want another letter, just post another comment with your request:) It's going to be a wonderful Picnic this year, Ivy. I can't wait!

      Delete
    2. Thanks Louise for giving me the letter 'B'. I have just requested for another letter; 'T'. Hopefully it's still available. Once I received your picnic basket, would be bringing B dish for the picnic the soonest possible. Glad that you are recovering fast. Take care and warmest regards :)

      Delete
    3. Oh Ivy that's wonderful. Our baskets are going to be so filled and now that you have two letters, B and T, I know for sure we will be eating healthy too!!!

      Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. The Picnic Game is the best medicine there is!!!

      Delete
  21. Hi Ivy, nice and healthy dessert. Great for our hot and humid weather. I love water chestnut in dessert or eat fresh, one of my favorite. Thanks for sharing the benefit of water chestnut. Great posting and excellent recipe.

    Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Amelia, yes, this dessert is great especially during this hot and humid weather. Water chestnut is also cooling for our body. So, have it more often to keep the doctors away. Warmest regards and cheers :)

      Delete

To receive new updates, do LIKE SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY LIVING FACEBOOK. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a nice day :)