In Navratre fast one needs to omit wheat flour from the diet and substitute it with buckwheat flour (kuttu flour) or water chestnut (Singhara flour). Singhara is not a cereal but a fruit and hence a good substitute for a Navratre fast where cereals are not to be eaten.
1. Singhara flour is prepared from Singhara or Water Chestnut.
2. Singharas are floating annual aquatic plants, growing in slow-moving water up to 5 meters deep. The plant bears ornately shaped fruits containing a single very large starchy seed.
3. The seeds or nuts are boiled and sold as street side snack or eaten raw.
4. The flour is made from dried, ground water chestnuts. The nuts are boiled, peeled, dried then ground into flour. The flour is bright white fine powder; it is actually a starch rather than flour.
5. The flour is primarily used as a thickener.
6. The flour is used as a food in Navratre and consumed as a phalahar (fruit) diet.
7. It is an excellent source of energy and provides 115 kcals per 100g.
8.The glycemic Index for chestnut is 60. Low GI foods have a GI value less than 55; medium GI foods have a GI value between 55 and 69 and high GI foods have GI value greater than 70.
9.Chestnuts are relatively low in net carbs (total carbohydrate minus dietary fiber). It is included in many low carb diets.
10.A gluten free product, chestnut flour is a cooking option for people with celiac disease or other gluten intolerances or allergies.
11.Chestnuts do not contain the fat that regular nuts have.
12.It contains less carbohydrate than white flour.
13. People with tree nut allergies should take care to avoid chestnut flour. It may cause an allergic reaction.
14. Flour made from chestnuts is typically more difficult to locate in many areas as well as more expensive than white flour.
15.One should not eat deep fried chestnut flour pooris or paranthas.
16. One should not use transfats vegetables oils to cook chestnut flour made bread.
17. One should buy only branded flour as left over flour of last year can lead to food poisoning.
18. As per Ayurveda chestnut flour has cool and buckwheat flour has hot properties.
19. Both chestnut flour and buckwheat flours can be combined.
20. One should eat phalahar once a week and at least 80 days in a year.
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