How To Eat Tiger Nuts

To begin with, tiger nuts are also known as Chufa Nuts and Earth Almonds. But actually, they are not nuts. They are rather tubers of a weedy grass called Yellow Nutsedge. Nevertheless, they have a lot of things in common with real nuts like high protein and fiber content. Also, they have an earthy, slightly nutty flavor that makes them a perfect addition to a large variety of dishes.

Ways to Eat Tiger Nuts (Chufa Nuts)

Want to enjoy their full health benefits but don’t know how to eat Tiger Nuts? Here are some recipes we can suggest:

1. Eat Them Straight Out of the Bag

One of the methods on how to eat tiger nuts is eating them straight out of the bag. Peeled tiger nuts can be eaten as a healthy snack out of hand. It is a delicious snack because of its slightly sweet taste and chewy texture like that of fresh coconut. For a softer texture, you can soak it for a few hours before eating it.

Furthermore, unpeeled tiger nuts can also be eaten as a snack but are much harder than their peeled counterparts. Hence, you have to soak them for at least 8 hours before eating them.

2. Make Spanish-Style Horchata de Chufa

Another method on how to eat tiger nuts is to use them as a basis for a Spanish drink called Horchata de chufa. It is one of the most famous ways of eating tiger nuts. Horchata de chufa, sweet and creamy, is made from soaked tiger nuts, water, and sugar, or other sweeteners.

In some cases, cinnamon and lemon zest are added to the drink to boost the flavor.

How To Make Horchata de Chufa (Tiger Nut Milk) At Home

First, soak a cup of rinsed tiger nuts in the fridge until it softens. This is done for about 12 to 24 hours.

Next, drain the nuts, and put them in a food processor or blender. Add 4 cups of water and up to 1/4 cup of sugar. If you want to prepare unsweetened tiger nut milk, you should skip the sugar.

Then, blend on high speed until the mixture is homogenous. After this, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a deep bowl or jug.

You can add a little cinnamon powder and lemon zest for added flavor if you choose.

Finally, pour the liquid from the bowl or jug into glasses and add a few ice cubes to each glass.

3. Add Tiger Nuts To Your Breakfast

Again, with regards to how to eat tiger nuts, you can add them to your breakfast. Healthy breakfast gives you energy for hours and supplies your body with fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins. If you have a lot of tiger nuts on hand and few ideas on what to do with them, add some of them into your breakfast. Their nutty, mildly sweet flavor, sliced and ground tiger nuts taste really nice on top of yogurt and smoothie bowls. But, they also make a great addition to breakfast cereals, porridge, and overnight oats.

4. Make Raw Food Energy Bites Using Tiger Nuts and Medjool Dates

This is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to eat tiger nuts. The most basic recipe only requires three ingredients. These ingredients include soaked and drained tiger nuts, Medjool dates or regular pitted dates, and raw, unsweetened cacao powder.

Here are steps on how you can make them:

1. Soak a cup of tiger nuts in the fridge until it softens. Do this for about 12 hours and drain well.
2. Blend the soaked and drained nuts, along with 1 cup of pitted dates and 1/4 cup of raw cacao powder in a small food processor until it smoothens.
3. Roll this mixture into 1-inch balls and dust with cacao powder. Put them in the fridge for at least an hour before eating.

5. Mix Tiger Nuts With Other Ingredients to Create a Healthy Trail Mix

Furthermore, concerning how to eat tiger nuts, combining tiger nuts with tree nuts and dried fruit give rise to a sweet and savory trail mix. Peeled tiger nuts are perfect for trail mixes. This is because they are softer and easier to chew, unlike the unpeeled ones.

In addition, you can eat them without soaking them first.

6. Use Tiger Nuts as a Base for Your Nut Butters

Tiger nuts make a great base for vegetarian and vegan butter and spread due to their earthy, nutty flavor. The most basic recipe for tiger nut butter only requires ground tiger nuts and plant-based oils like coconut oil or tiger nut oil.

Furthermore, if you think that’s too boring, add a little of vanilla bean powder or cinnamon to the mixture for an extra flavor.

7. Make Chocolate-Covered Tiger Nuts

Are you a chocolate lover? Even though you can buy tiger nut chocolate clusters, making your own chocolate-covered tiger nuts can be a lot of fun. You’ll be able to spice things up a bit by adding some cinnamon, cardamom, chili powder or another chocolate-loving spice to the melted chocolate.

Basic Recipe for Chocolate-Covered Tiger Nuts

1. In a double boiler over medium heat, melt 8 oz of 85 percent dark chocolate. Stir until it fully melts.
2. Add in some cinnamon, cardamom or chili powder (Optional).
3. Put 2 cups of peeled tiger nuts into the mixtures. Toss until it coats well.
4. Next, transfer the chocolate-covered tiger nuts onto a baking sheet covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Then, set aside until the chocolate is set.
5. Finally, store your chocolate-coated tiger nuts in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.

8. Use Tiger Nut Flour To Bake

Also, with regards to how to eat tiger nuts, you can use tiger nut flour to bake. Just like any other gluten-free flour, tiger nut flour can be used in baking. Because of its high protein and fiber content, it is healthier than many other gluten-free flours.

In addition, companies that sell tiger nut flour usually recommended a 1:1 ratio when using it to replace grain or nut-based flours in recipes for bread, muffins, pancakes, and cookies.

9. Use Soaked Tiger Nuts In Your Smoothies

This is another really good way to eat tiger nuts. Adding some tiger nuts to a smoothie is a good way to add fiber, protein, and healthy fats to your drink.

Tasty and Healthy Smoothie Featuring Tiger Nuts Recipe

Here is a simple recipe for a tasty and healthy smoothie featuring tiger nuts:

1. First, soak a handful of tiger nuts in the fridge until it softens for about 12 hours.
2. Then, put 1 ⅔ cups of water in a large-capacity blender, along with the soaked tiger nuts, 1 small peeled banana, ⅔ cup of fresh pomegranate arils, and ⅔ cup of rinsed frozen or fresh blueberries.
3. Process until it is smooth and creamy. Add more water as you need to achieve the desired consistency.
4. Finally, pour into glasses and serve immediately. This recipe is enough for 2 servings.

10. Add Tiger Nut Flour to Your Homemade Pasta Dough

If all you have are fully automatic electric pasta makers that create fresh pasta from scratch, try to replace some of the regular flour your recipe calls for with fine tiger nut flour.

Also, if your tiger nut flour has a coarse, gritty texture, sift it first to remove the grits.

CONCLUSION:

Just like every other food, you must know how to rightly eat them so you can enjoy the full benefits they come with. Hence, you must know how to eat tiger nuts to reap the full health benefits.

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Just Health Care Tips.

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