If we consider Jerusalem artichoke as a medicinal plant, then all its parts are of value. For example, plant leaves and young stems are used to make medicinal tea, tubers - for juice or kvass. However, in addition to medicinal properties, this plant also has a certain nutritional value. True, tubers are mainly used in cooking. Despite the fact that the majority know the beneficial properties of this vegetable, few use it, because they simply do not know how to cook Jerusalem artichoke. In fact, there are tons of pretty interesting recipes using this healthy ingredient.
Jerusalem artichoke salad
In principle, peeled tubers can be added to any vegetable dish (for example, vinaigrette). They will not give a special taste to the food, but will make it more useful and vitamin. You can also make a light autumn salad from what is at hand. For example, for 100 grams of Jerusalem artichoke tubers take 50 grams of fresh apples, 100 grams of sauerkraut and vegetable oil to taste. Apple and Jerusalem artichoke are triturated on a coarse grater, mixed with sauerkraut and watered with vegetable oil. If desired, you can add salt and ground pepper. The main component of this dish will, of course, be Jerusalem artichoke (the benefits and harms of the finished meal depend on other ingredients), and the rest of the products can be replaced to your liking. It can be carrots, greens, various types of salad, etc.
In addition to eating raw, Jerusalem artichoke (the benefits and harms of this vegetable also depend on the method of preparation) is boiled, fried, baked and pickled. During heat treatment, the tubers partially lose their unique properties, but their taste becomes brighter and more saturated. In some countries, Jerusalem artichoke is dried, crushed, and then used in baking, so that the bread stays fresh longer.
Despite the high content of carbohydrates (up to 17.5%), this product is considered dietary, since inulin (a polysaccharide that is part of tubers) can be used by people with various kinds of endocrine diseases. For this reason, and also due to its sweet taste, Jerusalem artichoke is so popular among diabetics. The benefits and harms of the product for people with metabolic disorders in the body are obvious. For some, this is one of the few allowed sources of carbohydrates.
In addition, Jerusalem artichoke contains amino acids, B vitamins, ascorbic acid and pectins. Also, the body can benefit from fatty acids (which, although in a small amount, are found in tubers), fiber (very useful for digestion) and a lot of trace elements, starting with potassium and ending with molybdenum.
Those who have a supply of this vegetable, and in raw form it did not suit their taste, can be recommended to fry Jerusalem artichoke. The benefits and harms of such a dish are ambiguous, because due to the vegetable oil it will be quite oily. Anyway, fried foods are not particularly healthy. But it will turn out very tasty. It is fried almost like a potato, peeled and cut arbitrarily. But Jerusalem artichoke tastes more sweet, so many people like it, especially children.