Lotus stem, locally known as ÔÇ£ NadurÔÇØ grown in shallow parts of water bodies like ponds and lakes is a vastly enjoyed ingredient in Kashmiri cuisine.
Nadur is used in many Kashmiri dishes famous among which is ÔÇ£Nadur PalakÔÇØ (lotus stem with Spanish). In most of the Asian countries almost every part of this plant is consumed but in Valley, only the stem and its seed are in demand.
The distinctive dried seed heads resemble the spouts of watering cans and they are famous in Kashmir by the name of ÔÇ£PambachÔÇØ.
Apart from its uses in Kashmiri dishes, lotus stems are also consumed as snacks. Fried lotus stem locally known as Nadir Monji, are available across the valley and people enjoy it along with Noon chai.
Nutritional Significance of Lotus Stem:
The nutritional value of lotus stem/ Nadru is remarkable. It is rich in dietary fibre, vitamin C,  Vitamin B, Vitamin E, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, copper, and manganese, while as very low in saturated fat.
Brief Description about the concentration of minerals and vitamins:
100 grams of lotus stem contains around 74 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2.5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 0.1 grams of fat, 0.39 mg of zinc, 0.261 mg of potassium, 23 mg of magnesium, 1.16 mg of Iron, 0.25 mg copper, 556 mg of potassium, 40 mg of Sodium, 44 mg of Vitamin C and Niacin, pyridoxine, selenium and Thiamine.
Health Benefits:
- Can give you relief from Constipation: Lotus or Koshur Nadur is rich in fibre content which can help you in passing the stool easily. Many of us do not take the constipation problem seriously but it can have a sombre negative effect on the quality of our life, as well as your physical and mental health. You can eat Lotus Stem once a week to avoid constipation.
2.  Keeps your heart happy and healthy: Lotus Stem is rich in calcium content which works impressively in influencing the heart functions. Calcium plays a vital role in maintaining heartbeat and muscle contraction. So people enjoy the delicious cuisine of lotus stem and keep your heart happy and healthy
3. Contributes to Bone Strength: As already mentioned above lotus stem or your Nadru is the best source of calcium which influences the bone strength and bone density in our body.
4. Keeps you healthy in a polluted world:
Lotus stem can increase your intake of antioxidants. While some antioxidants are produced within the body, most of them can be obtained from a delicious lotus stem dish.
Edible lotus stem is proved to contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid that stimuli antioxidant activity in our body. The main role of antioxidants is to safeguard the cells of our body from free radicals compounds found in the environmental toxins that can actually damage cells. Enjoy your meal with kosher nature and keep your body away from environmental toxins.
- Regulates Blood Pressure and Blood sugar:
Lotus stem is rich in potassium which helps in regulating the blood pressure of the body effectively. Besides this, it is very much useful for patients who are diabetic, as it aids in maintaining the blood sugar level of the body.
6. Beautify yourself With Kashmiri Nadru:
As we all know Kashmir is the most beautiful place on this planet earth and so are its products. Kashmiri Nadur is highly rich in vitamin c, which is an excellent antioxidant and helps to remove dead and damaged skin cells. Besides, it also helps in collagen production, which is very important for healthy skin, hair as well as bones. You can find a good quantity of iron in lotus stem which is another source for beautiful hair.
- Can help you in reducing your weight:
With lotus stem, you can make weight loss procedure delicious. This food is Jim-pack with low calories, nutrient-rich, loaded with fiber. It is a perfect food which you should include in your weight loss diet plan.
8.Psychological   benefits of Lotus Stem:
Our body needs the rich amount of Vitamin B, especially niacin, folate, thiamine, vitamin B6, and Pantothenic acid, as their deficiency can lead to memory loss, irritability, anxiety, stress and headaches. You can enhance mental strength by consuming vitamin B rich vegetables and lotus stem is one of them. Make your mind strong and sharp with Nadur (lotus stem)
- Maintains immune system:
Vitamin C present in the lotus stem is known to help in enhancing the immune system of the body and also fights against the viral infections. So with lotus stem making your immune system strong and fight with viral infections.
10 .Controls the Cholesterol :
It is known that any food that is loaded with fiber helps in lowering the cholesterol of the body and so is our Kashmiri traditional food Nadru. Fiber actually binds with the fat present in the food and thus, greatly reduces the overall absorption of fat in the body which can keep you healthy for long.
Hope this blog was informative to you; we would love to hear from you. If you know any health benefit of Nadru, kindly share.