chestnuts - how do I make puree and are they related to waterchestnuts?

Question

1. what is the differance or relation between chestnuts and waterchesnuts?
2. how can I make chestnut puree (detailed recipe please)?

Answer 1

They are totally different things. Chestnuts grow on trees. Water chestnuts are tuber vegetables that grown around.. water.

You first have to cook the chestnuts. This is done either by roasting or boiling. Either way, you need to slice open their outer shell or they will explode.
Here are recipes

Answer 2

Chestnuts are a nut. Actually a kind of acorn. Must add a fluid like heavy cream or clarified butter in order to puree them as they are kinda dry.
Water Chestnuts are a tuber, a root if you will, and are quite easily pureed as they are quite moist.
To puree either you need a food processor. Most have a puree or pulse setting. All you're really doing is grinding the stuff into a paste.

Answer 3

Water chestnuts have the skin peeled off. That's the only difference. As for the puree, that just means they are in a more liquid form. You achieve this by putting them in a food processor. You can buy it at a specialty food store. you can make it sweet by adding sugar and or lemon and vanilla flavors.