Falahari Makhana Chivda / Healthy Fox Nut Snack Recipe

Falahari Makhana Chivda is a healthy and delicious savory snack made with Fox Nut (Lotus Seeds) and dry fruits. This makhana chivda is crispy , gets a crunch from toasted nuts and mildly spicy and a bit sweet in taste. The recipe is quick and simple and calls for roasting the lotus seeds and nuts like almonds, cashews and peanuts in little ghee and then tossing them with flavorful seasonings. Though it is a preferred fasting recipe for vrat like Ekadashi and Navratri , it can also be served as a guilt free mid-day snack or paired with a cup of piping hot Masala Chai on regular days. This masala makhana is so addictive that you can easily replace store bought chips packet with it. For a vegan version, replace ghee with oil. Makhana Chivda can be made ahead of time and stored in air tight container for about a week.

Makhana /Phool Makhana commonly known as lotus seeds or Fox nut (Gorgon nuts) seeds belong to the Lily family which are generally cultivated in low land areas of India , China and Japan for their starchy white seeds which are edible. Lotus seeds are rich in calcium and protein.They regulate blood pressure , have rich anti oxidant properties and benefit spleen kidney and heart. Source

I introduced makhana in our daily diet 3 years back after reading about its numerous health benefits. Since then my kitchen pantry is always stocked up with a packet of this versatile super food and I use them in roasted and caramelized form during fast at least once a week and  make kheer , raita and curry dishes using makhana occasionally.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Lotus seeds/ Fox Nuts / Phool Makhana
• 2 tablespoon Almonds
• 2 tablespoon Cashew Nuts
• 2 tablespoon Peanuts
• 2 Tablespoon Ghee
• 1 Tablespoon Magaj / muskmelon seeds
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• Rock salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium flame and add peanuts to it. Fry the peanuts on low flame for a minute or so. Next add the almonds and fry them for half a minute. Lastly add the cashew nuts and magaj and fry them until they turn crisp and light pink in color . Remove all the nuts in a bowl. 

2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon ghee to the same pan . Now add the fox nut to it and roast it while stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes. On roasting you should be able to break the makhana with a crunch.

3. Now season the roasted makhana with red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, rock salt and powdered sugar. Toss well so that everything gets coated well on the makhana. You can alternatively add the seasonings to little ghee and then mix it with the fox nut for better coating.

4. Lastly add the fried nuts and toss everything very well. Serve immediately. Store the remaining in a dry airtight container.

Recipe Notes:

• Roast the makhana on low flame while stirring occasionally. It took me about 10 minutes to roast 2 cups makhana. perfectly roasted makhana should be crisp and crunchy like popcorn.
• Makhana have a neutral taste , ghee roasting gives a lovely nutty flavor to it. You may add seasoning of your choice like chaat masala, garam masala. black pepper powder, salt , chili powder etc. As I intended to make a falahari version , i added just roasted cumin powder, rock salt and red chili powder.
• You may add nuts of your choice or skip them altogether. 
• For a vegan version , replace ghee with oil.
• The makhana chivda remains good at room temperature in an air tight container for about a week.

Taking this healthy and delicious Falahari Makhana Chivda to the #183 #FoodieMondayBlogHop with #IndianSuperFoods as the theme for the week. This theme was chosen by Vidya Narayan. Among Indian super foods we had to cook with either, Moringa, Turmeric or Makhana. Vidya is a passionate teacher by profession, a humble person at heart and a talented food blogger. She writes about her culinary journey at  Masalachilli. Do check out her space for healthy bakes, authentic Indian recipes and other recipes from around the globe. 

                                                              

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For more Makhana recipes, do check out the following link from this blog. 

• Khoya Matar Makhana 

                                                 

• Makhana Kheer

                                

• Caramelized Fox Nuts