Wellness Wows (Makhana)

Makhana Titbits for Health

Find out why makhana is making waves as a solid health food. It is more than just a weight-slashing snack with its nutrient-dense, gluten-free and versatile profile, strongly embedded in conventional Indian diet programmes.

By PRAMITA BOSE

Cooking styles

What’s the most appropriate must-try method for makhana? Should it be eaten dry, roasted, fried or boiled?

The best way to eat makhana is dry-roasted or lightly heated with a small amount of pure ghee (clarified butter) or cold-pressed oil. Spices like turmeric, cumin, black pepper, curry leaves or a little bit of rock salt can add taste without making it unfit for health. Deep-fried versions and packaged masala makhana should be taken in limited ounces, especially when they contain refined oils, artificial flavours, maltodextrin (processed white carbohydrate powder derived from plant starches like corn, rice or potato. It is used as a food additive or a thickening agent for edibles. It improves texture and expands shelf life of products. Moreover, it facilitates digestion and is a quick energiser), added sugar or excess salt. Boiled or cooked makhana can also be used in kheer, porridge, curries or softer foods but added sugar and portion size still matter.

“All this information serves general educational purposes only and should not be treated as substitutes for medical or nutritional advice. Please consult your doctor, nutritionist or a qualified healthcare provider before adding makhana recurrently to your diet, especially if you have diabetes, kidney disease, digestive issues, food sensitivities or during your pregnancy and while following any prescribed diet plan,” advises Deepika Rathod, head nutritionist and foundational medicine expert from Team Luke (the wellness, integrative medicine and holistic lifestyle team based in India and founded by Luke Coutinho, reputed Indian entrepreneur, author and lifestyle guru specialising in nutritional science and alternative medicine).

Mix and munch

Makhana can certainly be mixed with anything else and then consumed. Toss up roasted makhana with nuts, seeds, roasted chana, peanuts, curry leaves, turmeric, cumin or black pepper to create a smart concoction. It can also be added to curd, porridge, kheer, curries or trail mixes (a lightweight, portable, non-perishable snack item popularised by walkers, hikers, campers. This indulgence is an interesting colourful mishmash of nuts, seeds and dried fruits.)

Breakfast binge or all-day bites?

Is it primarily a breakfast staple or can it be consumed at any other time of the day along with other meals?

Makhana is not just confined to breakfast platters or morning meals. It can be consumed at different hours of the day depending on a person’s regular routine, appetite and health goals. It gels well as a mid-morning snack, evening snack, travel snack, fasting food or a light addition to everyday fare. It can also be used in breakfast bowls, porridge, kheer, curries or blended with curd. Savouring a small helping of this roasted superfood makes far more sense than gulping it down mindlessly from a large packet, which humans have the natural tendency to do.

FACTOID

As per reports, makhana’s parent plant is farmed for its seeds in the lowland ponds through India, China and Japan. Particularly, the province of Bihar produces 90% of the world’s fox nuts. In the northern and western regions too, the seeds are frequently roasted or fried like oven-fresh popcorn. The Chinese have cultivated the plant for centuries now.

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