If you have been looking for healthy snacking options, chances are you have heard the word Makhana before. Makhana is considered one of the healthiest snacking options, especially for heart patients. Makhana also known as foxnuts or lotus seeds are cultivated over water. These seeds are often used in quite a few Indian sweets and savouries like kheer, raita or makhana curry, and are also eaten as an evening tea-time snack. They come from the beautiful Lotus flower and are highly produced in the state of Bihar in India, Korea and Japan along with a few parts of eastern Russia. After being processed, they become edible!

The harvest process includes collection, cleaning, storage, gradation ( sieving) and frying to get the white puff. The seeds themselves do not have a long shelf life so this process needs to be fast and efficient. So what makes makhana so healthy? They are high in magnesium and potassium and low in sodium. This makes fox nuts an ideal snack for those watching their weight. High potassium and low sodium are a great combination for patients suffering from hypertension. The potassium brings down the blood pressure and sodium tries to bring it up. Here are a few more benefits of the Lotus seed-

• Fox nuts have a natural compound, kaempferol that reduces inflammation in the body. Inflammation is responsible for most modern diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and rheumatism. Also, fox nuts have antibacterial properties.
• Apart from magnesium, potassium, and sodium, foxnuts also contain a high amount of calcium. This means they fall under the category of foods that are good for the bones as well as the teeth.
• Makhna is also high in thiamine content which means they help in aiding cognitive function as well. The consumption of foxnuts helps the body to produce acetylcholine and thus contributes to the process of neurotransmission. This process of neurotransmission is key to maintaining the good functioning of the nerves.

So now that you know the benefits of foxnuts, here is a quick makhana roast recipe!

Ingredients-

• Makhana - 2 cup
• 1 tsp ghee
• Thick kadhai
• Amchur
• Salt 
• Chilli powder

Method-

1. Heat the kadhai and then add ghee.
2. Once the ghee is heated, add the makhana and roast on a low flame.
3. Once they are crunchy, add the amchur, salt and chilli powder.
4. Mix and then remove from heat and serve!