A healthy, delicious and extremely nutritious Chivda to make during Diwali this year. Makhana or foxnuts are a stellar Indian super food. Low in fat and sodium, and high in calcium and potassium. They are an ideal snack to munch on when one feels those mid morning or late evening hunger pangs.
I usually roast foxnuts with just half a teaspoon of ghee and a sprinkling of salt. I decided to make a chivda this year, adding a variety of seeds to make it more nutritive. The amount of fat used in this recipe is also extremely less. Enjoy it with your evening tea or pack it for your children in their tiffin boxes.
Ingredients:
100 gms Makhana
25 gms flax seeds
50 gms pumpkin seeds
25 gms sunflower seeds
2 tbsps sesame seeds
25 almonds
1/4 of a dry coconut/ copra slivered
1 tbsp chilly powder or paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp sugar or Stevia
1 tsp Hing/ asafoetida
2 sprigs curry leaves
Salt
1tsp ghee/ clarified butter
Method:
Tip the Makhana into a wide mouthed pan or kadhai. Sprinkle salt, turmeric powder, curry leaves and add half a teaspoon of ghee. Mix thoroughly and switch on the stove. Roast on a gentle flame till the Makhana is crisp. Keep aside. Take half a teaspoon of ghee in a pan. Roast the coconut slivers to a golden brown. Keep aside. Roast the pumpkin seeds till they change colour and turn crisp. Remove and tip in the flax seeds. Roast till they splutter. Remove and add the sesame seeds. Roast till they splutter. Mix all the three roasted seeds and sprinkle a little salt over them when they are still warm. Mix thoroughly and keep aside. Roast the almonds till they change colour and keep aside. Powder the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and sugar. Heat a pan and add the roasted Makhana, the seeds, almonds and sprinkle the powdered spices. Drop in the chilly powder and heat the entire mixture till the spice powder coats the Makhana well … Allow to cool thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
Note: All seeds need to be roasted separately or they could burn as roasting time for each varies. The entire process of making the Chivda took me just fifteen minutes. Keep all the ingredients at hand so you do not lose time heating the pan over and over again. Do not roast the coriander and cumin seeds as you are powdering them along with the sugar. The sugar will melt and the resultant sticky mass cannot be used.. the asafoetida will give out it’s aroma when the mixture is being re heated.
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