Makhana (fox nuts): roasted "lotus seeds" as a snack

Makhana (phool makhana, also called fox nuts or lotus pops) are white, light balls made from the puffed seeds of the water plant Euryale ferox. Shops usually sell them as lotus seeds. In India makhana is roasted in ghee with salt and spices, added to curries and cooked into a sweet milk pudding.

What makhana is

Makhana are the seeds of a water plant in the water-lily family. It grows in ponds and wetlands, mainly in eastern India. The seeds are gathered from the bottom, dried and roasted at a high heat. The hard shell cracks and the inside pops out as a white, porous ball, a little like popcorn.

The name "lotus seeds" is a simplification. The Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a different plant, and its seeds look different: oval and hard. Makhana packs often use both names, for example "roasted lotus seeds, phool makhana". If you want the crunchy snack, look for the word makhana.

Plain makhana has a very mild, slightly nutty taste. Fat and spices give it flavour. The balls are dry and brittle, and after roasting they crunch like corn puffs.

Makhana in Poland

Polish packs and shelves call makhana nasiona lotosu (lotus seeds) or nasiona lotosu prażone (roasted lotus seeds), often next to the words phool makhana. In Indian shops you will find plain makhana for cooking as well as ready-flavoured packs.

How to roast makhana at home

Makhana from the pack is ready to eat, but a short roast makes it much crunchier.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups makhana (about 50 g)
• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• a pinch of ground turmeric, chilli, black pepper or chaat masala

Method:

1. Heat the ghee in a wide pan over a low flame.
2. Add the makhana and stir for 6 to 10 minutes. Keep the heat low so the balls do not burn.
3. Test one ball: crush it between your fingers or bite it. Ready makhana breaks with a crunch and does not stick to your teeth.
4. Take the pan off the heat, add the salt and spices and mix.
5. Leave to cool. Makhana gets even crunchier as it cools.

Good flavour pairs: salt and black pepper, chaat masala with dried mango powder, peri peri, mint, and on the sweet side sugar with cardamom, or jaggery.

Other ways to use makhana

• Makhana kheer: the makhana is fried in ghee, some of the balls are crushed, and everything simmers in milk with sugar and cardamom until the pudding thickens.
• Curry: North Indian cooking has makhana matar (with peas) and dishes with makhana in a tomato or cream sauce. The balls go in near the end so they do not turn completely soft.
• Snack mixes: roasted makhana goes well with nuts, raisins and Indian namkeen snacks.
• Fasting days: some Indian families eat makhana on days of religious fasting (vrat), because it is not a grain.

How to store makhana

Makhana absorbs moisture from the air and turns soft. Once the pack is open, move it to an airtight jar. If the balls have gone chewy, roast them for a few minutes in a dry pan. They will get their crunch back.

Makhana and "sweet makhana"

In the shop you will also see a product called sweet makhana. These are sugar balls, not seeds. They are used as a sweet offering (prasad) during festivals. They cannot be roasted like real makhana.

Where to buy makhana

Little India sells roasted lotus seeds phool makhana Aiva and phool makhana Jaimin. Ready-flavoured snacks include peri peri makhana Mall Road and makhana with mint or with Himalayan salt. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders from the online shop.