4 Healthy Ways to Add Navratri Vrat Friendly Makhana to Your Fasting Menu

Navratri is the most awaited time of the year. During these nine days, traditional flours like buckwheat, amaranth, and water chestnut are eaten, along with tuber vegetables like sweet potatoes, yam, and potatoes. They are easy to digest and provide energy to the body. Other things that are consumed during fasts are fresh fruits, nuts and seeds, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, bottle gourd, coconut, milk and milk products, and makhana. Out of these all makhanas are the most relished snack option. For they are:

• weight-loss friendly, 
• rich in protein, calcium and antioxidant properties, 
• low in cholesterol and sodium, 
• high in carbohydrates, and
• are low in the glycemic index, which also makes them good for diabetic patients.

How can you include makhanas in your diet? 

1. Roasted makhanas. 

Having them roasted is the best way to control your hunger pangs in the evening. All that you need to do is- put some ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the makhanas, little rock salt and black pepper. Roast them until lightly brown and crunchy. Instead of having something fried or too high in sugar, consume fox nuts. They will keep you full for a longer period of time without causing any harm to your health. 

1. Makhana milkshake.

This protein-rich makhana milkshake is yet another way of feeding your hunger. It’s nutrient-dense and flavorful. To make this, you will need:

• 1 cup makhana
• 2 tablespoons of peanuts
• 2 tablespoons of almonds
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 glass milk
• 1 tablespoon of mixed seeds and raisins. 

Process: 

• Steady by dry roasting the makhanas in a pan until they change colour. 
• Then dry roast peanuts and almonds. 
• When all of them cool down, add them to a blender along with the glass of milk. 
• Add honey and mix again. 
• Top it with raisins and mixed seeds.

ProTip: You can actually replace your meal with this milkshake. 

• Flavoured makhana.

If you are someone who likes spicing up their food, this one’s for you. Spices like cumin powder, black pepper, and dry mango powder will give your regular foxnuts an amazing twist. All that you need to do it, put one tablespoon of ghee in your pan, add makhana, and sprinkle on the spices along with some rock salt. It is better than any snack option when you are fasting, as it also tricks your taste buds for having something savoury.

• Makhana kheer.

Makhana kheer is a great option to curb your wish of having a dessert.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup makhana
• 500 millilitres of milk
• Cardamom powder
• 10-12 cashews blanched and sliced
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1 pinch saffron
• 2-3 tablespoons of ghee
• Jaggery

Process: 

• First, roast the makhanas and cashews in ghee. 
• Then heat the milk in a heavy bottom pan. 
• Once it comes to a boil, add jaggery, cardamom powder, makhanas, and saffron. 
• Let it simmer until makhanas turn soft and the milk thickens.
• Let it cool for sometime after removing from heat to enjoy.

Over to you. 

Navratri is a festival where various delicacies are prepared in Indian households. But, the benefits of makhanas while you are fasting can’t be stressed enough. They are versatile, easy to make and super-healthy. Include these 4 amazing ways to add fox nuts to your vrat and reap its benefits.