Makhana Chivda (Roasted Makhana Mix)

Makhana chivda, or roasted makhana mix, is essentially a sweet and spicy Indian trail mix.

It’s loaded with crunch and flavor. Made with crispy and crunchy makhanas (water lily seeds), chewy sweet raisins, spicy cashews, chewy coconut pieces, and feathery crisp curry leaves – this is a mix that’ll have you munching for more.

Like trail mix, this hot and spicy makhana chivda makes for the perfect snack. You can take it with you on a road trip, or enjoy it as a snack with some Masala Chai or Cardamom Spiced Iced Coffee. If you’re having friends over, you can put out a bowl of this mix the same way you’d put out a bowl of chips or nuts. Your friends will appreciate this sweet, spicy, and salty snack!

What is Makhana?

Makhana are dried water lily seeds (sometimes called lotus seeds). They’re also known as foxnuts or phool makhana. These seeds are popped like popcorn and look like what you see in the photo above.

Makhana are healthy, delicious, and nutritious – they’re said to be rich in nutrients and they’re also a source of protein (around 5 or 6 grams of protein per 100 grams of makhana).

You don’t want to eat these without toasting them first. When you roast makhana on the stovetop, they become crunchy.

A lot of people roast makhana in ghee and spices and make a snack out of it – like this recipe here. Sometimes I’ll make a simple version that’s similar to masala spiced popcorn. Today, I’m sharing a flavorful makhana mix with dried fruit (raisins) and dried nuts (cashews).

If you’re looking for another delicious and unique way to use makhana, give my Makhana Curry a try.

Roasted Makhana Mix Ingredients

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Makhana (Puffed Lotus Seeds)

Raw Cashews

Fresh Curry Leaves

How to Make Roasted Makhana Mix

This spicy mix is so simple to make!

Prep the ingredients and then toast curry leaves, coconut slices, cashews, and golden raisins in some ghee.

Add the makhanas, then a bit more ghee and the spices (this helps the spices stick!), and saute for a minute more. Then let it cool down and enjoy!

I hope you love this easy and delicious snack – let me know what you think of it!

More Indian Snacks to Try:

Makhana Chivda

Makhana Chivda

5 from 7 reviews

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 25 grams ¼ cup frozen coconut slices (thawed and dried)

Spices

• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fennel seed powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon amchur powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cumin powder

• ▢ 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons melted ghee divided
• ▢ 25 curry leaves
• ▢ 1 cup raw cashew halves
• ▢ ½ cup golden raisins
• ▢ 50 grams makhana

Instructions

 

• Thaw the coconut slices and put them on a paper towel.
• Add the spices and powdered sugar to a bowl and mix well. Set aside for now.
• Add 2 tablespoons of melted ghee to a pan over low to medium heat. Wait 1 minute, then add curry leaves, coconut slices, cashews, and golden raisins and toast for 2 minutes.
• Raise the heat to medium, add the makhanas, and roast for 4 minutes (lower the heat if anything appears to be browning too quickly!).
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted ghee and drizzle it over the makhanas, then sprinkle the spices over top and sauté for 1 minute.
• Let the mixture cool down in the pan for 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while.

Notes

For the frozen coconut slices, try to get the Daily Delight brand. Other brands may have thicker slices of coconut in which case you’ll want to slice the bigger chunks into thinner slices.

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