Recipe for roasted gur makhana
(Roasted Caramelized Foxnut)

We need three main ingredients to make this recipe til, gur and Makhana. They all are very beneficial for health.

In India makhana is commonly associated with fasting, fox nuts are popular as ‘Makhana’ or also called as lotus seeds.

Roasted makhana is a crunchy, delicious, healthy snack that hardly takes 10 minutes. They are low in calories and fat and thus, are an ideal snack option to munch on whenever you desire. Having a bowl of fox nuts will fill you up and also keep the calories in check. Fox nuts are known to be very nutritious and can also aid in various health issues like weight loss, diabetes, kidney ailments and even constipation. Makhanas are traditionally eaten during fasting and pooja. That's the same reason you must have seen that we use makhanas in Charnamrit. Also, these are considered auspicious and pure and thus are used in making prasad as well. One of the best things about makhanas is that they are tasteless and can be used to make sweet as well as salty dishes. You can make makhana namkeen by roasting them in ghee or butter and mixing them with some spices or chaat masala.

Today in my recipe, I am making the sweeter version by using til and gur. While Til, or sesame seeds provides warmth to the body and Gur, or jaggery is the perfect sugar replacement. Sesame seeds also strengthen bones, control blood sugar and keep skin healthy, as they are loaded with protein, calcium, iron and magnesium. Jaggery on the other hand, activates digestive enzymes which makes the process easier. It is rich in iron which purifies blood, while minerals like zinc and selenium prevent early ageing. The combination of Til and Gur also boosts immunity and guards the body from seasonal infections.

So in this recipe we are going to caramelize the Fox nuts .

What is caramel?

Caramel is a medium to dark-orange confectionery product made by heating variety of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts.

How to liquify sugar or gur/jaggery

Simple method involves heating sugar in a dry pan until it liquefies and attains a brownish color. This requires careful attention, as the sugar tends to darken quickly, also use a pan with a wide surface area for this method so the sugar or gur is in a thin layer that heats and browns more evenly.

How to avoid sugar or gur/jaggery from sticking to the pan

Oil the sides of the pan before you start, which will prevent sugar from sticking in the first place. This is the reason I will first roast my makhanas in ghee and set it aside so that I can use the same pan for caramelizing. Let’s have a look how to do it

How to make roasted gur makhana
(Roasted Caramelized Foxnut)

Ingredients

2 cups foxnuts or phool makhana or lotus seed
1 tbsp ghee or butter
½ cup jaggery or gur
1 tbsp sesame seeds or til
2 tbsp water

Instructions

1) Roast the makhana in a wide pan in ghee on medium to low heat .Don’t overcrowd it. Roast in batches if you have more quantity. Roast them till all the makhana becomes crunchy. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes.