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Roasted makhana with ghee and pepper

Roasted makhana with ghee and pepper
Photo: FacetsOfNonStickPans, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

For 4 servings. 1 serving = 1 adult; a 6-year-old eats about half.

  • Makhana (fox nuts)60 g
  • Ghee1¾ tsp
  • Black pepper (crushed)a pinch
  • Turmeric powdera pinch
  • Salta pinch

You need

  • Kadai or deep sauté pan with lid
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Jars and lidded containers
  • Lunchboxes with ice bricks

Method

  1. Ahead (Sunday): make the whole week at once. Melt 1¾ tsp ghee in a kadai on low heat.
  2. Add 60 g makhana and stir to coat it in the ghee.
  3. Roast on low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring every minute, until one makhana crunches cleanly when you press it between your fingers. If it is still chewy, keep going.
  4. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle over a pinch turmeric, a pinch pepper and a pinch salt and toss well while still hot.
  5. Spread on a plate and cool completely, about 15 minutes. Warm makhana goes soft in a closed jar.
  6. Store in an airtight jar. Keeps 2 weeks. Each morning, tip one portion into a small lunchbox tub.

Tips

  • Nut-free despite the name "fox nuts". It is a lotus seed.
  • If it goes soft, crisp it again in a dry kadai on low for 2 minutes.

Make it easier

  • Weekend: Roast a big batch of makhana (keeps 2 weeks airtight).

Keeping and freezing

  • Fridge: keeps 14 days in a lidded box. Cool it within an hour of cooking.
  • Freezer: does not freeze well; eat within the fridge time.

Good to know

  • Contains: milk / dairy.
  • Toddlers: take their portion out before adding chilli or pepper.