A mix of roasted fox nuts, chopped vegetables and delicious chutneys; Makhana Bhel is a perfect snack for the hunger pangs without piling up on calories! Super simple and customizable too.
I am always looking for easy and delicious yet healthy snacks with my 4 p.m. coffee. Something that comes together quickly before I reach out for the unhealthy snacks in my pantry.
Some kind of bhel, chaat and khakhra make their appearance then. Corn chaat, sliced cucumber with seasonings, fruits with chili lime also feature on the list.
A lot of my friends and family also say they struggle with this and so I started working on different recipes that would be great to enjoy as a snack.
What is Makhana?
Makhana; an ingredient that has gained popularity lately is PERFECT in several ways for this list. Popularly known as fox nuts, these made their presence felt in the Indian food scene a few years ago.
A powerhouse of nutrients, fox nuts are used in certain cuisines for several years. They are specially cultivated in several parts of South Asia now because they have become so popular. Learn more about these nuts here.
Makhana are used to make several recipes like desserts, curries and snacks. These gluten-free pops are amazing for everyone and most people do love them.
What is Makhana Bhel?
'Makhana' means popped louts seeds and 'bhel' means to mix together. These together make the term Makhana Bhel.
A delicious mix of vegetables, chutneys and other tidbits with roasted makhana or fox nuts, this bhel is a great mix of flavors.
From sweet to spicy and tangy to salty, we have the entire taste palate in one platter. This bhel is easy to customize based on how you like your chaat. It can be enjoyed like any other chaat recipe and should be consumed as soon as it is made to avoid it from becoming soggy.
A lot of crunch comes from the roasted makhana, vegetables, khakhra and sev; spice and sweetness is from the chutneys and the flavor comes from chaat masala used in the recipe.
This Makhana Bhel
- is super easy to make and comes together quickly
- makes a great tea time snack
- is a powerhouse of nutrients and fibre
- is made with fox nuts and a handful of ingredients that are easy to swap out.
Once you have the makhana roasted and the chutneys made, putting together this bhel is only a matter of minutes!
To get the chutney recipes, head here:
Video Recipe
Ingredients
Phool Makhana: The main ingredient for this recipe is Makhana.
You can buy these from most Indian stores or online. Packed with protein, vitamin B and minerals, this is a great snack. Enjoy these roasted with salt and pepper or use them to make this bhel.
Chopped Vegetables: Just like all chaat and bhel recipes, this one uses a few vegetables. I have used finely chopped onions, tomatoes and cucumbers. Along with that, there is lemon juice and cilantro.
Adding some pomegranate arils, chopped raw mango and boiled potatoes is a great idea too.
Chutneys: I use sweet dates tamarind chutney and spicy cilantro chutney in the recipe. I often add some garlic in my cilantro chutney for chaats.
Using some garlic chutney for extra zing is a great option if your cilantro chutney does not have garlic.
Chaat masala: The key to any good chaat is definitely chaat masala. Use it to make the bhel super delicious.
Crispy Add-ins: I have added some khakhra pieces and thin sev for crispiness. It is great to add roasted peanuts, boondi or crushed puri to the bhel too.
Step by Step Instructions to make Makhana Bhel
1- In a large pan heat ghee and toss the makhana so they are coated well.
2- Let the makhana become crisp, stirring intermittently.
3- Turn down the heat and let the makhana cool.
4- In a big bowl add the makhana.
5- Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes and cucumber.
6- Next add the chutneys and chaat masala. Mix everything well.
7- Add the sev, crushed khakhra, cilantro and lime juice. Mix everything well.
8- Serve immediately topped with some more sev, cilantro and khakhra pieces.
Tips and Notes
- Roast the makhana on low flame well. Uncooked makhana tend to be chewy and roasting them on on high heat will burn them.
- Serve and enjoy the bhel immediately as the makhana tend to get soggy quickly.
- The recipe is gluten-free if khakhra is skipped.
- Adjust the spice and sweetness with the chutneys and chaat masala.
- Skip adding salt to the makhana while roasting as the other ingredients have enough salt for the bhel.
Makhana Bhel
Ingredients
- 3 cups Makhana raw
- ¼ cup Onions finely diced
- ¼ cup Tomatoes finely diced
- ¼ cup Cucumbers peeled and finely diced
- ⅓ cup Dates Tamarind Chutney
- 2 teaspoon Spicy Cilantro Chutney
- 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- ¼ cup Crushed Khakhra
- 2 tablespoon Fine sev
- 1 teaspoon Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a large pan heat ghee and toss the makhana so they are coated well.
- Let the makhana become crisp, stirring intermittently.
- Turn down the heat and let the makhana cool.
- In a big bowl add the makhana.
- Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes and cucumber.
- Next add the chutneys and chaat masala. Mix everything well.
- Add the sev, crushed khakhra, cilantro and lime juice. Mix everything well.
- Serve immediately topped with some more sev, cilantro and khakhra pieces.
Notes
- Roast the makhana on low flame well. Uncooked makhana tend to be chewy and roasting them on on high heat will burn them.
- Serve and enjoy the bhel immediately as the makhana tend to get soggy quickly.
- The recipe is gluten-free if khakhra is skipped.
- Adjust the spice and sweetness with the chutneys and chaat masala.
- Skip adding salt to the makhana while roasting as the other ingredients have enough salt for the bhel.
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