GOQii

Blog

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • MEDICAL
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

August 29, 2017 By Mitali Ambekar 2 Comments

Fox nut – The Lotus Seeds and its nutritional benefits

Email, RSS Follow
Pin It
Share

roasted-makhana

As a kid my mother use to feed me fox nuts which I hated as it was tasteless. Then few years ago someone I know introduced me to it all over again and nothing had changed. I still hated and wondered why do people eat it, what do they like about it?

Thankfully, my mom had a way to get me eat fox nuts. She roasted the nuts and tempered it with some condiments and spices and there it was the new version of the healthiest popcorn. Crunchy, yummy and the best tea time snacks.

Fox nuts are lotus flower’s seed. It is grown in water and is largely found in India and know as ‘Makhana’ here. Also found in Korea, Japan and Russia and known as ‘Gorgon Nut’ there. It is also known as Euryale Ferox.   This is an Asian water plant and is mainly cultivated for its edible seeds which look like popcorn.

It is highly nutritious food that has been used as a snack all over and also used in different recipes especially in Indian cuisines. It can be had in the roasted or fried form. It can be stored for a longer time if kept in air tight containers. Chinese use it as a part of medicines as it has various medicinal properties too. They use to strengthen spleen and kidneys.

Fox nut and its beneficial attributes:

  • Fox Nuts are considered superior to dry fruits such as almonds, walnut, cashew nut and coconut in terms o sugar, protein, ascorbic acid and phenol content
  • It is high on anti oxidant and thus acts an anti-aging food, helping in preventing white hair, wrinkles, premature ageing etc.
  • It is high in fiber and so helps to avoid constipation. They help the body to flush out the waste and thus prevent the accumulation of toxins 
  • It is also an aphrodisiac, thus helping in fertility issues like premature ejaculation, increasing the quality of semen and also helps women in overcoming infertility.
  • These nuts are low on saturated fats and Sodium and high on Magnesium, Potassium and helps in controlling high blood pressure and diabetes too.
  • It helps in controlling palpitation and insomnia as it has calming properties
  • It helps in reliving arthritis- numbness and pain in joints
  • As it is has astringent properties it also helps cure diarrhea and have better appetite.
  • It strengthens the body and reduces burning sensation and quenches thirst.
  • These nuts are a type of seed that could be included in the daily cereals or soup to maintain good health. Since it has good amount of protein it is considered apt snack for vegetarians. But, because it is neutral in taste, usually no one prefers to eat it raw.

Here is a my mother’s simple recipe to make it more tastier

1) Heat 2 tspn of homemade ghee in a pan.

2) Add salt and turmeric and stir it for some time. You can even add red chilies, curry leaves and mustard seeds to it.

3) Add Fox nuts to it and roast for some time.

Best snack with your tea/ coffee or in between snack.

It is even eaten as a fasting food in India as it considered a very pious. And, is also used to worship God.

Apart from eating it as a snack or in your breakfast cereal it can also be added to a sweet dish or a vegetable curry or in Rice preparation.

About Mitali Ambekar

A Post Graduate diploma in Sports Science and Fitness Nutrition from SNDT Juhu, Mitali Ambekar has always been inclined to sports since her childhood. As Sports Nutrition Practitioner for the last 4 years, she has come to realize how nutrition plays an important aspect in every sporting activity that one chooses. She has been associated with various Gyms in the city of Mumbai and has been consulting sportsmen and women from Cricket, Badminton, Taekwando and Marathon and others who are on their path to fitness on nutrition and how they can perform better. This National level Rifle Shooter apart from sports is also passionate about Wildlife and Candid photography. And, when she is not training, she is listening to music and reading books

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Ronak Shah says

    March 30, 2016 at 1:02 pm

    Are lotus seeds same as euryale ferox [fox nut]? Because both are from a different genus but are called makahana in Hindi.

    Reply
  2. Rashi B says

    May 26, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    I absolutely love Makhana. I too, like you, did not like them too much without added flavors. But then my mom started adding it to smoothies, and serving it for breakfast in my milk instead of store-bought cereal (which is high in sugars). This changed the way I eat. They are a very beneficial ingredient and as you mentioned, can be made salty as a tea time snack, into a kheer (Indian dessert – custard) or just used as cereal in milk in lieu of store-bought cereal!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • Know all about Yoghurt and its benefits
  • How to stay healthy during summer?
  • Benefits of Cucumber
  • Did you know you can burn fat just by breathing?
  • Key to good health is practising a good lifestyle

Stay Updated

Archives

  • April 2018 (24)
  • March 2018 (20)
  • February 2018 (17)
  • January 2018 (25)
  • December 2017 (24)
  • November 2017 (29)
  • October 2017 (28)
  • September 2017 (29)
  • August 2017 (15)
  • July 2017 (20)
  • June 2017 (18)
  • May 2017 (18)
  • April 2017 (10)
  • March 2017 (10)
  • February 2017 (11)
  • January 2017 (12)
  • December 2016 (15)
  • November 2016 (15)
  • October 2016 (14)
  • September 2016 (14)
  • August 2016 (16)
  • July 2016 (16)
  • June 2016 (19)
  • May 2016 (13)
  • April 2016 (20)
  • March 2016 (24)
  • February 2016 (16)
  • January 2016 (17)
  • December 2015 (9)
  • November 2015 (12)
  • October 2015 (14)
  • September 2015 (20)
  • August 2015 (19)
  • July 2015 (17)
  • June 2015 (18)
  • May 2015 (10)
  • April 2015 (19)
  • March 2015 (16)
  • February 2015 (16)
  • January 2015 (16)
  • December 2014 (15)
  • November 2014 (15)
  • October 2014 (10)
  • September 2014 (19)
  • August 2014 (17)
  • July 2014 (14)
  • June 2014 (9)
  • May 2014 (11)
  • April 2014 (7)
  • February 1998 (1)
  • September 1996 (1)
Key to good health is practising a good lifestyle

Key to good health is practising a good lifestyle

IT'S NOT A DIET IT'S NOT A PHASE IT'S A PERMANENT LIFESTYLE CHANGE Lifestyle change works for all provided one is determined to make that change. Be it blood pressure, heart ailment, diabetes or even cancer, a lifestyle change has provided the most … [Read More...]

From couch to running Marathons

From couch to running Marathons

FollowShare   It has been rightly said that you will never achieve your goal if you never try. And, this is exactly what Rajneesh Sharma of Hyderabad has experienced. Rajneesh was lazy and how and had no control over his food habits. He weighed 98kgs and had no exercise routine. Weekends were all about being […]

Exercising is all about enjoying the glow of good health

Exercising is all about enjoying the glow of good health

FollowShare     Sri Venkatesh Nuvvula aka Venky moved from Bengaluru where he had an active life in Hyderabad where he ended up spending more time in office and less on exercising or indulging in any kind of physical activities. The change of location was doing no good to him from a health perspective but […]

 ‘It is not about losing weight but, it is how you manage it’

 ‘It is not about losing weight but, it is how you manage it’

FollowShare                                                                                              Shobha Kunju We are celebrating Women’s month and […]

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • MEDICAL
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

Copyright ©2016 GOQii