Foxnuts
Foxnuts
Euryale ferox, commonly known as prickly waterlily or Gorgon Plant, is a species of water lily found in southern and eastern Asia, and the only extant member of the genus Euryale. The edible seeds, called fox nuts or makhana when dried, are a food in Asia.
What are Foxnuts?
Foxnuts or Euryale Ferox is a flowering plant classified under the water lily family. The seed portion of Euryale ferox plant is called fox nut, which is popularly known as makhana or gorgon nuts or phool makhan.
Origin of Foxnuts
Fox nuts or makhana are mainly cultivated in East Asia, especially in India, China, and Japan and also in some parts of eastern Russia for its edible starchy seeds, which are used in Indian cuisines and medicines for its nutritive as well as medicinal uses.
What are Foxnuts?
Foxnuts or Euryale Ferox is a flowering plant classified under the water lily family. The seed portion of Euryale ferox plant is called fox nut, which is popularly known as makhana or gorgon nuts or phool makhan.
Origin of Foxnuts
Fox nuts or makhana are mainly cultivated in East Asia, especially in India, China, and Japan and also in some parts of eastern Russia for its edible starchy seeds, which are used in Indian cuisines and medicines for its nutritive as well as medicinal uses.
As geographical and climatic reasons. Bihar in India is a paradise for Makhana production. Nearly 63 percent of the total Makhana production comes front Bihar. It has both nutritive end medicinal uses.
Makhana or Phool Makhana also gains importance in religious ceremonies in India and is a popular
"Fasting" food prepared during Navratri and other occasions.
Nutritional Facts on Foxnuts
Foxnuts are packed with the goodness of protein, carbohydrates, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, magnesium, iron and zinc. These essential nutrients make this magical round balls a healthy ingredient to your diet Foxnuts are now attaining popularity because of the low sodium and high magnesium content which makes them very healthful for those suffering from heart diseases. high blood pressure, diabetes. and obesity.
Foxnuts are also an excellent source of kaempferol. a natural flavonoid which prevents Inflammation and aging. In addition, they are rich In phytonutrients such as alkaloids, gellic acid, and sapiens which offer cancer-fighting properties.
Makhana is also gluten-free and can be added to daily cereals and soups. It may help improve health and also add In losing or gaining weight, iF consumed as required diet.
Popped Makhana in Used in the preparation of numerous delicious and healthy sweet dishes, pudding and milk based sweets. The seed is analgesic and aphrodisiac. therefore used in the preparations of many Ayurvedic medicines.
How is Makhana Processed?
According to the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, the seeds are edible after being processed and are highly nutritious. The journal explains about the collection and harvest of makhanas by Mallah community in Bihar. Here's the complete process-
1. Collection
Makhana harvest is a laborious method and requires skilled labour. The harvest takes place during morning at about 10:00 am and continues till about 3:00 pm. It takes around four to five hours to collect seeds at a time from the bottom of the pond or river. In some communities, people fix a bamboo pole known as Kaara in one place and cover it up. Farmers take a dip in the water, diverging into different directions, along with the long poles. They drag the seeds with the help of their palms and gather them to the base of bamboo pole. Collected seeds are washed and cleaned.
2. Cleaning and Storage
The day's collection is put into a crescent-shaped container called Gaanja, which is then shaken and swung repeatedly by touching the water surface until all the seeds get cleaned. Clean seeds are then packed into small bags. The seeds are again put into a cylindrical container, and rolled on the ground so as to make their surface smooth. They bring the seeds to their huts and keep them overnight. The next day, female members spread the seeds over mats and let them dry for about two to three hours.
3. Gradation
All processed seeds are sieved for gradation. The process involves different sizes of makhanas to pass through different sieving devices known as Jharna, rectangular iron plates. The process requires the makhanas to pass through 10 sieves. All graded seeds are stored separately.
4. Getting the White Puff
As soon as the makhanas dry, they require frying or else they tend to get spoilt easily. After frying, these seeds are then preserved in a container made of long bamboo strips and plastered with cow dung. The upper portion of the container is shielded with a coarse cloth so as to maintain a certain temperature. After a few hours, they need to be fried again; the same process is followed and the fried makhanas are placed on a wooden plate once done.
These seeds are manually cleaned until the white puff pops out of the black coloured seeds. It is ensured that no residue of the black seed is left on the doubly expanded white puff and kept in packets for selling them in the markets.
Now you know, these fluff balls are harvested after hard days' labour and need our attention. Here are some makhana recipes that you would love to try at home:
Chiraunji Makhane ki Kheer
Low Fat Makhana Kheer
Creamy Makhana and Mushroom
Makhana Chops
Kaju-Makhana Lajawab.
7 amazing health benefits of makhanas
Makhanas are low in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fats and are good for your heart. They are a good source of magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous and protein. This high nutrition value of makhanas makes them a perfect and healthy snack
Being low in calories, makhanas promote weight loss, while their high calcium content makes them good for bones. These are also good in controlling blood pressure, detoxification of the body and improve digestive health.
Improves heart health
The low amount of sodium and high amount of potassium in makhanas help decrease the blood pressure in hypertension patients. The low sodium helps in keeping the blood pressure in check.
The magnesium in makhanas helps improve the quality of blood and oxygen in the body. Low magnesium levels in the body increase the risk of heart disease.
Strengthen your bones
We all know calcium plays a big role in keeping our bones strong and healthy. Makhanas have a decent amount of calcium, which makes them perfect for strengthening your bones.
Promotes weight loss
The first thing we are advised to do when we plan to lose weight is to increase our protein intake. Makhanas are rich in protein, which keeps one full for longer. This in turn stops one from overeating later.
In addition to this, makhanas are low in calories, which makes them a perfect weight-loss snack. The least amount of saturated fats in makhanas make them even healthier.
Helps in controlling blood sugar levels
Makhanas are rich in protein and carbohydrate and are in low glycaemic index making them good for people with high blood sugar. The glycaemic index of makhanas is lower than that of several staple foods.
The high magnesium and low sodium content in makhanas make them the right food to fight obesity and diabetes.
Good for digestion
The high fibre content in makhanas helps improve one's digestive health. Including them in your daily diet can help improve the bowel movement. In fact, regular consumption can help improve digestion and keep constipation at bay.
Anti-ageing
Makhanas make for great anti-ageing food because they have an abundance of antioxidants. A handful of makhanas every day can keep you looking younger and make your skin glow. The catch is they should not be consumed as a fried snack.
The presence of antioxidants in makhanas makes them even better for digestive health. They also help in the prevention of excessive and frequent urination.
Improve cognitive function
Makhanas have high thiamine content. Thus their consumption helps in sustaining the cognitive function of the nerves. Eating makhanas help in the generation of acetylcholine and thus contributes to the process of neurotransmission.
Packing – 250 gm / 500 gm / 1 KG / As per Buyer Requirement
Nutritional Facts on Foxnuts
Foxnuts are packed with the goodness of protein, carbohydrates, potassium, phosphorus, fiber, magnesium, iron and zinc. These essential nutrients make this magical round balls a healthy ingredient to your diet Foxnuts are now attaining popularity because of the low sodium and high magnesium content which makes them very healthful for those suffering from heart diseases. high blood pressure, diabetes. and obesity.
Foxnuts are also an excellent source of kaempferol. a natural flavonoid which prevents Inflammation and aging. In addition, they are rich In phytonutrients such as alkaloids, gellic acid, and sapiens which offer cancer-fighting properties.
Makhana is also gluten-free and can be added to daily cereals and soups. It may help improve health and also add In losing or gaining weight, iF consumed as required diet.
Popped Makhana in Used in the preparation of numerous delicious and healthy sweet dishes, pudding and milk based sweets. The seed is analgesic and aphrodisiac. therefore used in the preparations of many Ayurvedic medicines.
How is Makhana Processed?
According to the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, the seeds are edible after being processed and are highly nutritious. The journal explains about the collection and harvest of makhanas by Mallah community in Bihar. Here's the complete process-
1. Collection
Makhana harvest is a laborious method and requires skilled labour. The harvest takes place during morning at about 10:00 am and continues till about 3:00 pm. It takes around four to five hours to collect seeds at a time from the bottom of the pond or river. In some communities, people fix a bamboo pole known as Kaara in one place and cover it up. Farmers take a dip in the water, diverging into different directions, along with the long poles. They drag the seeds with the help of their palms and gather them to the base of bamboo pole. Collected seeds are washed and cleaned.
2. Cleaning and Storage
The day's collection is put into a crescent-shaped container called Gaanja, which is then shaken and swung repeatedly by touching the water surface until all the seeds get cleaned. Clean seeds are then packed into small bags. The seeds are again put into a cylindrical container, and rolled on the ground so as to make their surface smooth. They bring the seeds to their huts and keep them overnight. The next day, female members spread the seeds over mats and let them dry for about two to three hours.
3. Gradation
All processed seeds are sieved for gradation. The process involves different sizes of makhanas to pass through different sieving devices known as Jharna, rectangular iron plates. The process requires the makhanas to pass through 10 sieves. All graded seeds are stored separately.
4. Getting the White Puff
As soon as the makhanas dry, they require frying or else they tend to get spoilt easily. After frying, these seeds are then preserved in a container made of long bamboo strips and plastered with cow dung. The upper portion of the container is shielded with a coarse cloth so as to maintain a certain temperature. After a few hours, they need to be fried again; the same process is followed and the fried makhanas are placed on a wooden plate once done.
These seeds are manually cleaned until the white puff pops out of the black coloured seeds. It is ensured that no residue of the black seed is left on the doubly expanded white puff and kept in packets for selling them in the markets.
Now you know, these fluff balls are harvested after hard days' labour and need our attention. Here are some makhana recipes that you would love to try at home:
Chiraunji Makhane ki Kheer
Low Fat Makhana Kheer
Creamy Makhana and Mushroom
Makhana Chops
Kaju-Makhana Lajawab.
-
- Popular as a fasting food, its health benefits are superior to those of dry fruits such as almonds and walnuts. Some of the health benefits of makhana are: It's a good source of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. High in fibre and low in calories, it enables weight loss.
- They are low in cholesterol, fat and sodium. This makes them an ideal snack to satiate those in-between meal hunger pangs.
7 amazing health benefits of makhanas
Makhanas are low in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fats and are good for your heart. They are a good source of magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous and protein. This high nutrition value of makhanas makes them a perfect and healthy snack
Being low in calories, makhanas promote weight loss, while their high calcium content makes them good for bones. These are also good in controlling blood pressure, detoxification of the body and improve digestive health.
Improves heart health
The low amount of sodium and high amount of potassium in makhanas help decrease the blood pressure in hypertension patients. The low sodium helps in keeping the blood pressure in check.
The magnesium in makhanas helps improve the quality of blood and oxygen in the body. Low magnesium levels in the body increase the risk of heart disease.
Strengthen your bones
We all know calcium plays a big role in keeping our bones strong and healthy. Makhanas have a decent amount of calcium, which makes them perfect for strengthening your bones.
Promotes weight loss
The first thing we are advised to do when we plan to lose weight is to increase our protein intake. Makhanas are rich in protein, which keeps one full for longer. This in turn stops one from overeating later.
In addition to this, makhanas are low in calories, which makes them a perfect weight-loss snack. The least amount of saturated fats in makhanas make them even healthier.
Helps in controlling blood sugar levels
Makhanas are rich in protein and carbohydrate and are in low glycaemic index making them good for people with high blood sugar. The glycaemic index of makhanas is lower than that of several staple foods.
The high magnesium and low sodium content in makhanas make them the right food to fight obesity and diabetes.
Good for digestion
The high fibre content in makhanas helps improve one's digestive health. Including them in your daily diet can help improve the bowel movement. In fact, regular consumption can help improve digestion and keep constipation at bay.
Anti-ageing
Makhanas make for great anti-ageing food because they have an abundance of antioxidants. A handful of makhanas every day can keep you looking younger and make your skin glow. The catch is they should not be consumed as a fried snack.
The presence of antioxidants in makhanas makes them even better for digestive health. They also help in the prevention of excessive and frequent urination.
Improve cognitive function
Makhanas have high thiamine content. Thus their consumption helps in sustaining the cognitive function of the nerves. Eating makhanas help in the generation of acetylcholine and thus contributes to the process of neurotransmission.
Packing – 250 gm / 500 gm / 1 KG / As per Buyer Requirement