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.

    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.