What is makhana?

The starchy white seeds are roasted until they puff up like popcorn, which gives you the light, crunchy snack sold in packets.

Makhana and your health

Plain makhana is mostly starch with some protein and very little fat, so a bowlful looks generous but is fairly light.

For many people trying to manage their weight, that makes plain roasted makhana a better tea-time choice than:

• namkeen
• chips
• biscuits

The catch is that many flavoured packs are:

• fried
• heavily salted

That changes the picture completely, so the way it's prepared matters more than the seed itself.

How to have makhana

Dry-roast plain makhana in a kadhai with a few drops of ghee or oil, then season it with haldi, black pepper, jeera or chaat masala instead of lots of salt.

Habits that help:

• Eat it from a small katori rather than straight from the packet so you can see how much you're having.
• Pair it with some protein, such as a handful of roasted chana or a glass of chaas, so it keeps you full for longer.

It also works well:

• in kheer made with less sugar
• in curries
• as a vrat snack

Where you'll see it

GheeTurmeric powder (Haldi)Black pepper (Kali mirch)Cumin seeds (Jeera)