A blend of health and taste

The phool makhana pulao is an easy to make serving with tremendous nutritional value

Hyderabad: Phool Makhana, which is also referred as fox nuts or lotus seeds, is used in traditional forms of medicine and also as food in different recipes like rice, curry, snack and in desserts as well. Makhana is an excellent source of high nutrients, micronutrients, iron, calcium, magnesium and are also high in antioxidants.

Antioxidants play a key role in several aspects of health alignments like they help in protecting from chronic heart- diseases, cancer, diabetes, also helps in stabilising blood levels, weight loss and anti-ageing.

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Phool Makhana is generally consumed during fast/ vrath because of its tremendous nutritional value. Different variants of snacks, curries, side-dish, desserts and health drink powder can also be made with it. They are low in cholesterol, sodium and saturated fats. They resemble pop-corns – just roast them with some salt and ghee, it makes a power-packed munch-on snack or a tea time snack. Kheer, soups and a few curries are also some variant recipes of phool makhana.

Flavoured rice variants like phool makhana pulao or biryani are also a healthy and nutritious recipe for all and especially for vegetarians. It goes well with any curry or some raita.

Course : Pulao / Biryani / Flavoured Rice
Cuisine : Indian
Serves : 4

Ingredients:

• Lotus seeds : 2 cups
• Basmati rice : 2 cups
• Oil : 1 1/2 tbsp
• Ghee : 1 1/2 tbsp
• Bay leaves : 3 nos
• Cardamom : 4 nos
• Cinnamon : 2 to 3 sticks
• Cloves : 4 to 5 nos
• Caraway seeds : 1/2 a tsp
• Star anise : A small piece
• Onion : 1 diced long
• Green chillies : 3 to 4 slit
• Carrot : As required
• Potato : As required
• Capsicum : As required
• Beans : As required
• Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt : 1 tsp or as needed
• Mint leaves : As required finely chopped
• Coriander leaves : As required finely chopped
• Oil : 1 1/2 tbsp
• Bengal gram dal : 1 tsp
• Black gram dal : 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies : 2 to 3 nos slit
• Onion : 1 finely chopped
• Tomato : 1 finely chopped
• Curd : 1 cup
• Salt : 1/2 tsp or as needed

• Take 2 cups of phool makhana ( fox nuts / lotus seeds), take 2 cups of basmati rice wash and soak it 1/2 an hour prior to cooking.
• Dry roast the lotus seeds until they change in colour.
• Heat a pan with 1 1/2 tbsp of oil and ghee each, either only oil or ghee can also be used.
• Add whole garam masala to the oil, add 3 bay leaves, 4 cardamoms, 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks, 4 to 5 Cloves, 1/2 a tsp of caraway seeds and small pieces of star anise.
• Sauté the garam masala for a while, and add a diced onion sauté for a minute.
• Add 3 to 4 slit green chilies, chopped carrot, and any veggies of our choice can be added as required.
• Stir the vegetables well. Place a lid for a while and let veggies cook for a while.
• Add 1 1/2 tsp of ginger garlic paste, add 4 cups of water for 2 cups of rice. If rice is soaked for a longer time then add 3 1/2 cups of water.
• Add 1 tsp of salt or as needed, mix them all and let it boil, add some finely chopped mint and coriander leaves.
• When the water is boiling add soaked basmati rice, place a lid and cook it until water evaporates.
• When a small quantity of water is left, add the roasted phool makhana and cook it for 5 more minutes with a lid on low flame.
• Combine them all once, place the lid and put off the flame

Preparation of raita/ perugu chutney:

• Heat a pan with 1 1/2 tbsp of oil, add a tsp of bengal gram dal and black gram dal each.
• Add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let splutter and add 2 reeds of curry leaves.
• Add 2 to 3 green chilies sauté for a while, add finely chopped onion and sauté well. onion can also be added raw to the curd.
• Add 1/2 tsp of salt, put off the flame. Add finely chopped tomato pieces, mix well and let it cool down.
• Take a cup of smooth curd, add the temper and garnish it with some finely chopped coriander leaves.
• Add some fennel seeds powder, combine well, adjust the taste.
• Do try this new recipe and relish it with raita.

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