Healthy Roasted Makhana Recipe (Water Lily Seeds)

Name: Healthy Roasted Makhana Recipe (Water Lily Seeds)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: The Basics; 2-3 cups makhana; neutral oil; salt; Salted Caramel; 3 tbsp coconut sugar; 3 tbsp maple syrup; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp flaky salt (more to taste); Salt & Vinegar; salt (to taste); vinegar powder (to taste); Cheezy Garlic; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; salt (to taste)

By Remy

Jun 12, 2019 • Updated Mar 14, 2024

4 Comments

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Learn to make roasted makhana or popped water lily seed snacks, in three delicious ways! Salted Caramel, Salt & Vinegar, and Cheezy Garlic– All gluten-free and vegan!

two bowls of roasted water lily seeds on a pink background

What is Makhana?

Makhana is a traditional Indian snack. It’s made from popped or puffed water lily seeds, also called fox nuts, which are then dry-roasted with seasonings. The result is a crunchy, popcorn-esque, healthy snack.

It reminds me of a Korean, skinless giant popcorn snack I used to eat growing up, but with an even better crunch. It’s also a great source of protein, completely plant-based, and takes to seasonings and different flavors so well! It’s the perfect evening snack and health-conscience alternative to other crunchy snacks like potato chips.

If you can’t get enough Indian snacks like me, try my Healthy Chjvda Recipe too!

What Makes This Recipe Great

I was first inspired to make my own popped water lily snacks when I picked up a bag at the grocery store. Instantly, the little puffs became one of my favorite snacks. And this Roasted Makhana Recipe has my three favorite flavoring options!

I was motivated to learn how to make this makhana snack at home because I started spending a lot of money on premade store bought bags, and in the process, was creating a lot of packaging waste.

I also wanted to make this great snack even healthier! These recipes are simple, come together with 5 or fewer ingredients, and are free of any processed ingredients. This delicious snack comes together in just 15 minutes- so easy, and SO tasty!

How to Make Makhana

Makhana is used in many Indian recipes and makhana is so versatile it can be enjoyed in curries, or as a snack on its own. For example, if making a Makhana Matar Curry, the makhana is a little more tender and soaks up the sauce.

The process of making this Indian snack, however, is shockingly easy. All you need to do is coat the puffs in seasoning and roast. I recommend doing this in a pan over medium-high heat with just a touch of neutral oil. You can test to see when it’s ready by tasting a piece–you want to look for crunch throughout. As it comes, makhana is quite soft, so you do want to roast makhanas to make sure you get that crisp texture.

Ingredient Notes

Roasted Makhana Recipe

Makhana: The most important ingredient you’ll need is the full makhana, or the lotus seeds, which you can find at most Indian grocery stores. The first bag I ever tried was sent to me by my wonderful friend Asha Patel. You can also easily find it online–here is a link to a bag I purchased recently.
Neutral oil: Such as vegetable oil or avocado oil. For a bit more flavor, try using olive oil or ghee.
Salt

Flavor Options

Salted Caramel: This amazing sweet and salty version uses coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and flaky salt.
Salt & Vinegar: This roasted makhana version is made with salt & vinegar powder, to taste.
Cheezy Garlic: This flavoring is made with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt.

Step-by-Step Instructions

phool makhana lotus seed in a silver bowl

Salted Caramel

For this makhana recipe, we’re roasting the makhana prior to flavoring, to achieve a little crunch before coating. Cook in a pan over medium heat with just a little oil for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until crisp. You can test them by taking a bite–it should have a nice crunch throughout. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Next, in the same pan, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and water, and melt down over medium-low heat, gently stirring until completely smooth.
Bring the mixture to a bubble, then add baking soda and stir quickly until colour slightly changes then immediately remove from heat and add makhana to the pan.
Toss to coat and then spread as evenly as possible on a baking sheet to cool completely.

Salt & Vinegar

In a pan over medium-high heat, roast makhana with neutral oil for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and vinegar powder, to taste, and enjoy.

Cheezy Garlic

Toss makhana in a mixing bowl with a neutral oil, salt, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
Transfer to a pan over medium-high heat and roast makhana with neutral oil for 4-5 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.

popped water lily seeds in a white skillet

Roasted Makhana Recipe Flavored Three Ways

Here are my three favorite ways to season my popped water lily seeds:

Salted Caramel Makhana

This sweet and salty option has a nice flavor and made with coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. This is a butter-free caramel made with no refined sugars and it’s easy to make in the same pan that you roast your makhana in.

Salt and Vinegar Makhana

All you need for this seasoning is salt and vinegar powder to make a healthy snack option! Again, this is best seasoned to taste, so if you like it extra tangy and want to tingle your taste buds, use a heavy hand on the vinegar.

Cheezy Garlic Makhana

For a vegan cheese flavor, use nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and onion powder. This has to be my go-to flavor and the seasoning I opt for most days. Bonus: you’ll get a nice boost of plant protein from the nutritional yeast!

More Seasoning Variations

Roasted makhana is an amazing blank canvas to work with. You can get creative with the seasonings and I highly encourage experimenting as there are countless ways to flavor your Indian water lily seeds, both sweet and savory. Here are some other options to try:

Indian spice powders (think turmeric powder, cumin powder, chaat masala, or peri peri masala)
Plain sea salt (this one’s self-explanatory)
Dark chocolate (you could toss in maple syrup or sweetener of choice and coat with cacao powder)
Furikake
Red chili powder
BBQ
Chili lime

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature and eat within one week for the best freshness and flavor.

Recipe FAQs

Are popped water lily seeds gluten-free?

Yes! Lily seeds are naturally vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo. Makhana is a wonderful snack that fits many diets. If you have a corn allergy, this is also an incredible alternative with a similar satisfying crunch.

Is this roasted makhana recipe healthy?

Water lily seeds have many health benefits such as being naturally high in fiber and a good source of protein, as well as magnesium and phosphorous, making them considerably more nutritious than popcorn. Oh, and there are no kernels to get stuck in your teeth either!

More Crunchy Snack Recipes

If you make Roasted Makhana at home, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below!

Healthy Roasted Makhana Recipe (Water Lily Seeds)

What is Makhana?

What Makes This Recipe Great

How to Make Makhana