Creamy Phool Makhana curry makes a delicious side dish to serve with chapathis, rotis, pulaos or biryanis. A vegan & gluten-free recipe.
You can serve this as a side dish not only with chapatis but this also goes well with jeera rice, ghee rice, vegetable pulao and kuska biryani.
Growing up I never got to taste Phool Makhana except for a few times because back then we never got it here.
Whenever my Mom’s neighbour made her yearly visit to Delhi to her mom’s place, she used to come back with a big stash of this and will distribute it to her friends and neighbours.
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I thought it was a different kind of popcorn and loved it eating it after roasting them with desi spices like how she taught my mom.
She used to make a namkeen with these lotus seeds that I loved munching on. Thankfully it is available in all big supermarkets nowadays.
About Phool Makhana
Phool Makhana is nothing but the seeds of the Lotus plant. The seeds are obtained from the bottom of the ponds or rivers where the lotus plants grow.
Phool Makhana goes through several processes of cleaning them & processing them to prevent them from spoiling quickly before they are packed to be sold.
Phool Makhana is also most commonly called lotus seeds, fox nuts, or gorgon nuts.
Using Phool Makhana
You need not have to wash or rinse the lotus seeds before using them, as they are already cleaned before packing. In fact, you should never do that. Washing them will make them soggy and unpalatable.
It is also better to dry roast them in a pan for a few mins prior to using them to get rid of any moisture present and to make them extra crisp.
Phool makhana being a healthy ingredient, can be used to make gravies, desserts, or snacks. You can also check out this Phool Makhana Kheer.
Benefits of Phool Makhana
Gluten-Free:
Lotus seeds are gluten-free. So if you happen to be allergic to gluten, then know that it is completely safe to eat.
Fasting Food:
Phool Makhana is not only rich in Carbohydrates, but is a good source of protein as well. These fox nuts can keep you energized for a long time while fasting, because they are so light and get digested easily.
Super Food:
Lotus seeds are now considered superfoods because they are low in calories and have a dense nutrient profile. Easily replace your popcorn or potato chips with roasted Phool makhana.
Diabetic Friendly:
Phool Makhana is low in glycemic index, which makes them diabetic friendly. Because of the complex carbs present in them, they get digested slowly and easily. This prevents sudden sugar spikes, making them ideal for consumption by diabetic people.
Ingredients
Phool Makhana: Also known as Lotus Seeds, Fox Nuts, or Gorgon Nuts.
Peas: You can use either fresh or frozen.
Onion & Tomato Puree: 1 cup tomato puree is used in this recipe. Grind 3 to 4 medium-sized tomatoes to get 1 cup.
Spice Powders: Red chili, coriander, turmeric & Garam masala powders are used.
Oil: I used oil. But if you want it to be rich, then you can replace half of it with ghee.
Paste: A paste of onion, garlic, ginger, poppy seeds, and cashew nuts are fried in oil and ground to a smooth paste.
Instructions
To make Phool makhana curry,
1. Heat a pan and when it gets warm, add phool makhana (lotus seeds) and roast over low flame till it gets crunchy. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.
2. Saute ingredients for the paste and let it cool.
3. Transfer to a mixie jar and adding little water, grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
4. Add oil to the pan and when it gets warm, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns pink.
5. Add ground paste, mix well and cook over low flame.
6. Add tomato puree, spice powders, and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low flame.
7. Add fresh peas, salt.
8. Add water, mix well, close with a lid and let it simmer till done.
9. Add roasted Phool makhana, simmer for a minute and switch off the stove.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve this Phool makhana curry hot with chapathis and pulaos.
Recipe Notes
The Phool makhana will be crisp after roasting them. But once added to the gravy, it will absorb the gravy, making it thicken, and will become soft and chewy imitating the texture of paneer.
You can make the gravy beforehand & add the Phool makhana just before serving to avoid a very thick gravy.
If you live in a place where poppy seeds are prohibited, then replace them with a few cashew nuts to get the creamy texture.
Nutrition Profile
This recipe is
- Dairy-Free
- Diabetic-Friendly
- Egg-Free
- Gluten-Free
- High Fibre
- Low Calorie
- Low Carb
- Soy-Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
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More Side Dishes
See more Side Dish Recipes for Chapathis
Recipe
Phool Makhana Curry - Lotus Seeds Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 cups Phool Makhana or lotus seeds
- ½ cup Peas
- ½ cup Onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Tomato Purée
- 2 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves for garnish
For the paste
- 1 large Onion
- 5 Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger piece
- 1 teaspoon Poppy seeds
- 5 whole Cashew nuts
- 1 teaspoon Oil
Instructions
For the paste
- Heat a pan with oil. Add sliced onions and saute till translucent.
- Add chopped ginger, garlic and saute till it changes color slightly.
- Take the pan off the stove, add poppy seeds, cashews and saute in the heat of the pan itself. Let it cool down completely.
- Transfer to a mixie jar and add a little water, grind to a smooth paste and set aside.
To make Phool Makhana Curry
- Heat a pan and when it gets warm, add phool makhana (lotus seeds) and roast over low flame till it gets crunchy. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.
- Add oil to the pan and when it gets warm, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
- Add finely chopped onions and sauté till it turns pink.
- Add ground onion paste, mix well and cook for 2 mins over low flame.
- Add tomato puree, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and mix well.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low flame for 4-5 mins till the oil separates.
- Add fresh peas, salt, ½ cup water, mix well, close with a lid and let it simmer for another 3-4 mins.
- Add roasted phool makhana, simmer for a minute and switch off the stove.
- The phool makhana will absorb the water and the gravy will thicken as it cools down.
- So if you are going to cook this phool makhana curry ahead, add it just before reheating and serve.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathis and pulaos.
ARCHANA
Tasty gravy wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
But i need some instructions of when this lotus seeds will absorb the gravy as its not absorbing
Radhika
Hi Archana, after you add the lotus seeds, within 10 or 15 mins, they will absorb the gravy.
Anshu
Is the makhana supposed to be crunchy or soft when you eat it?
AZRA
Lovely recipe
Richard
I had never used phool makhana before, tried it after seeing your recipe. Came out great. We all liked it very much!!
Radhika
Hi Richard!! Thank you very much for your lovely feedback. Happy to hear that you all liked it.
Anindita
Wow very interesting and colourful recipe