Finger Food For Toddlers
Many times I had heard that eating makhana (Roasted/puffed lotus seeds or fox nuts) is very healthy, but somehow never incorporated in our diet. Rarely I had eaten it in the prashaad of Vaishnodevi. Apart from that we never thought of eating makhana.
My daughter’s pediatrician asked me to add some healthy foods to her diet and that list included Makhanas. So I had to look out for the recipe with these puffs that my toddler would love to eat.
And recently I read it several times to give roasted makhanas to babies and kids and then this urge arose. Thought of giving it a try. And the pale, tasteless makhanas turned out to be super tasty after roasting in ghee (clarified butter).
The original ones were chewy. And after roasting them in ghee (clarified butter) they became them crunchier, crispy and yummier than ever Finger Food For Toddlers.
The best part is that It needs minimal ingredients to make this yummy yet healthy Makhana snack for kids and adults too.
Ingredients:
Makhana 50 gms
1 tablespoon desi ghee / clarified butter
1 teaspoon cumin powder / black pepper powder
Salt as per taste.
Method:
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan.
As soon as ghee reaches the smoking point add salt, cumin powder / black pepper powder and very quickly add the makhanas. (Mind it, you have to be extremely quick to add and stir the makhanas and mix them with ghee, salt, and spices.)
Another way of making it is to roast the makhanas in ghee and later add the salt and spices and shake them well.
Give it a nice stir. Cover the pan with a lid. let it cook for 5-10 minutes on low flame.
Just check one or two makhanas if they have become crispy. If not, let it cook for another five minutes.
Remove on a paper or plate. Let it cool down.
Store it in an airtight container for longer shelf life.
It makes a good snack for all and a portion of amazing finger food for babies above 14-15 months of age, as they love to munch on these crunchy bite-sized balls.
It is my preferred snack for traveling as it remains fresh for a longer time and loved by my kiddo.
Benefits Of Eating Makhana / Benefits Of Eating Fox Nuts For Babies And Kids
- Makhana is a good source of fiber, protein, magnesium, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc
- Makhana is power-packed with the wholesomeness of calcium so that extremely good for the development of growing baby’s bones and teeth.
- Makhanas are a rich source of protein, so these puffs are an ideal food for babies as it helps in strengthening the baby’s bones and muscles.
- Makhanas are gluten-free so they are safe for babies as gluten-free food is less likely to cause allergies in babies and kids.
- They are a good source of dense calories for everyone and make a great option as a finger food and travel snack for babies and kids.
Tejaswi says
Its vry tasty…. My daughter likes it 🙂
Amanda says
This looks really good! I love homemade snacks for toddlers, and this looks like something I’d like, too!