Roasted Namkeen: Health Benefits And Recipes

Munching does not mean junk food! On the contrary, it can be healthy and guilt-free. 

The thumb rule for losing weight is to quit junk and processed food. It is the factor that decides whether you will lose weight or not. Unfortunately, people struggling with weight loss issues find it tough to stay away from snacks between meals. 

Therefore, if you are someone who insanely buys processed, grilled and steamed snacks to munch on, you must know that roasting is another healthy option to cut down your daily count. 

The first thought that comes to mind while talking about munching is namkeen, deep fried with a lot of spices. The good news is they can be healthy. You just have to swap a few ingredients. 

Table Of Contents 

1. Benefits Of Roasted Namkeen

2. Recipes For Roasted Namkeen 

     2.1 Roasted Poha Namkeen 

     2.2 Roasted Makhana With Dry Fruits 

     2.3 Channa Dal Namkeen 

3. Dietician’s Recommendation 

4. The Final Say 

5.  FAQs 

Benefits Of Roasted Namkeen

The benefits of roasted namkeen include: 

• A healthy snacking option
• High protein and nutritional value
• Low calories and glycemic index
• No added fat
• Gluten-free 
• Low in cost 
• Helps in weight loss
• Reduces blood pressure 
• Reduces heart disease risk 
• Reduces chronic disease risk

Recipes For Roasted Namkeen 

The following recipes will help you to avoid deep-fried junk food. These easy-to-make homemade recipes will keep you healthier and happier! 

1. Roasted Poha Namkeen 

Ingredients 

• Poha - 3 Cups ( 200g)
• Peanuts - 1 Cup (150g)
• Dry coconut - 60-70g, thinly sliced 
• Oil - 2-3 tbsp 
• Green chilly - 2, finely chopped
• Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp 
• Curry leaves - 10-12 leaves 
• Sugar powder - 2 tsp 
• Raisins -  2tbsp 
• Salt, as per taste 

Preparation Method 

1. In a pan, roast poha for 2-5 mins till it gets crispy. Transfer it to a separate bowl. 

2. Add oil to a pan and heat a little. When the oil is hot, add peanut and stir 

until a slight change in colour and crispy. Take them in a separate bowl. 

3. Add sliced coconut to the pan and saute until there is a change in the colour. Transfer it to the peanut bowl. 

4. Add the remaining oil and let it heat for a while. 

5. Once the oil is hot, add chopped chillies and curry leave and saute for a while. 

6. Add turmeric and raisins and continue cooking. 

7. Add poha, coconut, peanuts, salt and powdered sugar to the roasted species and mix it well. 

8. Keep the flame low and keep stirring for two more minutes. 

9. Roasted poha namkeen is ready! 

2. Roasted Makhana With Dry Fruits 

Ingredients 

• Ghee - 1-2 tbsp 
• Fox nuts/Makhana - 1 Cup 
• Almonds - 2tbsp 
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp 
• Raisins - 2 tbsp 
• Pistachios - 2 tbsp 
• Dried coconut slices - 2 tbsp 
• Black pepper powder - ½ tsp
• Amchur powder - ¼ tsp

Preparation Method 

1. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan on medium flame.

2.  Once heated, add makhana and stir until they become crispy and you notice a light brown colour. 

3. Transfer it to a bowl. 

4. In the same pan, heat ghee and add cashews and almonds.

5. Roast them until they turn lightly golden brown and toasted. Mix them in the makhana bowl. 

6. When everything is lukewarm, add salt, pepper, sugar and amchur powder. 

7. Stir well so that everything is coated well to the makhana and nuts. 

8. Let it cool down! 

9. They are ready to serve. 

3. Channa Dal Namkeen 

Ingredients 

• Chana Dal - 1 Cup
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp 
• Amchur powder - 1 tsp 
• Salt, as per taste 
• Olive oil - 1 ½ 

Preparation Method 

1. Rinse and cook chana dal. In an instant cooker for 12-13 minutes with the required salt.

2.  Drain the daal well and mix red chill powder, amchur powder and salt. 

3. Spread evenly on butter paper. 

4. Dry roast chana dal in a pan on low flame for 15 - 20 mins. 

5. Let them cool completely! 

6. They are ready to serve. 

Dietician’s Recommendation 

As a dietician, I always recommend roasted snacks in the mid-evening. It is fat-free,  less in calories and a quilts-free meal. Along with that, it is high in protein. 

So those who are concerned about weight loss,  roasted namkeen is the best option. Just keep in mind to follow portion size. 

-Dietician Vajeda Rehman 

The Final Say 

There is a wide variety of roasted namkeen in the market. Eventually, they must be healthy, low in calories, fat-free, and filler in-between meals. However, you must always try to choose homemade roasted namkeen from a hygiene and health point of view. 

FAQs 

1. Are roasted namkeen healthy? 

The lightweight feature of the Roasted flakes makes them an easy addition to your diet. In addition, the healthy and flavoursome roasted corn flakes are low in calories, and their high fibre and vitamin content add to the nutritional value of your diet.

2. Does roasted peanuts increase weight?

Despite having a lot of calories and fat, peanuts do not seem to cause weight gain. In fact, observational studies have indicated that eating peanuts may help you keep a healthy weight and lower your chance of becoming obese.

3. Can we eat namkeen every day?

Namkeen is not a substitute for any meal like breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is just a mid-meal snack and has to be taken in limit. 

4. Is namkeen junk food? 

Namkeen and packaged snacks are undoubtedly handy for a snack on the go! But much like deep-fried junk foods and munchies, namkeen too is harmful to health. 

Most namkeens in the market have too much salt and preservatives and are also deep fried. This makes them an unhealthy snacking option.

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