Low Calorie Chivda

Low Calorie, Healthy Chivda with nutrition packed ingredients like sorghum, fox nuts, turmeric, curry leaves and coconut chips

Easy, low cal, vegan recipe for an Indian savory snack mix made with nutritious, gluten free, sorghum and fox nuts.

Low Calorie, Healthy Chivda with nutrition packed ingredients like sorghum, fox nuts, turmeric, curry leaves and coconut chips
Low Calorie, Healthy Chivda

Chatting with a dear friend over chai and chivda is so good for the soul! They seem to bond the friendship even more. Don’t you think?

Chivda is a savory (and addictive) snack or trail mix that  is also a must have on summer car trips, beach picnics, hikes….you get the picture. Chivda is an essential part of fun 🙂 For me it truly is an addictive snack.

But more often than not, store bought chivda has many deep fried ingredients stacking mega calories which leaves one (me) feeling guilty. Hence this quest for scrumptious but low cal, gluten free, vegan chivda made with nutritious ingredients like sorghum and fox nuts.

Sorghum or jowar is a mild tasting, gluten free grain that is now gaining popularity in the United States.  It is packed with nutrients and is high in fiber. Sorghum flour is used to make a wholesome flat bread called bhakri in Maharashtra, India, where I grew up. The puffed grains are like mini popcorn.

Makhana is popped lotus seed and is also called fox nuts. Recently they are all the rage as a health food. They are low in sodium and sugar content and high in anti oxidants,  potassium and fiber.

Both Makhana and Sorghum are low in calories. They seem to be bland on their own, but with simple seasonings used in this chivda, they come alive! I used garlic, curry leaves and turmeric for additional health benefits. All these ingredients are available in Indian stores.

Look how easy the step by step is-

Low Calorie, Healthy Chivda with nutrition packed ingredients like sorghum, fox nuts, turmeric, curry leaves and coconut chips
Low Calorie, Healthy Chivda

So are you ready for this guilt free chivda that you can munch on as you chat with your dear friends?

I know I am 🙂

Low Calorie Healthy Chivda

  • Servings: 8 1/2 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups makhana or fox nuts
  • 4 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
  • ½ cup raw peanuts with skin
  • ¼ cup cashew nuts
  • ¼ cup sliced dry coconut
  • 3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 7~8 fresh curry leaves
  • ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon medium chili powder or to taste
  • 5 cups popped sorghum ( jondhlyachya lahya in Marathi)
  • 1 teaspoon amchur or dried mango powder
  • Sea salt to taste

To make the Low Cal, Healthy Chivda

  1. I used my cast iron pan. Heat the pan, then turn the heat down to low and add the makhana. Stir them on low heat for about 5 minutes or until they are toasty and crunchy. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. To the pan, add 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil, and the peanuts and stir until they are toasty. Remove from the pan and repeat the process for the cashews and then the coconut slices. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Add the additional 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and fry the sliced garlic and curry leaves on low until the garlic and curry leaves are crispy, taking care not to burn them.
  4. Add the turmeric and chili powders and stir for a quick 15 seconds. Toss in the nuts and coconut slices, the sorghum and fox nuts, salt and amchoor powder. Stir well to combine and let the mixture toast on low for about 4 to 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and let it cool. Crunchy, crispy yummy chivda is ready!

Enjoy!

Wishing you all a very happy weekend!

Love,

❤

Sandhya

 

 

 

78 thoughts on “Low Calorie Chivda”

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  15. Sandhya, you and me are like peas in a pod when it comes to such recipes. I made a batch of poha, makhana and sorghum just the other day and sent some with husband who travels frequently for healthy snacking during the day. Recipes like these are such a blessing and makes us forget we are trying to lose weight. ha ha. Let’s surely meet one day for a cuppa and chivda!

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  16. I like chivda and love to eat it anytime not with tea, it’s a great munching snack while travellling. I loved your low calorie version of chivda, adding of makhane into it makes more crunchy. Yummy share 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much Jolly. I take it when traveling too…I have a hankering for the chivda as soon as we leave home 🙂

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  17. My husband loves to munch on chivda while watching television. Thank you for this low calorie, guilt free recipe. Now I shall be less worried about his health.

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  19. Finally getting to last week’s posts before Friday rolls around again 🙂 Love chivda, and as always, you’ve made a healthier version that is sure to please tastebuds I know, just from reading the ingredients. Love the arrangement and those square mugs, quite unusual! Enjoy the weekend coming up. I hope your summer weather has been favorable Sandhya.

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    1. Thanks Loretta. I have to catch up on the posts too. Funny story about the square mugs. A few years ago a group of my friends decided to do a Yankee swap and I got these mugs and the tea kettle…actually I had got a marble chess set but one of my friends loved it and wanted to trade this tea set for it. I loved the colors and the square cups and teapot!
      Have a great weekend my friend!

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  21. Love this low calorie chivda with popped sorghum. Really nice creative mind here. Makes a perfect tea time snack too. great share must say..

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    1. I had not seen Makhana growing up in Maharashtra either. Now it is all the rage so see it in Indian stores here around Boston.

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  30. Chivda is my favorite snack to munch on! With all those fried “thingies” in them, it does make me feel so guilty but hey, cannot resist! This low-calorie one with healthy ingredients looks as delicious and yummy! I will add these in my next chivda Sandhya 🙂

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  32. Such a wonderful snack mixture. I last time I had popped sorghum was when I was little and it would be served as prasad whenever we went for the Holika festival in Nairobi. Adding garlic to chivda sounds different but good.

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  33. True Sandhya, Chivda is addictive but when made with such healthy ingredients you can go on the guilt-free munching. Adding garlic to me is something new but interesting to try. A very good option when travelling especially with kids!!

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    1. Thanks Swaty! I seem to gobble up a lot of chivda so wanted to make it guilt free:) Let me know if you like the taste of garlic in chivda, like I do 🙂

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