A ‘Trunk’ Call For Healthy Savouries

Ganpati celebrations are never complete without namkeen—and today, healthier versions bring just as much joy. Festivals aren’t only rituals; they fill up our homes with laughter and festive treats. Each bite carries memory; each shared dish strengthens a bond. Healthier namkeen doesn’t mean less flavour—it means thoughtful preparation, better ingredients, and the same festive spirit.

Crunch Without Compromise

Festivals aren’t the culprit for unhealthy food, outdated cooking habits are. “A chakali or shakarpara once a year won’t hurt — it’s the daily deep-fried snacking that does. Modern festive balance means flavour intact, oil reduced. Homemade snacks put you in charge of ingredients, portions, and technique. The idea is simple: joy stays, guilt goes. Celebrate fully, without letting indulgence spill into everyday life,” says Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.

Crunch doesn’t come from oil — it comes from technique. Moisture control, dough texture, temperature discipline, and thickness deliver crispness. Millets add nutty personality. Roasted spices bring flavour. Tradition isn’t lost; it’s upgraded with intelligence. Festive snacking is now bold and health-smart, powered by smarter appliances.

“The air fryer leads the charge — crunch, colour, and that fried vibe with barely a teaspoon of oil. Chakali, mathri, shakarpara: reinvented. Yet the full toolkit matters.

Air-frying gives crisp without grease, roasting suits chivda, nuts, and seeds, baking builds slow browning and structure, steaming keeps soft bites light. Add roasted nuts and seeds for crunch. The old equation “festive = deep-fried” is outdated. Today, technique is the indulgence,” says Kapoor.

Snacks Reimagined

Every region already has its own healthy shortcut waiting to be tapped. “In Maharashtra, chakli turns crisp in the air fryer simply by swapping maida for ragi or jowar flour. In Gujarat, khakhra and mathiya are naturally baked or roasted, so the hack is even easier—shift to multigrain atta and pare down the oil. The essence stays the same; only the flour and fat change, and the result is a lighter crunch without losing tradition,” says Chef Abhishek Thakur, CYK Hospitalities.

Traditional spices are what give namkeens their authentic soul. “Ajwain lends flavour and aids digestion, hing adds its unmistakable aroma while supporting the stomach, and black pepper brings

gentle heat with depth. Cumin and coriander deepen flavour. Together, these classics keep the mix rooted in tradition while balancing taste and wellness,” says Bengaluru-based digital creator Mayanka Sharan Sinha, who shares recipes on @mayankaexplores.

Air-fried Ragi Chakli

(Courtesy: Chef Abhishek Thakur, CYK Hospitalities)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Ragi flour

• ½ cup Rice flour

• 1 tsp Sesame seeds

• ½ tsp Cumin seeds

• ½ tsp red chilli powder

• ½ tsp Turmeric powder

• Salt to taste

• 1 tbsp Curd

• 1 tsp Oil

• Warm water

Method

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add curd, oil, and warm water; knead into a soft dough.

2. Fill the dough into the chakli maker; shape chaklis.

3. Preheat air fryer 180°C for 3 min. Brush with oil, air fry at 170°C for 10–12 min; flip halfway. Cool completely for extra crispness.

Baked Bajra Mathri

(Courtesy Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups pearl millet (bajra) flour

• ½ cup whole wheat flour for dusting

• ½ tsp red chilli flakes

• ¼ tsp crushed black peppercorns

• ½ tsp carom seeds

• Salt to taste • ¼ cup ghee

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.Mix bajra and wheat flour, chilli flakes, pepper, carom seeds, and salt.

2. Add ghee and water, and knead into a stiff dough. Dust with some whole wheat flour. Roll out a semi-thick sheet, cut round shapes, and prick with a fork.

3. Bake for 10–15 minutes.

Healthy Namkeen Bytes

(Courtesy: Pratiksha Kadam, Chief Dietitian, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai)

• Replace Maida with whole wheat, jowar, bajra, ragi, and millets to add fibre and satiety.

• Bake, roast, or air-fry for crispness with less oil; avoid deep-frying.

• Even healthy snacks add calories if over-eaten. Keep servings small.

• Carrots, spinach, capsicum, methi, beetroot enrich batters; cutlets, baked tikis, and multi.

• Festive snacks don’t need to be carb-heavy — moong dal, chana dal, besan, sprouts, nuts, and seeds add protein and fibre.

• Processed namkeens are often high in sodium. Use lemon, herbs, roasted cumin, or coriander for flavour instead.

Roasted Poha & Makhana Chiwda

(Courtesy: Mayanka Sharan Sinha, shares recipes at @mayankaexplores)

Ingredients

• 2 cups makhana

• ½ cup peanuts

• ¼ cup almonds, cashews, and raisins

• ½ cup thin poha

• 1 tsp oil

• ½ tsp ajwain

• A pinch of hing

• ½ tsp black pepper

• Salt to taste

• A little turmeric

• Curry leaves

Method

1. Dry roast the makhana until crispy.

2. Roast the peanuts, almonds and poha separately.

3. Heat a little oil and add curry leaves, ajwain, and hing.

4. Add the roasted ingredients.

5. Add salt, turmeric and black pepper.