Makhana’s place in Indian fasting traditions is no accident.
Vrat-friendly foods must be satvik — light, pure, non-grain. Foxnuts qualify, and their protein and slow carbohydrate keep energy stable through a fasting day, exactly what the tradition intends.
Modern nutrition agrees with the grandmothers: for Navratri, Ekadashi or any fast, a bowl of ghee-roasted makhana is close to the ideal food.