Two different seeds
Chia comes from the Salvia hispanica plant. Tukh malanga, also called sabja or basil seeds, comes from a type of basil. Shops sometimes mix the names up, so always check the label.
Dono alag seeds hain. Order karte waqt naam zaroor check karein.
How to tell them apart
Look: chia is oval and speckled grey, black and white. Tukh malanga is smaller, teardrop-shaped and jet black.
Soaking: tukh malanga swells within about 10–15 minutes and turns cloudy white around the edge. Chia takes 15–20 minutes and is best left overnight.
Texture: chia makes a creamy, pudding-like gel. Tukh malanga gets a slippery coat with a little bite in the centre.
Nutrition: what we know
Chia is well documented. USDA FoodData Central lists about 9.8 g of fibre, 4.7 g of protein and 5.1 g of ALA (plant omega-3) in 28 g (1 oz) of dried chia.
Basil seeds are studied far less. USDA has no standard entry for them, and a 2021 research review found values vary widely between samples: protein of roughly 11–23 g per 100 g, plus fibre and fats that include ALA. Because the numbers vary so much, we do not print per-serving figures for tukh malanga.
Which one to use where
Use chia for overnight breakfasts, dahi bowls and oats. Our guide on how to use chia seeds has the soaking ratio.
Use tukh malanga for sharbat, lemon water, rose sharbat with doodh and falooda. See how to soak tukh malanga for summer drink ideas.
Soak both fully
Both seeds swell a lot when they absorb liquid. Never eat either one dry by the spoonful, and give children only fully soaked seeds in small amounts.
