New makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) processed products for health benefit

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B R Jana, Anuradha Srivastava and Md Idris

ICAR-RCER Research Centre for Makhana, India

: J Food Nutr Disor

Abstract

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Makhana or gorgon nut is an important non cereal food from aquatic resources of wetland ecosystem. People are now preferred from starchy to proteinaceous food in their eating habit for sound health. For our present study, we examined functional properties of makhana flour and prepared makhana barfi and kalakand as sweets and makhana chappati and makhana pokora as evening snacks, which added different and unique taste and flavor to different group of people. Makhana flour was prepared from drying of seed at 30-35oC for 42 hours followed by crashing and sieving. It contains 11% protein and 76% carbohydrates. The water and oil absorption capacity of makhana flour were 6.39 g gel/g dry sample and 2.49 g gel/g dry sample, respectively when moisture content and bulk density of the flour were 9.15% and 148.76%, respectively. Makhana flour was the base material for making different products like makhana-wheat chappati (1:1), kalakand, barfi and pokorah. As the sugar content of the products were very less and having high calorific value it might be fitted for normal as well as diabetic and patient having blood pressure for sound health. Makhana-wheat chappati (1:1) is very excellent product, which had 317.24 cal/100 gm product may improve overall status of health of aged people. Makhana kalakand had low free sugar (16.66%) and high protein (11.53%) sweets as compared to makhana barfi (19.33% sugar with protein 5.40%). From this study we concluded that kalakand as sweets and makhana-wheat chappati (1:1) as evening snack were the best for health conscious people in terms of their higher calorie intake. Extrusion cooking of makhana flour resulted in products with very good expansion, color, moderate to low calorie and protein, which can be exploited for its potential use as an evening snack food in present days busy world.

Biography

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E-mail: brjana.ars@gmail.com