​Development of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) based Laddu

Traditional foods are developed through ages invented, modified, utilized and evolved to overcome the monotony in the diet. The traditional food of India has been widely appreciated for its extensive use of locally grown crops. Indian traditional food is known for its large assortment like sweet, savoury and spicy traditional foods. Further, the significance of traditional foods is more appreciable when their nutritive value is known. By virtue of diversity, India is blessed with many traditional foods specifically prepared for festivals, rituals and physiological conditions (Ananthanarayan et. al., 2019). With improvement in food technology, convenience food and ready to eat foods are emerging in market.
       
Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is nutritious and important underutilized grain, grown in various parts of India. It grows well even under adverse agro climatic conditions. Foxtail millet is a good source of protein (12.3 g/100 g), dietary fibre (14 g/100 g) and carbohydrates (60.9 g/100 g). Besides, it is rich in minerals (3 g/100 g) and phytochemicals (Gopalan et al., 2010). Foxtail millet is a good source of b-carotene (126-191 μg/100 g, Goudar et al., 2011).
       
Laddu is an Indian sweet made from a mixture of flour, sugar and shortening and other ingredients that vary by recipe, which is shaped into a ball. Value addition to existing foods with foxtail millet is a simple and feasible way of enhancing nutritional values of foods and in turn the health benefits. The food products based on traditional food preparations easily become acceptable to people. Hence the present investigation is aimed to develop the foxtail millet incorporated laddu. Foxtail millet laddu may have a good scope for enhancing nutrition security.
 

The present study was carried out in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad Karnataka during the year 2018-19. The raw materials like foxtail millet, Bengal gram dhal flour, ghee and sugar powder were purchased from the local market of Dharwad. The millet grains were washed, rinsed, shade dried and milled from the local commercial milling machine. Standard recipe of besan laddu (control) include bengal gram dhal flour (150 g), ghee (75 g), sugar powder (128 g) and the roasting time 45 minutes.
       
For standardization of the foxtail millet based laddu, optimization for the incorporation of foxtail millet flour, addition of ghee, addition of sugar powder and roasting time was carried out.

1. Optimization for the incorporation of foxtail millet flour
 
Bengal gram dhal flour was replaced by foxtail millet flour at 25, 50, 75 and 100 per cent level in the standard recipe and all other ingredients were kept constant. Roasting time was kept constant 45 minutes.
2. Optimization for the addition of ghee
 
The highly accepted laddu had the ingredients, bengal gram dhal flour (50%), foxtail millet flour (50%), ghee (50%) sugar powder (85%) and time taken for roasting was 45 minutes. To this, level of ghee incorporation was studied by adding the ghee at 5 per cent variation i.e. 60, 55, 50, 45 and 40 per cent.
 
3. Optimization for addition of sugar powder
 
The level of sugar powder incorporation in the highly accepted (by sensory evaluation) foxtail millet based laddu (after optimisation of ghee incorporation) was studied by adding the sugar powder at 5 per cent variation i.e. 95, 90, 85, 80 and 75 per cent.
 
4. Optimization for the roasting time
 
The time required for roasting was carried out at 5 min variation i.e. 55, 50, 45, 40 and 35 min. It was mainly done to compare the colour of the developed laddu to control.
       
After each optimization process, (i.e. with foxtail millet flour, ghee, sugar and roasting time) physical and descriptive qualities of laddus were observed. The weight of the roasted flour with ghee and sugar, number of laddus prepared, weight and volume of each laddu were noted.
 
Sensory evaluation
 
Sensory qualities of the value added foxtail millet based laddu was conducted in comparison with besan laddu (control). A nine point hedonic scale was used, which describes sensory attributes viz., appearance, colour, texture, taste and flavour on nine point scale. Sensory evaluation was done by a panel of 15 semi trained judges.
       
The results obtained in this study were analysed by the following statistical methods using SPSS statistical package (Version 16.0). All the analysis were performed in triplicate and the data was presented as mean ± SD. Paired ‘t’ test was used to compare the sensory scores of besan and foxtail millet laddu.
 
 

Laddus prepared by varying the addition of foxtail millet flour at 25, 50, 75 and 100 per cent to bengal gram dhal flour were evaluated for physical characters. And the other ingredients used were the ghee 75g and sugar powder 128g (Table 1). Increased addition of foxtail millet flour from 25 to 100 per cent decreased the final weight of flour mix from 337.33 to 314.66 g. It may be because of lower bulk density of foxtail millet flour (0.63 g/cm³) (Sudha et al. 2021).  Increased addition of foxtail millet flour had increased the grainy texture and decreased the stickiness in laddu. It was also reported by Kamara et al., (2009) that the low bulk density of foxtail millet flour was due to its lower particle density and large particle size. Laddu prepared by addition of foxtail millet flour (upto 75 per cent) had attained the golden brown colour. Bengal gram dhal flour had the very fine particle size and is known for its binding property. The laddu prepared by 100 per cent of foxtail millet flour had the creamish white colour, was grainy and could not hold the shape for long time. This is due to the large particle size, fibre content (7.92 g/100 g) and lower oil absorption index (1.02 g/g) of the foxtail millet flour (Sudha et al 2021).The lower oil absorption capacity of foxtail millet flour might be due to low hydrophobic proteins which show superior binding of lipid (Kinsella, 1979). The time of roasting was kept constant i.e. 45 minutes. The weight of each laddu decreased with incorporation of foxtail millet flour and therefore volume also. Yenagi et al., (2010) also reported to develop the foxtail millet based laddu wherein the 50 per cent foxtail millet flour was incorporated .In some of the other value added products like foxtail millet based burfi, muffin, bread, vermicelli, pasta and extruded snacks upto 50 per cent incorporation of foxtail millet was carried out and were highly acceptable (Srivastava and Singh, 2003, Garwadhiremath 2011, Deshapande and Poshadri, 2011, Balloli et al., 2014, Ranganna et al., 2014 ).


       
From Table 2 it was observed that, with increased ghee addition, there was an increase in the weight of roasted flour mix that ranged from 328.66 to 349.33 g. On variation of ghee quantity, colour and consistency of roasted flour mix was altered. The descriptive qualities also affected the organoleptic characteristics. Increased addition of ghee (50-60%) made roasting easy but the round shape of the laddu could not be retained. There was slight difficulty in the roasting in case of 45 per cent ghee addition. Similar findings were reported by Garwadhiremath, (2011) in the optimization of foxtail millet based muffin where 5 per cent decrease in addition of fat was made as foxtail millet flour has less oil absorption capacity.


       
Bengal gram dhal flour and foxtail millet flour in 50:50 proportion with 68 g (45%) of ghee and 45 minutes roasting time was used in preparation of laddu with varying quantity of sugar powder which ranged from 143 to 113 g (i.e. 95 to 75% ). Sugar is a principle ingredient in preparation of sweet products and its role extends for providing energy and sweetness. Table 3 presents that, with increased addition of sugar powder there was increase in the weight of roasted flour mix that is ranged from 317.66 g to 347.66.  The weight (31.25 g to 34.20) and volume (36.75 to 40.20 ml) of each laddu increased with increased addition of sugar powder. As there was increase in the addition of sugar powder, the flour mix resulted in powdery mixture which made fair handling of roasted mix. With the addition of sugar, sweetness of laddu increased and the intensity of the colour reduced. The prepared laddu were not acceptable till the 85 per cent addition because of more sweetness. Addition of 75 per cent sugar powder to the roasted flour (with ghee) were found to be acceptable.


       
Laddus were prepared from 150 g flour mix containing 1:1 proportion of Bengal gram dhal flour and foxtail millet flour, ghee (68 g), sugar powder (113 g) and with roasting time variation from 35 to 55 minutes. As the roasting time increased there was decrease in the weight of the flour mix (317.33 to 311.33 g). There was not much change in the weight and volume of laddu prepared. Increase in the roasting time resulted in the charring of the roasted flour mix and therefore the colour resulted was dark brown. Roasting brings change in colour and flavour through dextrinization and Maillard reaction. However 40 minutes roasting time was found to be acceptable as the colour turned out golden yellow (comparable to control) i.e. colour obtained after roasting of flour mix with ghee and addition of sugar powder. But there was lightness in colour of laddu when roasted for 35 minutes. Dough handling i.e. binding property was very good in 45 and 40 minutes roasting time. And it was good in 35 and 50 minutes roasting time (Table 4). However, it was observed that roasting for 40 minutes found to be optimal for development of foxtail millet laddu as the colour of the developed laddu was similar to the control and could retain the round (ball) shape.


       
The Besan laddu (control) was prepared by 100 per cent bengal gram dhal flour (150 g), ghee 75 g (50%), sugar powder 128 g (85 %) and the time taken for roasting was 45 minutes. The optimised foxtail millet based laddu was prepared by incorporating the foxtail millet flour (75g) to bengal gram dhal flour (75 g), ghee (68 g) and sugar powder (113 g). The time taken for roasting was 40 minutes. Fig 1 shows the Besan laddu and developed foxtail millet laddu. The score was 8.5 for the colour, flavour and overall acceptability of foxtail millet laddu. However for appearance and taste the score was 8.4. For texture the score was 8.6 and while tasting (mouth feel) the texture of fibre was felt. Overall acceptability score of besan laddu was 8.5. Texture (8.9) of besan laddu score was higher because of its smoothness in mouth feel and presence of fibre in less in bengal gram dhal flour compare to foxtail millet flour (Sudha et al. 2021) and then followed by the flavour (8.6). And for appearance, colour, taste the score was 8.5 (Table 5).




 

From the study it was concluded that, the recipe of foxtail millet based laddu differed from besan laddu. At present there is demand for ready to eat foods and therefore it has opened challengeable avenue to start production of such foods at commercial scale to benefit innumerable population and it can provide ample opportunity of employment for the enthusiastic entrepreneurs. Production of indigenous foxtail millet laddu as homemade processing unit can be recommended.