Abstract:
Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is one of natively available less utilized cereals which can be used as an alternative for cookies making in order to partially substitute wheat flour and induce significant improvements in nutritional, functional and sensory characteristics. The aim of this study was to develop wheat based finger millet cookies and study the effect of variable blending ratio and baking time on nutritional, physical and sensory characteristics the cookies. In this work functional, pasting and rheological properties such as water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, pasting properties and rheological properties of all finger millet and wheat flour blends were also studied. Wheat flour to finger millet ratio was selected to be 100 WF: 0 FMF (control), 70 WF: 30 FMF, 50 WF: 50 FMF and 30 WF: 70 FMF for cookies development. Finger millet flour supplemented cookies developed at different blending ratio was subjected to variable baking time of 18 minute, 20 minute and 22 minute at 240 ℃ for the study. Proximate composition in cookies have shown an increase in total ash, crude fiber and total carbohydrate content from 1.14% to 2.51%, 0.92% to 2.90%, 65.55% to 67.64% respectively and a decrease in moisture, crude fat and crude protein content from 2.99% to 2.58%, 18.62% to 17.92%, 11.71% to 9.36 respectively as finger millet blending ratio increases from 0% to 70%. Similarly, Calcium (Ca) and Iron (Fe) concentration in cookies were increased significantly from 3.10 mg/100g to 35.14 mg/100g and 22.41 mg/100g to 318.9 mg/100g for Iron and Calcium concentrations respectively as the level of finger millet flour addition increased from 0 to 70%. Physical characteristics of cookies such as hardness and spread ratio were observed to decrease, whereas, diameter and thickness of cookies increased as the level of finger millet flour addition increased. Mean scores for color, aroma, crispiness, test and overall acceptability of cookies decreased as the level of finger millet flour addition increased from 0 to 70%. However, mean scores for all sensory attributes of all cookies were above 6 (like slightly) sensory perception.
Key Words: Finger Millet Flour, Blending Ratio, Pasting, Farinograph, Sensory Attributes