Kalimatar (Vicia Faba L.) Cooking Characteristics as Affected by Soaking and Roasting

Abstract

Kalimatar seeds were evaluated for their physical characteristics and cooking qualities. Physical characteristics of Kalimatar seeds measured in millimeters per seed were as follows: length 6.65 +/- 0.11; breadth 4.76 +/- 0.09; and thickness 4.49 +/- 0.07. Cooking qualities of the seeds were evaluated as follows: 1,000-seed weight 199.95 +/- 0.34 g; 1,000-seed volume 152.0 +/- 0.58 mL; seed density 1.27 +/- 0.02 g/mL; hydration capacity 1386.1 +/- 2.63 g/kg; and swelling capacity 1493.4 +/- 3.82 mL/L. The cooking time of untreated Kalimatar seed was 187 +/- 3.15 min; soaking the seeds in different media for 12 h reduced the cooking time considerably. Sodium carbonate solution (2%) was found as the most suitable soaking medium, particularly followed by roasting the seeds. Soaking and/or roasting did not cause pronounced reduction in nutrient content of the sample. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Long cooking time severely restricts the utilization of Kalimatar, a protein-rich source. This study aims to evaluate the effect of soaking and/or roasting on the cooking time of Kalimatar seed to find out a feasible way out of the problem. We found that soaking and quick cooking system considerably reduces the cooking time of Kalimatar without pronounced nutrient loss. Both methods can be adopted very successfully on a household scale as well as at industrial level. However, quick cooking method is much better than soaking system. Again, quick cooking seeds are suitable for preservation. Moreover, this method improves the nutritional quality and palatability of the seeds