www.tjprc.org editor@tjprc.org EFFECT OF PROCESS PARAMETERS ON FINGER MILLET BASED PASTA BLENDED WITH SWEET POTATO FLOUR VIDYA S. SONONE 1 & PRAMOD H. BAKANE 2 1 Research Scholar, Department of Agricultural Process Engineering, Dr. A. S. CAE, MPKV, Rahur, India 2 Department of Agricultural Process Engineering, Dr. PDKV, Akola, India ABSTRACT Microwave puffed product was prepared from finger millet and sweet potato powder in proportion of 55:45 and at moisture contents of 0.60kg/kg dm after steam cooked in the pressure cooker. The mixture of finger millet flour and sweet potato powder were mixed thoroughly and 0.055 kg/kg dm water was added and then molded in rolled dough which was subjected to varied time of steaming from 10 to 20 min in kitchen pressure cooker. Central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used for optimization of process parameter for preparation of finger millet based pasta. The effect of process parameter viz., convective heating temperature (CT), convective heating time (Ct), microwave power, % of 1350 W (MP) and microwave puffing time (Mt) on the quality of product was investigated. Linear and quadratic models were developed using response surface methodology to study the effect of process parameters on the responses viz. moisture content, expansion ratio, hardness, crispness and sensory colour score. The optimum process conditions were CT 220°C, Ct 300s, MP 70% of 1350 W and Mt 90s. The developed models were statistically valid and predicted responses were close to the experimental value. KEYWORDS: Finger Millet, Sweet Potato, Heating, Microwave Puffing & Puffed Product Received: Aug 12, 2016; Accepted: Aug 29, 2016; Published: Sep 15, 2016; Paper Id.: IJASROCT201620 INTRODUCTION Finger millet (Ragi, Eleusine Coracana) is an important staple food in the eastern and central Africa as well as some parts of India. It is rich in protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus, fibre and vitamin content. The calcium content is higher than all cereals and iodine content is said to be highest among all the food grains. In recent years, finger millet has gained importance, because of its nutritional value having rich source of calcium, iron, protein, fiber and other minerals. The cereal has low fat content and contains mainly unsaturated fat. It is easy to digest and does not contain gluten; people who are sensitive to gluten can easily consume therefore, it is considered one of the most nutritious cereals. The calcium and iron contents in finger millet varieties have been reported to be 220–450g and 3–20%, respectively (Balakrishna Rao et al., 1973). Finger Millet's phytochemicals help in slowing digestion process. This helps in controlling blood sugar level in condition of diabetes. In a study conducted in 2000, it was found that Finger Millet based diet helps diabetics as it contains higher fiber than rice and wheat. Also, the study found that diet based on whole finger millet has lower glycemic response i.e. lower ability to increase blood sugar level. This is due to presence of factors in ragi flour which lower digestibility and absorption of starch. Ragi is rich in Amino Acids which are vital in normal functioning of body and are essential for repairing body tissues. Finger Millet contains Tryptophan, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine and Methionoine amino acids. Isoleucine helps in muscle repair, blood formation, contributes to bone formation and improves skin health. Original Article International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research (IJASR) ISSN(P): 2250-0057; ISSN(E): 2321-0087 Vol. 6, Issue 5, Oct 2016, 163-176 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd