International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2019 Vol. 4, Issue 3, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 294-301 Published Online July 2019 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com) 294 EFFECTS OF MILLING ON THE BRAN REMOVAL, NUTRITIONAL AND COOKING CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL RICE CULTIVARS Farhan Mohiuddin. Bhat, Charanjit Singh Riar Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal, Punjab, 148106, India Sangita Sood Department of Food science, Nutrition and Technology, CSKHPKV, Palampur, HP. 176062 Abstract - The percentage of bran removed from the rice cultivars in the time interval of 0 to 30s showed sharp slope, but the slope was less after this time duration (30- 60s). The rice cultivar Koshkari exhibited the highest percentage of bran removal at each milling interval of 10s due to greater thickness of its rice kernels. The percentage of protein with milling duration depicted negative correlation, which indicated higher protein content could be retained by lowering the time period of milling. The difference in fat percentage with milling time from 0 to 60s was found higher in Mushki Budgi (1.15%) and lowest in Koshkari (0.53%). The carbohydrate content of these rice cultivars at each successive stage of milling were found to increase with Mushki budgi depicted the highest rise in percentage in carbohydrate content (3.61%) after 60s milling. The greater loss in ash content with increasing the degree of milling was found in Mushki budgi (94.73%). The elongation ratio of the experimental rice cultivars were found to increase at each successive stage of milling interval. The increase in solids loss at each milling stage could be due to bursting of the rice kernels upon cooking, as the increase in carbohydrate content at each successive milling stage resulted in greater absorption of water. Keeping in view all the health related benefits associated with brown rice, the research focus on the optimum time required for milling rice, so that the cooking quality of rice kernels would be best along with its nutritional characteristics. Key words: Rice cultivars; Milling time; bran; Nutritional composition; cooking characteristics. I. INTRODUCTION Rice is one of the major sources of staple food throughout the world and about 80% of rice production comes from the cultivation of Asian rice (Oryza sativa L). the brown rice hulled from paddy consists of 6-7% bran layer, 2-3% embryo and 90% endosperm [1]. The nutrients like proteins, lipids, dietary fibres, vitamins and minerals are mainly present in the germ and bran layers of the rice grains [2]. The fractions containing these valuable nutrients are removed from brown rice during milling operation for production of white rice. Rice with different degrees of bran removal is preferred in different markets due to varying colour of rice that is an important parameter of sensory perception. The market demand for whiter rice that has been milled properly to ensure complete bran removal is more than unmilled rice [3]. Milling of rice is done commercially to improve the physical and sensory properties of the rice grain and to increase its storage stability [4]. The physical properties of rice grains such as grain thickness has an important role in determining the cooking and texture attributes associated with rice grains, because rice grain with more thickness tends to have higher milling degree, lesser amylose content and higher cooking duration. The knowledge of physical characteristics of paddy grains is essential for the modelling of dynamic abrasion systems in rice milling operation and for the determination of physical properties including dimension characteristics and the quality parameters associated with milled rice will enhance the regular monitoring of milling operation in an objective manner so that it could be visualised very quickly within a short span of time to indicate any change in the properties of final product [5]. The physical properties of an agricultural product after harvesting determine its marketing value. The percentage