Cooking quality and in vitro digestibility of legumes cooked in different media

Legumes namely blackgram (Phaseolus mungo Roxb.), field bean (Dolichos labl ab), lentil (Lens esculenta) and moth bean (Phaseolus aconitifolius Jacq.) were analyzed for proteins. fat, total ash. neutral detergent fibre. calciu m. phosphorus and iron. The expansion volumes of legumes after soaking and cooking were recorded. The effect of cooking media (salt, soda, tartaric ac id, citric acid at 1% level and water) on in vitro protein and starch diges tibilities were analyzed. Results indicated that nutrient contents of legum es were in the following ranges : protein 21-25%, fat 0.8-1.5%, total ash 1 .8-3.1%. neutral detergent fibre 11.2-20.0%, phosphorus 220-330 mg%, calciu m 93-296 mg% and iron 3.3-5.8 mg%. Legumes recorded an average increase in expansion volume of 269% on soaking and 316% on cooking. The protein digest ibility of control samples ranged from 91-97%, which were brought down on a ddition of soda (70-87%), salt (79-93%). tartaric acid (48-72%) and citric acid (75-81%). The starch digestibility values were 65-67% for blackgram an d lentil, 35% for field bean and 44% for moth bean. Alkaline and salt media reduced starch digestibility to 64 and 55% in blackgram, 33% in field bean and 54 and 55% in lentils, respectively. With tartaric acid and citric aci d, it increased significantly.