Vol. 11, Special Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
Gurpreet Kaur Dhillon, Suresh Bhise and Rajni Goel

Abstract:
Maize chapatti (Makki di roti) is a traditional food of Punjab, India. Although relished by all, the low nutritional value is the primary concern with maize chapatti, and health-conscious consumers demand healthy options even in traditional foods. In this study, maize flour was supplemented with Quinoa flour to improve the nutritional quality of maize chapatti. Quinoa flour was added to maize flour at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. Results suggested a significant increase in protein, ash and crude fibre content with the addition of Quinoa flour. Maize flatbread made with 30% substitution of Quinoa flour had significantly higher (p<0.05) protein content (10.51±0.38%) than control sample (8.12±0.19%). The addition of Quinoa also improved the in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD %) of Quinoa enriched chapatti compared to maize chapatti. Concerning minerals, 30% Quinoa flour in the maize flour significantly increased the calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium content of enriched chapatti than control. The sensory evaluation suggested that the addition of Quinoa up to 30% had no change in the sensory properties of chapatti. Optimum addition (30%) of Quinoa flour in maize flour improved the traditional maize flatbread's physical, nutritional, and sensory aspects. Further, the optimized technology was demonstrated in a farmer training programme. More than 90% of the respondents appreciated the technique for enhancing the nutritional quality of maize chapatti and its ease of adoption.