Optimisation and quality evaluation of finger millet incorporated nutri waffles

Waffles are convenient ready to eat foods made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two hot plates and is patterned to give a characteristic size, shape and surface impression. Utilisation of millets is restricted due to non-availability of processed foods in ready to eat form. Millets can be effectively utilised for developing value added products which can improve the overall diet quality. Hence, the present study was carried out to formulate nutritionally superior waffles with finger millet. Finger millet was used as the major ingredient and used in varying proportions starting from 90 to 50 percent along with 10 to 50 per cent refined wheat flour and tapioca flour. The best treatment from each set was selected through sensory evaluation using a score card with a 9 point hedonic scale. Based on organoleptic evaluation, nutri waffle prepared with 50 per cent finger millet flour and 50 per cent refined wheat flour had a maximum mean score of 8.54 for overall acceptability. In finger millet based nutri waffles prepared with tapioca flour (TF), the best treatment was FTT2 (80% FMF + 20% TF) and secured a mean score of 8.54 for overall acceptability. The study shows the scope for value addition of finger millet grains by the production of millet based nutri waffles incorporated with refined wheat flour and tapioca flour.Thephysico-chemicalqualitiesofthenutriwafflesrevealedthat the FWT5 (50% FMF + 50% RWF) contained 4.43 per cent of moisture, 68.28g/100g of total carbohydrate, 6.26g/100g of protein, 2.91g/100g of total fat, 4.18g/100g of total fibre, 39.65g/100g of starch, 115.32 mg/100g of calcium, 1.23 mg/100g of iron, 2.14 mg/100g of sodium and 177.82 mg/100g of potassium.FTT2 (80% FMF + 20% TF) contained 5.37 per cent of moisture, 60.16g/100g of total carbohydrate, 4.60g/100g of protein, 3.04g/100g of total fat, 5.61g/100g of total fibre, 31.66g/100g of starch, 177.11 mg/100g of calcium, 1.63 mg/100g of iron, 3.84 mg/100g of sodium and 242.72 mg/100g of potassium. As these waffles were nutritionally superior with minerals and other nutrients. The developed nutriwaffles were very cost effective compared to commercially available waffles.