In this article we will discuss about the quality considerations of pearlmillet.
Pearlmillet has been one of the principal sources of calories as starch in human diet. With increased purchase power and easiness in quick use of wheat and rice in making food preparations, the per capita consumption of pearlmillet grains had declined in urban areas.
Nutritive Value:
Pearlmillet is a small seeded caryopsis. It contains 80 per cent endosperm, 15 per cent germ and 5 per cent bran. The nutritive value of pearlmillet compares well with other cereals and millet (Table 2.6). Pearlmillet is not only nutritionally better than other major coarse grain cereals like sorghum and maize but also score over fine cereals, rice and wheat with respect of vitamins and minerals.
Pearlmillet has high protein content (11.6 g 100-1g) with slightly superior amino acids profile. Like other cereals, it is also deficient in lysine content. It also contains fairly higher amounts of carotene, riboflavin and niacin. The energy level (361 k cal) is among the highest for whole grain cereal.
Food Uses:
Pearlmillet is an indispensable food and more important in the diet of poor in arid and semiarid regions. Flour, grits and whole grain are traditionally used to prepare staple foods like unleavened flat bread, cooked whole grains and porridge. Several other preparations use only pearlmillet or blended with wheat, rice or pulses with interstate differences in preparations.
Unfermented Bread:
Flat bread called roti is most common food preparation in millet growing areas. The grain is milled to produce fine flour. A firm dough is made with water, made into small balls, flattened into thin bread and open baked on shallow frying pan. It is eaten with vegetables, dhal and milk and in many ways. Poor self-lipe of pearlmillet flour does not allow marketing pearlmillet flour.
Fermented Products:
Rabadi is common fermented pearlmillet based food of rural people, usually prepared by allowing the flour-butter milk mixture to ferment for 6-9 hrs at 40°-45°C. Dosa and idly in India are breads made from fermented flour.
Porridge:
Clean pearlmillet is decorticated by the hard in mortar and pestle. Pericarp is removed by winnowing. Decorticated grains are coarsely ground and boiled in water (3:1). Products of pearlmillet grains mixed with split pulses and cooked rice is called kichri in north India.
Value Added Products:
Besides traditional food uses, pearlmillet has potential utilisation in different form of products such as flaked pearlmillet, snacks and popped pearlmillet.
Feed Uses:
Consumption of coarse cereals for feed has increased in recent years. Pearlmillet has outstanding feed value for poultry because of if its higher energy value.