Rheological, nutritional, functional and sensory properties of millets and sprouted legume based beverages

The present study investigated the effect of processing on the nutritional, functional, organoleptic and rheological properties of millet and sprouted legumes beverage flavored with jaggery (B1) and buttermilk (B2) for its processing suitability. The millets, sprouted legumes, flavoured with jaggery (B1); and buttermilk and salt (B2), used influenced the suspension stability, nutritional, sensory quality and rheology of beverages. Millets imparted minerals and starch while sprouted legumes improved solubility and extractability of nutrients and also increased the levels of anti-oxidants and flavonoids. Buttermilk improved the stability, increased contents of proteins and minerals and imparted a light colour to the beverage. Jaggery was responsible for caramelized colour and flavor, improved consistency, psuedoplasticity and better organoleptic acceptability. The nutritional quality of B2 was higher in terms of iron (1.8 mg/100 g) and calcium (75 mg/100 g) with 90% antioxidant activity. Highest L* values were obtained for B2 indicating lighter color, whereas B1 was darker with lower L* values. Organoleptic evaluation showed higher acceptability (7.6) of B1 as compared to B2. Results of flow behavior indicated pseudo-plastic nature of beverages. Significant increase in viscosity was also observed with the increase in temperature (10, 25 and 45 °C) of the beverages. The flow curves of B1 produced the best fit applying the Power law model and for B2, Casson model was the best fit. Results of this study could be used in improvement of the process for making millet-based beverage, design of packaging system and also to predict the flow behavior of beverages during storage.