Documentation and Nutritional Evaluation of Ethnic foods of Palampur region of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

newline The present investigation was undertaken with the objectives to document the traditional food recipes, process/preparation, nutritional evaluation and development of protocols for the standardization of the recipes to minimize the nutient losses. Three blocks viz. Baijnath, Panchrukhi, Bhawarna and Palampur itself were selected. A questionnaire was used to collect the relevant information on traditional foods from 120 respondents. Thirty four recipes (eleven cereal based, ten legume based and thirteen vegetable and fruit based ) common to all selected areas were finalized. The raw materials as well as recipes of traditional foods were analyzed for their nutritional compositiona and consumer acceptability. The results showed that raw sheera had high crude protein content i.e. 13.38 per cent, whereas maize flour had high content of crude fat and crude fiber (4.14%, 2.26%). In legumes black gram contained highest crude protein content(26.26%). Among vegetables and fruits bhares had high crude protein content i.e. 21.72 per cent, whereas colocasia leaves had highest crude fat and crude fiber content (5.67%, 17.59%). Recipes analysis result showed that pakodu contained high crude protein content i.e. 27.44 per cent, whereas Crude fat content was highest in mukund badi madra (22.17%). Some selected recipes were modified with 10 and 20 per cent nutritional supplment powders. These supplemeted powders were prepared from five different legumes( rice bean, adzuki bean, soy bean, black bengal gram, horse gram), fruits( Papaya, plum, apple, persimmon, pomengranate) and vegetables (Spinach,colocasia,colocasia leaves, yam elephant, bhares). The supplementation results in increase in protein and fat content of selected recipes. The other nutrients were also improved with the addition of nutrient supplements. The sensory scores declined slightly with supplementation but were in the range of liked very much to like moderately.