Effect of parboiling on cooking characteristics of finger millet and foxtail millet

Experiments on parboiling of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) were conducted by soaking at 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70°C and steaming for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min. The parboiled millet grains were shade dried and pearled in a laboratory scale pearler-polisher. The cooking characteristics of these parboiled millet grains were assessed in terms of cooking time, water uptake, swelling index and expansion ratio. In the case of finger millet, the cooking time, water uptake, swelling index and expansion ratio ranged 8–13 min, 1.6–3.7 g/g, 0.98–2.27 and 1.26–1.69, respectively. For foxtail millet these quality parameters ranged 9–13 min, 2.5–4 g/g, 1.32–2.75 and 1.45–2.4, respectively. Soaking at 70 and 60°C and steaming for 20 and 10 min, respectively for finger millet and foxtail millet resulted in better cooking characteristics, viz., water uptake, swelling index and expansion ratio, and lower cooking time.