Farmwomen-led millet based recipes development and their sensory evaluation: An action research from Uttar Pradesh

The present investigation was carried out to comprehend the sensory evaluation of millet based products developed by the farm women and judged by local public representative across three block of district Pratapgarh (UP). The district Pratapgarh comprises 17 blocks, in which three blocks were selected purposively for organising recipe contest keeping the criterion of millets area in different blocks and categorized under i. Area < 500 ha in which kalakankar block, ii. Another block having area ranging between 500-1000 ha named Kunda and iii. Third block having area >1000 ha named Sandwa Shandrika was chosen for the study. From each of the above blocks, one village was selected named as Nayapurwa, Keshavpur and Pachkhara respectively from three blocks for organizing this contest. A group of farm women comprising 30 women who were mobilized in each village and three round of the contest were held at different point of time in all three villages. Thus 90 farm women participated in this contest. The prepared recipes were evaluated based on organoleptic test scoring (9-point hedonic scale) on different parameters (colour, texture, appearance, taste and aroma) made out of mostly from bajra, ragi & makka products. Delicious bajra based recipes bajra laddo, bajra tikki, bajra biscuit, bajra khichdi and bajra ghughri; ragi based recipes ragi kachaudi (Menthi), ragi kachaudi (urad), ragi kachaudi (Aloo) ragi milk shake, and Makka based recipes makka ka halwa, makka pakaudi, were prepared and presented. The local public representatives like village pradhan, school teachers, and other well reputed women of the locality judged the recipes. The results showed that Bajra chat was given maximum (8.4 marks) preferences among all bajra based products in all sensory parameters. While, the bajra ghughri was least (7.2 marks) popular. In ragi baed products ragi kachauri (Urad) was preferred to the maximum extent (8.8 marks) for all parameters. Makka pakaudi and makka gulgula was recorded maximum popularity (8.5 marks each) on makka base products across Kalakankar, Kunda and Sandwa Chandrika block of district Pratapgarh (U.P.).