en |
EFFECT OF COOKING METHODS ON TIME AND NUTRIENT RETENTION OF PIGEON PEA ( CAJANUS CAJAN )
Adepoju, OT; Dudulewa, BI & Bamigboye, AY
Abstract
Protein malnutrition is widespread among the rural poor in developing countries and
legumes serve as a major source of dietary protein where animal protein is very
expensive. Pigeon pea is an important legume with high amount of protein, but its
consumption is limited due to its hardness and time-consuming process of cooking. This
study was carried out to determine effect of cooking methods on time and nutrient
retention of pigeon pea as a means of promoting dietary diversity. Pigeon pea seeds were
purchased from Oja Oba market in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, cleaned, sorted, and
divided into five portions. One portion was labelled as raw sample. The second portion
was washed and cooked with distilled water on an electric cooker at 300ºC for 2 hours
and labelled as Sample 2. The third portion was washed and cooked at 3000C for two
hours, with decanting and replenishing the water, and labelled as sample 3. The fourth
portion was washed and pressure-cooked with distilled water at 300ºC for 1hour and
labelled as Sample 4; while the fifth portion was pressure-cooked at 300ºC for 45
minutes, decanting and replenishing the water, cooked for 15 minutes, then labelled as
sample 5. The five samples were analysed in triplicates for proximate, minerals and
selected vitamins composition using standard methods of AOAC. Raw pigeon pea
contained 11.9g moisture, 22.1g crude protein, 3.4g fat, 3.4g ash, 59.0g carbohydrates,
47.76mg sodium, 1025.63mg potassium, 100.25mg calcium, 377.87mg phosphorus,
13.01mg iron, 11.95mg zinc, and yielded 315.8kcal energy/100g sample. Boiling, and
decanting the boiling water, and pressure cooking led to significant reduction in all
macronutrients (p<0.05), the reduction being most pronounced in samples with cooking
water decanted. Pressure-cooked samples retained more macronutrients with highest
retention recorded in pressure-cooked sample without decanting the water (p<0.05).
Boiling without decanting the water had highest retention of minerals, followed by
pressure-cooked sample without decanting the water, while boiled sample with decanted
water retained least minerals. Pressure cooking the pigeon pea significantly reduced
cooking time (p<0.05), thereby reducing cost of electricity. Pigeon pea is a good source
of protein, energy, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc, and can contribute
significantly to meeting nutrient needs of consumers; hence, its consumption should be
encouraged as a means of dietary diversity among the populace where it is available.
Keywords
Protein malnutrition; Pigeon pea; Cooking methods; Nutrient retention; Micronutrient potential
|