PREPARATION AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF MASYEURA PREPARED FROM CHAYOTE (Sechium edule) AND BLACK GRAM DAHL (Phaseolus mungo)

Abstract

The Masyeura is one of the traditional fermentation based dried food product made by blending soaked ground black gram dough and shredded ash gourd pulp. Since, many other underutilized foods having potential to exploit the advantage of Masyeura has been kept ideal; here an attempt has been made to study on use of chayote (Sechium edule) as vegetable. Black gram and two varieties of chayote viz. green and white whose blanched and un blanched shreds were mixed in proportion of 50-50, 40-60 and 60-40 part with black gram dahl paste respectively followed by deposition and drying for preparation of Masyeura. The samples were subjected for analysis of rehydration ratio, bulk density, and sensory analysis in uncooked form. Masyeura made from blanched shreds of green chayote mixed with black gram paste in all proportion was found to be significantly superior. The selected samples were cooked and subjected for sensory analysis along with control. In sensory analysis of cooked Masyeura, the product made by black gram paste and green chayote’s blanched shred at proportion 60-40 was found out significantly superior (p>0.05). The superior product was analyzed for proximate composition, vitamin, microbiological quality, chemical changes during storage period and cost. The moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate, crude fiber, total ash, and vitamin C of the product were found as 9.9 %, 20.1 %, 0.31 %, 61.87 %, 4.6 %, 3.2 %, 6 mg/100g respectively. The food can supply 341.23 Kcals/100 gm. The cost of Masyeura was calculated as Rs 18.04/100g. During the study of storage stability of product for one month the rate of increase in the acidity was 0.0013 % per day in case of high density polyethylene (HDPE), while 0.00136 % per day in case of low density polyethylene (LDPE) which was not significantly different (p>0.05). Similarly, the rate of increase in the moisture was 0.0021% per day in case of HDPE, while 0.0026% per day in case of LDPE, where the use of HDPE was significantly superior to LDPE. Thus, HDPE is recommended for packaging of Masyeura. Finally, if this product would develop it will play an important role in utilizing the underutilized crops