Cereal Chem. 70:214-219   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Extrusion Cooking of Pearl Millet for Production of Millet-Cowpea Weaning Foods.

H. D. Almeida-Dominguez, M. H. Gomez, S. O. Serna-Saldivar, R. D. Waniska, L. W. Rooney, and E. W. Lusas. Copyright 1993 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Pearl millet was decorticated to yield 91%, milled into flour, and extruded at different moisture contents (12.5, 13.6, 15.0, and 16.3%). Porridges were prepared from extruded millet, press-dried cowpea, and sorghum malt. Although decortication of millet removed some pericarp and peripheral endosperm, the proximate compositions of millet and some of the essential amino acid content remained constant, whereas the in vitro protein digestibility increased. Increased radial expansion, water solubility, and cold paste viscosity was observed in extrudates prepared from decorticated millet under low moisture conditions. A lower degree of molecular dispersion in water at 85 C was observed in extrudates prepared under low- moisture extrusion conditions than were found in those prepared under high-moisture conditions. Porridges prepared from extruded millet and press-dried cowpea had high nutritional quality with acceptable properties for weaning foods (e.g., an intermediate consistency, smooth texture, and pleasant color and flavor). Treatment with sorghum malt allowed the preparation of more fluid products.