This study aimed to improve the nutritional quality of papad by incorporating chayote fruit and paheli dal as alternative ingredients, using a D-Optimal Mixture Design. Thirteen formulation trials were conducted with varying proportions of chayote fruit (50–70%) and paheli dal (30–70%). Based on numerical optimization and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines, the optimal formulation was determined as 60% chayote fruit and 40% paheli dal. The optimized papad were subjected to three heat treatments: microwave roasting, flame roasting, and frying, and were evaluated for proximate composition, physical characteristics, and sensory attributes. Proximate analysis revealed that microwave-roasted papad exhibited the highest protein content (2.62%), pH (6.77), and fiber content (4.50%). In contrast, fried papad showed comparatively lower nutritional values but superior physical properties, including greater crispness and expansion (2.96%). Colorimetric analysis indicated treatment-specific variations: microwave-roasted papad had higher lightness (L*), fried papad recorded higher redness (a*), and flame-roasted papad displayed greater yellowness (b*). Sensory evaluation identified fried papad as the most acceptable, while flame-roasted samples received the lowest scores. This study demonstrates the potential of incorporating chayote fruit and paheli dal to develop nutritionally enhanced papad, with optimized processing conditions balancing both health benefits and consumer preference.
Keisham et al. (Fri,) studied this question.