ABSTRACT Structural, physicochemical, functional, pasting, rheological, antioxidant, and mineral properties of cassava sago fortified with beetroot powder (BRP) prepared from wet cassava starch (WS) and reconstituted dry cassava starch (RCS) were investigated. Beetroot powder was incorporated at 2%, 4%, and 6% (w/w) to improve the nutritional quality of conventionally starch rich cassava sago (sabudana). The experimental treatments were replicated three times and the statistical significance of treatment effects was evaluated using one‐way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's HSD test for mean comparisons at p < 0.05. BRP fortification significantly increased crude fiber, protein, fat, and total dietary fiber contents, with maximum total dietary fiber values of 0.88% and 0.92% observed in WS and RCS sago, respectively, at 6% BRP. Cooking time decreased significantly from 6.34 min in control to 3.03 min in RCS sago with 6% BRP, while water activity remained below 0.60 for all samples, indicating good shelf stability. However, cooking loss increased with BRP incorporation, with the highest value (15.11%) observed in RCS sago at 6% BRP, likely due to fiber induced disruption of the starch network. Color attributes showed pronounced changes, with total color difference (Δ E ) increasing up to 47.02 and 44.07 in WS and RCS sago, respectively, along with a decline in whiteness index and an increase in yellowness index, reflecting the natural pigments of beetroot powder. Functional properties of WS and RCS sago, including solubility, swelling volume, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity, improved with BRP incorporation. Pasting and rheological analyses revealed reductions in peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, and storage modulus, suggesting restricted starch granule swelling due to starch‐fiber interactions. Mineral analysis showed significant enrichment of calcium, iron, magnesium, and copper in BRP fortified samples. This study demonstrates that beetroot powder incorporation effectively enhances the nutritional and functional quality of cassava sago, indicating its potential for developing nutritionally enriched functional sago from both wet and reconstituted dry cassava starch.
Krishnakumar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.