EFFECT OF DOMESTIC PROCESSING AND COOKING METHODS ON INVITRO STARCH DIGESTIBILITY OF DIFFERENT PEA CULTIVARS (PISUM-SATIVUM)

There were significant (P < 0-05) varietal differences in the starch digestibility (in vitro) and contents of reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, and starch in four cultivars of field as well as vegetable peas. Various domestic processing and cooking methods, including soaking for 6, 12 and 18 h, soaking (12 h) followed by dehulling, ordinary and pressure cooking of unsoaked, soaked and soaked-dehulled seeds, and sprouting for varying periods, i.e. 12, 24 and 48 h, brought about significant increase in starch digestibility of peas. Pressure cooking was found to be the most effective method followed by ordinary cooking, sprouting, dehulling and soaking. Cooking may gelatinise starch and sprouting may mobilise starch, thereby resulting in improved starch digestibility by pancreatic amylase.