Vol. 7, Issue 6, Part B (2025)

The current research focuses on formulating a nutrient-rich, ready-to-eat (RTE) snack from six locally grown legumes; peanut, green gram, cowpea, field bean, horse gram and soybean using various unit operations involving soaking, germination, and roasting. Two formulations were standardized with varying combinations of legumes and tested for physical, chemical, and sensory properties. Treatments involving soaking of legumes in 0.2% salt, 0.5% alum, and both salt and alum together were evaluated as per the sensory scores. Physical analysis indicated seed weight and dimensions were higher after soaking and germination due to water absorption, and bulk and true density were lower after roasting. Chemical analysis indicated that nutrient profiles were consistent for all treatments, except for slightly lower moisture (4.48%), but increased protein (22.22 %), fat (2.37%), and similar fiber content (8.01%) in formulation 2 compared to formulation 1. Sensory acceptance was verified to be higher for formulation 2, and accelerated shelf-life testing over 30 days proved good product stability. Such results verify the viability of a healthy, legume-based snack product with longer shelf life and better nutritional value.