Revisiting Indian traditional foods-A critical review of the engineering properties and process operations

Abstract

A closer look at the traditional foods consumed in various parts of India shows their efficacy and wisdom in the intelligent use of resources available in each specific geographical region ranging from coastal to plains to hilly to the desert, and the perfection achieved in processing such foods that suit the palate along with nutritional perspective, safety protocols, and the combination of foods in typical meals that cater to all the physiological needs of the human body. Some of them have been verified by modern science, but many need scientific documentation. Discussing Indian traditional foods from the engineering viewpoint becomes utmost necessary when there has been a significant shift towards convenience foods, and mechanization is the only possible solution to cater to this huge demand. Most of the Indian foods are majorly dough or batter-based systems, where the rheological, thermal and bulk properties directly affect the final quality of the product. In this review, the Indian traditional foods have been revisited, and the role of critical engineering properties of foods has been critically argued, along with a detailed analysis of the heat and mass transfer during several engineering operations. This will pave the way for further research and provide a holistic view of the approaches adopted till-date for engineering aspects of Indian traditional foods.