Student creates ‘nutrition packed’ quinoa upma mixes

LUCKNOW: City girl Shaivya Mishra has prepared quinoa upma mixes that according to her enhance and enrich the nutritional and sensory quality of the normal rawa upma.

Shaivya, an M Sc student in home sciences at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, said, “Recent studies conducted on quinoa have shown that it contains a high content of magnesium, which helps to ensure good cardiovascular circulation and reduces chances of migraines.”

Quinoa is a rich source of a wide range of minerals, vitamins, natural antioxidants and high quality protein. Its leaves contain fibre (1.95%), nitrates (0.4%), vitamin E and vitamin C, said Shaivya.

Furthermore, quinoa helps the body create and maintain new muscle fibre and its regular consumption prevents muscular cramps. It’s also regarded as a grain that is high in protein content with many essential amino acids, is free of gluten and offers twice the fibre of oatmeal.

Speaking to HT, Shaivya shared, “The basic ingredients used in making quinoa upma mixes are quinoa (500 gm), dalia (175 gm), chana dal (75 gm), onion (2 large), carrot (250 gm), green peas (200 gm), green pepper (50 gm), curry leaves as desired, mustard seeds (30 gm), cumin (30 gm), spices as desired and salt to taste.”

She added, “All the raw ingredients are sun-dried for two days. Then, they are roasted in half-a-teaspoon of vegetable oil and spices and salt are added. This mix is allowed to cool and is stored in air-tight containers. During packaging, citric acid is used as preservative.”

The product was created under the supervision and guidance of Prof Sunita Mishra, dean and head, school of home sciences. “This is the time to provide better food processing and marketing infrastructure for Indian industries to serve good quality and safe processed food like ready-to-eat and food,” said Prof Mishra.

Shaivya added that due to rapid urbanisation, industrialisation and consequent changes in eating habits of people, instant dry mixes and readyto-eat convenience foods have become sought after. “Dry mixes of several traditional Indian foods such as idli, vada, kheer, etc have gained widespread popularity. Most of these products are made using wheat and rice. So, I felt that there was a need for more varieties to be developed,” she said.

“The year 2013 has been declared as the international year of the quinoa (IYQ) by the United Nations. This crop is a natural food resource with high nutritive value,” shared Shaivya, who is planning to patent the product soon.