NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION AND SENSORY PROFILE OF MICROWAVE AND CONVENTIONALLY COOKED VEGETABLES

Vegetables are either consumed in the raw or cooked form. While in the raw state, most of the nutrients are retained, whereas any degree of cooking generally results in partial loss of nutrients and considerable changes in its sensory characteristics. This study is aimed at comparing the effect of different cooking methods namely, conventional (boiling), pressure cooking, and microwave cooking on the nutritional and sensory parameters of selected vegetables. The results confirm that cooking time, or water uptake, was dependent on the type of vegetable rather than the cooking method. Moisture content of ladies finger was significantly decreased (P≤ 0.01) after cooking. Proximate composition and minerals (namely, calcium, iron and phosphorus) did not vary to a significant extent due to different cooking methods. Pressure cooking caused a greater loss in ascorbic acid content of capsicum. Sensory analysis showed that color and appearance were the two attributes which were significantly impacted by varying cooking methods. Capsicum and carrot cooked in microwave oven scored higher for these attributes.