European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety

The growing demand for nutrient-dense, ready-to-cook food products has driven interest in millet-based fortification of traditional staples. This study focused on developing an instant idli premix enriched with finger millet (Eleusine coracana) to improve nutritional quality without compromising sensory attributes. Six formulations were prepared—five with varying levels of finger millet (30% to 70%) and one control without millet. Among these, the T3 formulation, comprising 50% finger millet, 30% rice, and 20% black gram, demonstrated a superior balance of nutrition and acceptability. T3 recorded significantly higher protein (24.06 g/100 g) and crude fiber (10.12 g/100 g) compared to the control. The moisture content ranged from 7.11% to 8.92%, with T3 showing 8.26%, supporting shelf stability. Fermentation quality was confirmed by pH (4.60) and titratable acidity (0.64%). Functional parameters including water absorption capacity (145.3%), wettability (10.7 g/min), and reconstitution time (41 s) indicated favorable rehydration properties. Sensory evaluation revealed that T3 outperformed the control (T6) in all major parameters: colour and appearance (8.83 vs. 8.70), texture (8.60 vs. 8.43), flavour (8.40 vs. 8.30), taste (8.50 vs. 8.40), and overall acceptability (8.60 vs. 8.40). These findings demonstrate that finger millet fortification at optimized levels can enhance the nutritional profile of instant idli premix while maintaining consumer-preferred sensory characteristics, offering a promising approach to functional food product development.