GB2486873A

GB2486873A - Chickpea flakes and method of producing chickpea flakes

Info

Publication number: GB2486873A
Application number: GB1020956.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Aruna Malhotra
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-12-10
Filing date: 2010-12-10
Publication date: 2012-07-04
Also published as: GB201020956D0

Abstract

A food product comprises flakes of legumes or pulses such as chickpeas otherwise known as gram, chana or garbanzo beans. A method of producing the flakes comprises soaking the chick peas for 10-12 hours 4, cooking or heating the chickpeas 6, compressing the chickpeas 8, drying the flattened chickpeas 10 and cooling them 12 to form the final flake. The compression step can be carried out by a mechanical press or a roller; the flakes may be dried in an oven or drum dryer. The chickpea or gram flakes are suitable for use in a breakfast cereal or snack.

Description

Lcgume Fl4s pnd Mçthod of Pmducing th same The present invention relates to Bakes of legume material and a method for producing the s�me, Although the following description relates to white grams, which are also known as kala-chana, black-peas, Bengal grams, chickpeas or Garbanzo beans, it will be appreciated. that the flakes and method for producing the same could be applied to other legumes..

In modern society, there is an increasing prevalence of diseases such as obesity, coeliac disease, gluten intolerance and other allergies wherein diet plays a major role4 This is because.

typically, the type of food the sufferer eats is crucially important to the management of their disease, in addition there is an increasing demand for healthier foods which ate low itt carbohydrate, with a low glycaemic index, and which are high in protein.

One of the most convenient and pleasurable ways to eat such food is. when it is n flake form. Often flakes are combined with milk and eaten as a *breakfast cereal', even if the flakes are not in-fact made from cereal grains. There. is an increasing amount of scientific evidence that individuals who regularly eat breakfast and in particular healthy breakfast foods, are mote alert during the day and lead longer healthier lives.

It is a thecefore an aim of the present Invention, to provide flakes of a legume.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a method of producing flakes of a legume.

It is a yet further aim of the present invention to pso�uce a.

foodstuff which can be eaten as a breakfast cereal and a method for producing the same4 In the first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of pto4ucing a plurality of flakes from legume material, whezein said method includes the steps: -soaking the legume material in a fluid; heating the: soaked legume material; and -compressing the resulting legume materiaL in one embodiment the compressed legume material forms the flake. Typically the legume material is a plutality of pulses.

Preferably the pulses are white grams, hereinafter referred to as grams in one embodiment each gram. pulse is compressed, crusbed and/or otherwise squashed into a flaked Typically each individual pulse substantially forms an individual flake: once compressed.

in one embodiment the method includes the step of drying the soaked gram and/or the flake. TypicalLy the drying step takes place after the grams are soaked and/or after the flakes are forrned In one embodiment the method includes the step of cooling the flakes. Typically the flakes are cooled after drying.

In one embodiment the grams are soaked in waxer or a substantially aqueous based fluid or solution. Further typically the grams are soaked at room temperature (between 1 525 degrees Gels ins).

In one embodiment the grams are soaked for approximately 10- 12 hours. Typically the grams ate soaked until they become softer in texture when compared to grams before they ate soaked. Further typically the grams swell during soaking, thereby increasing in diameter.

In one embodiment the grams are heated above ambient and/or room temperature (between 15-25 degrees Celsius) to cook the same. Typically the grams arC cooked for approximately 4 hours. Further typically the grams are cooked at a relatively low temperatureS Preferably the cooking temperature is appto\lm'ttclY 170 degrccs Fahienheit or 77 dcgrts ( entigrade Tn one embodimenC once the graths have been heated they are cot.npresscd manually and/or by mechanical press.

in one embodiment th.e grams are pressed into a layer. Typically the layer is *of substantially uniform thickness and/or consistency Preferably the layer is of substantially uniform thickness of substantially 2 to 3 millimetres in depth.

In one embodiment the grams are compressed to expel at least a portion of the fluid soaked into the gram.s during the soaking tel).

in one embodiment the layer is brok:en up into flakes.

in one embodiment the flakes are drum dried. drum drying involveS rotating the flakes in a cylindrical drum whilst applying heat to the same.

In one embodiment the flakes are dried relatively slowly at a temperature. above ambient. or room temperature. Typically the flakes are dried at a temperature substantially at or above 100 degrees Celsius, Preferably, the: layer and/pr the flakes are dried in an. ovens Typically the oven is a fan assisted oven. Further typiciliy the flakes are dried or approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

In one embodiment the layer and/ox the flakes axe dried in a microwave oven. Typically the layet and/or flakes are dried for approximately 2 minutes in a. 700-850 Watt oven. Further typically the microwave oven temperature is set to a s.ubstantiafly medium temperature.

In one embodiment the flakes are cooled until their consiStency and/or texture is relatively brittle and/or more brittle than previously4 This consistency and/or texture is also known as, or termed, crispy'.

In a second aspect of the inventIon there is provided a method of producing gram flakes* wherein said method includes the steps of soaking attdfor cooking the raw grams and pressing the same into flakes,.

in a third aspect of the invention there are provided flakes of leguminous material wherein the leguminous m.attriai is white grams Ta. a fQurth aspect of the invention there is provided gram flakes obtainable by. the method of soaking andlor cooking the raw' grams and pressing the same into flakes In a further aspect of the invention there is provided flakes of leguminous material suitable for use as a breakfast cereal wherein the flakes are white gram flakes.

Typically the white gram flakes are provided in a retail pack4 In one embodiment the gram flakes and/or cereal are provided in sealed retail packs. Typically the retail packs ate sealed in an inert atmosphere.

In one embodiment the flakes are coated and/or mixed with fruit before packagingE Typically the fruit is any or any combination of dried fruits., for example berries, rais1ns mango, b.anana sultana.s, raspberries, and/or prunes.

in one embodiment one or more gram flakes ate clustered together. typically the grams are clustered together and formed into bars. Further typically the bars are breakfast cereal type bars.

In one embodiment the bars include fruit and/or dried fruits.

In one embodiment the grams and/or the bars are clustered or attached together using honey and/or caramel and/ct the llker Typically the types of cereals and/or bars formed include fruit and/or nutS.. For example gram-caramel, clusters, gram caramel &. nut clusters, gram and fruit clusters, gram fruit and nut clusters..

Specific embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following figures. wherein: Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the process of producing gram flakes; Figures 2a-2e show a top down views of grams at various stages q:f preparation; and.

Figure 3 shows sample of the grams at various stages of preparation..

There is an increasing demand for healthy foods that are made from natural ingredients. White grams art natural ingredients which have a low glycaemic index and ate high in protein but hitherto have not beet provide.d in flake form.

With tefe tenet to figure 1, which shows the general process 2 for preparing gram flakes, the. first step In production is soaking 4 the grams. The grams are soaked 4 for usually between 1042 hours at room temperature in water. The grams are then slow cooked 6 for approximately four hours to further soften the same.. S).ow cooking in this example is performed. at approximately 1.0 degrecs Fihrenheit or 77 degrees Centigrade.

Slow cooking can be performed in fluid3 such as water, and/or the soaked grams can be roasted or otherwise heated.

The next step Is to then. press the grams 8 Into a substantially uniform layer andfor press the individual cooked grams into a flake shape. Pressing the grams can be done manually using a t roller qr by usiflg a mechanIcal press and/or the like.

If a number of grams ate compressed into a layer they are then sub*sejuently broken up law flakes. Alternatively, if individual cooked grams are pressed into one or more flakes, the flakes are usually thicker when compared to those which have, been pressed into a layer.

If the grams are pressed without soaking and/or cooking the grams form a pulp rather than flakes or layers.. It is difficult, but not impossible, to form the pulp into a. layer, because as the gram pulp will not bind together In addition it is difficult to dry the pulp layer and form the same into flakes.

Pressing the grams.8 usually expels the fluid in which the grams have been soaked 4 and cooked 6 and helps wth the drying process.

After production of the flakes, they are usually dried 10 either by heating the flakes in a rotatIng drum (drum dried) which is typically a cylindrical drum. which rotates about an axis, or. by heating in an oven. Typically the flakes. are dried in a fan assisted oVen, relatively slowly at approximately 100 °C.

Once dried, the figkes are then cooled 12 until they have a crispy texture or are otherwise more brittle that previously The crispy flakes alone are an ideal breakfast cereal or snack as they are relatively healthy and nutritious. The flakes can be combined with any or any combination of fruIts, dried fruits, honey, caramel and/or nuts to produce alternative, snacks and cereals.

In particular the combination with honey and/or the like allows the production of gram flake cereal type bats (not shown), or breakfast bars as they are commonly known.

Figure Ia shows the appearance of the white grams 14 in their raw, unprocessed state. Figure 2b shows the grams 14 after they have been soaked in water. The grams can be soaked in other.

fluids, such as milk, fruit juices and/or the like to give the flakes an alternative flavour or to enhance the same. It can be seen that ihe soaked grams have absorbed some of the fluid and increased in size or diameter. &

Figure Zc show the grams after they have been cooked. In this example the grams have been boiled in water. The cooked grams have become softer than the raw untreated gtatns and some of the outer skin of the gram has come away4 Figure 2d shows the appearance. of the grams after they have been pressed into the form of a flake 16. It can be seen that the outer layer 18 or skin' of the gram is darker in appearance than the lighter inside 20, some o.f which has broken. through the. skin of the gram during compression. The press in this particular F example was a roller, wherein each grtm is pressed into an indIvidual gram flake Figure 2d shows how the individuil.

flakes are substantially uniform in size although the shape of each flake is different.

Figure 2e is a relatively close-up photograph. of three gram flakes. The flakes 16 are approximately uniform in site and.

maximum diameter; however they have different overall shapes.

rue flakes usually have a crIsp texture, an uneven surface with an average thickness of approximately 24 millimetres.. These characteristic ensure the flakes are visually appealing and have a pleasant textute in the mouth when chewed. It is: envisaged that the flakes will provide a healthy and nutritious breakfast cereal type foodstuff,. with an earthy/nutty flavour.

Once formed the flakes are usually cooled until, they are relatively mote brittle than when at higher temperatures. The L flakes are then packaged into a retail pack. The packaging is usually performed under an inert atmosphere 8:0 the flakes remain brittle retain their crunchy' texture and do not become soft.

Finally, figure 3 shows a comparison of the different appearances of the grams during different stages of preparing the flakes The bowl on the top left 26 cantamns the raw grams 14. The bowl 24 in the middl.e of the top line contains the soaked grams, while the bowl on the top right 22 con;ains the cooked grams. which in this example have been cooked. in substantially boiling water. The bowls on the bottom line 28, 30 show examples of the flakes which are obtained by compressing and subsequently drying the same boiled grams which are shown in bowl 26. It can be seen that as the grams are processed the skins of the same become relatively darker in appearance and the size of the grams increases.

Claims

Legume Flakes---Claim..My invention relates to legume flakes and method of producing the same.Although here my invention relates to legume of a particular variety flakes of Bengal -grams also known as Garbanzo beans, Kala-chana or simply grams.it will be appreciated that that the flakes and method for producing the same could be applied to other legumes.1/These days a great emphasis is given on the foods which have high roughage and have low glycaemic index but all the same have high nutrition value.Bengal grams meet this description and when made into flakes or breakfast bars they make an ideal breakfast cereal.2/Gram-flakes are particularly suitable for people who suffer from obesity, glucose intolerance or gluten intolerance or people who wish to have foods with lower amount of carbohydrates and higher amount of proteins.

0 3/There is increasing amount of scientific evidence that individuals who regularly eat breakfast particularly healthy breakfast are more alert and active during the day and are less likely to gain extra weight.

It is the aim of my invention to provide to provide flakes of legume particularly of Bengal-grams.

4/Typically grams are soaked at room temperature.In one embodiment grams are soaked for 10-12 hours until they absorb fluid become softer and are fully turgid.

5/In one embodiment grams are cooked on low heat [170 degrees Farenheit or 77degrees Centigrade] for about 4 hours.

6/In one embodiment grams when softened are compressed manually or by a mechanical press so that each individual gram takes a flake like structure.

7/ In one embodiment flakes are drum-dried slowly at a temperature just above the room temperature.

8/Flakes can also be dried in a microwave oven.

9/In one embodiment flakes are cooled until their texture becomes brittle i.e. crisp.

10/In one embodiment grams are provided in sealed retail packs. Retail packs are sealed in an inert atmosphere.

11/In one embodiment flakes are coated and/or mixed with dried fruit.Typically the fruit is any or of any combination, for example berries, mango, banana, raisins, sultanas, prunes.

12/In one embodiment one or more gram flakes are clustered together and formed into bars. Typically bars are breakfast cereal type bars.

13/In one embodiment the bars include fruit and/or dried fruit.

In one embodiment grams -flakes and/or bars are clustered or attached together using honey and/or caramel.o 14/In one embodiment gram-flake clusters/bars are attached together with nuts and honey /or caramel.

15/Typically the types of cereals and bars formed include fruit and/or nuts.

16/On the whole I claim that Gram-flakes provide an ideal, nutritious and pleasurable cereal for breakfast.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Gram-Flakes and Method of Production-ClaimEamended claim] My invention here relates to flakes of Bengal Grams also known as kala chana' in Hindi. It will be appreciated that the same method can be used to produce flakes of other legumes.Claim 1/ A plurality of Gram-fakes per serving of about 50 grams will make a nutritious and healthy breakfast cereal which will be rich in fibre, carbohydrates, proteins, mineral and vitamins.Claim2/ A plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about SO grams provides about 70 kilo-calories of energy.C(aim3/ According to claimi a plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about SOgrams contain 14 grams of fibre of which 11.5 grams is insoluble fibre and 1.7 grams is soluble fibre.Claim 4/ According to claim 1 and claim3a plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about 50 grams contain 14 grams of fibre which will be meet three fourth of daily fibre requirement of an average adult.Claims/According to claims 3 and 4 a plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about 50 grams give a prolonged postprandial satiety.Claim6/ According to claim 1 a plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about 50 gram contains 18.6 grams of carbohydrate which is 60 percent non-digestible and 40 percent digestible starch.Claim 7/ according to claim 6/ carbohydrate s of gram-flakes get absorbed very slowly giving this grain lowest glycaemic index of all the cereals.ClaimS/, According to claim 6 and claim 7 a plurality of gram-flakes are a suitable breakfast cereal for people who have Diabetes and for those who wish to lose weight.* **. a ClaimS/ Type of starch present in gram-flakes is gluten free making the flakes of grams a suitable cereal for people with Coeliac disease.CIaim-10/ According to claim 1 a plurality of gram flakes per serving of about 50 grams have about 8.1 grams of protein. *� S * IS * ISGram-Flakes and Method of Production-Claim[amended claimi Claim 11/ A plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about 50 grams has 1.5 gram of fat which comprises mainly of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.Claiml2/ A plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about 50 grams contain no saturated fats.Claim 13/According to claim I a plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about grams containlO0.2mg of calcium, 80.4mg of potassium,
2.3 mg of iron, and
3.4mg of zinc plus traces of Manganese and selenium.Claim 14/ According to claim 1 a plurality of gram-flakes per serving of about grams also contain 4mg of vitamin-C and other vitamins like Vit B-Complex, and fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and vitamin K plus other micronutrients.Claim 15/ Plurality of gram-flakes when mixed with any dry fruit to enhance its taste will have its nutritional value and glycaemic index per serving modified according to the nature and quantity of dry fruit it is mixed with.Claim 16/According to claim 15 a plurality of gram-flakes when mixed with dried fruit and/or honey will have its nutritional value and g)ycaemic index modified according to the substance/substances added.Claiml7/ According to claim 15 and claimIG a plurality of gram4lakes when mixed with honey or/and dried fruit to make clusters and crunchy bars will have its nutritional value and glycaemic index changed depending on the nature and the quantity of substance/substances added. S. * * ** * 0.*0* IS. * S * 5* *5 0 S.. SS* S Ut ISI S S. S * 55 * *5