WO2022043758A1

WO2022043758A1 - Method and machine for preparing quick cooking cereals and pulses

Info

Publication number: WO2022043758A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/022209
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sivakumar DURAIRAJAN
Original assignee: Vasco Trading Dmcc
Priority date: 2020-08-22
Filing date: 2021-08-19
Publication date: 2022-03-03

Abstract

An apparatus and method for manufacture of quick cooking cereals wherein, by altering various parameters from soaking, cooking by open boiling, sparging with cold water; drying the cereals and pulses through a FSD and LSU dryers; additionally using Tunnel dryers if need be; the end products ready for rehydration prior to consumption; resulting in lower quantities (5%-7%) (from 20g to 100g) of quick cooking Cereals/Pulses being used; leading to a drastic lowered quick cereal and pulses consumption in comparison to the same dishes being prepared using raw cereals or pulses available from the market; resulting in a lowered cooking time and lower energy costs.

Description

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR PREPARING QUICK COOKING CEREALS AND PULSES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The invention relates to a cost-effective process and apparatus for processing of quick cooking cereals and pulses once harvested, and processing the same for storage, repacking and resale, either as cereals and pulses or as pre-cooked meals such as pilaf, dais, baby food, soups etc.

PRIOR ART:

There are 4 broad types of established methods for preparation of Quick Cooking” Cereals/Pulses which are as follows:

1. Cooking and Freeze drying

2. Cooking and Vacuum drying

3. Cooking and Extrusion

4. Cooking and Conventional drying

However, the aforesaid four methods of preparation of Quick Cooking Cereals/Pulses suffer from certain inherent drawbacks:

- The cost of manufacturing and cost of machinery of the first method is very expensive and the end product almost always does not have desired texture and profile. Further, the process can only be implemented for select Cereals and to a great extent is not applicable for pulses; - The cost of production using the second method is also high and the process has scalability issues;

- The third method requires complete physical restructuring of the cereals and pulses which results in undesired organoleptic properties; and

- The fourth method can be done only in a batch process and therefore, the cooking time vis-a-vis the end product is high, when regular cereals/ pulses are used.

In addition to the foregoing, all the aforesaid methods are associated with high machinery cost, high operations cost and scalability issues. Due to the high operations cost, the price of the finished end product (cereals/pulses) is approximately twice the cost or more as compared to cost of regular cereals/pulses.

The present invention aims at overcoming the constraints faced by the existing methods, by disclosing a commercial machine which:

• Is used to process all types of cereals including rice;

• Is used to process all types of pulses, which is not done on a commercial scale in a continuous process as on date;

• Has lower processing cost;

• Is scalable;

• Has lower machine cost; and

• Can Processes wide range of cereals/pulses with desirable organoleptic properties.

The present invention is used for manufacturing various types of Quick Cooking global dishes, including but not limited to Risot to rice dish, Sticky rice, Pilaf rice, various lentil-based dips, Jollof rice dish ( Nigerian Spiced rice), Baby foods, Lentil soups; all of which needs minimal cooking.

The present invention can be used for manufacturing Quick Cooking Cereals and Pulses in its native form and Seasoned Quick Cooking Cereals and Pulses with spices, added flavors and condiments.

Quick Cooking Seasoned Cereals and Pulses that can be manufactured by present invention include but not limited to Biryani (Dish) flavored rice, NasiGoreng (Dish) rice mix, Seasoned Bulgur (Processed wheat based cereal), Jambalaya (Dish) rice mix,

(Dish) premix, Chili con came (Dish) premix, Falafel (Dish) Premix etc.,

Because of the reduced cooking time, the cost of cooking the cereals/pulses for the end-consumer is lower, since lower energy will be consumed during the final cooking process. Therefore, this is of great benefit in reducing time and energy for final preparation of the dish.

Further, the easy availability of such quick- cooking cereals/pulses means that the global population gets to enjoy their local cuisine in a cost-effective manner, globally.

In the present invention moisture content of the Quick Cooking Cereals and Pulses is always less than the regular dried Cereals and Pulses. This reduction in Moisture content as disclosed in Table 2 helps in extending the shelf-life of the product. On average the shelf life of Quick Cooking Cereals and Pulses will be 10%-20% more than regular dried cereals and pulses, depending on storage conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 describes the process and the apparatus for the manufacture of quick cooking cereals and pulses comprising:

1- Intake hopper (1)

2- Pneumatic gate (2)

3- Bucket elevator (3)

4- Zero speed monitor (4)

5- Storage bin (5)

6- High level sensor (6)

7- Low level sensor (7)

8- Manual gate (8)

9- Screw conveyor (9)

10- Overflow limit switch (10)

11- Batch bin (11)

12- Pneumatic divertors (12)

13- Washing, weighing, soaking and cooking tanks (13)

14- Temperature monitor system (14)

15- Impeller (15)

16- Hot water inlet (16)

17- Cold water inlet (17)

18- Seasoning ingredient input (18)

19- Discharge valves (19)

20- Vibro discharger (20)

21- Belt conveyor (21)

22- Overflow limit switch (22) 23- Z-conveyor (23)

24- Fluid bed dryer (24)

25- LSU batch dryer (25)

26- Large Storage Bin (26)

27- Small storage bin (27)

28- Bagging and packing machine (28)

29- Hot Water tank (29)

30- Cold water tank (30)

31- Compressor (31)

32- Control panel (32)

33- Water pump (33)

34- Boiler and accessories (34)

Figure 2 describes the process and apparatus for the preparing the quick cooked cereals and pulses in cake form comprising:

35- screw conveyor (35)

36- Manual gate (36)

37- Pneumatic gate (37)

38- Elevator (38)

39- Water dosing (39)

40- Blending machine (40)

41 - Hot water inlet (41)

42- Powder inlet (42)

43- Buffer bin (43)

44- Vibro discharger (44)

45- cake formation machine (45) 46- Belt conveyor (46)

47- Tunnel dryer (47)

48- Wrapping machine (48)

49- Compressor (49)

50- Control panel (50)

51- Water pump (51)

Figure 3 represents a single unit in the rice cake making process and apparatus as described in Figure 2.

Flow Chart 1 describes a process flow for production of instant rice.

Flow Chart 2 describes the process flow for reconstitution of dried rice. Flow Chart 3 describes the hot water circuit for cooking of Cereals and Pulses in the preparation of quick cooking cereals and pulses and other preparations made from them.

Table 1 shared details about cooking characteristics of Quick cooking cereals and pulses.

Table 2 Compares moisture content between regular cereals and pulses and “Quick cooking cereals and pulses. Quick cooking cereals and pulses have lower moisture content compared to regular cereals and pulses.

Table 3 refers to RPM range of impellers inside cooking vessels for different products

Table 4 refers to Cooking time range for different products.

Table 5 refers to Temperature range for different products. Table 6 refers to the gel consistency for various products consistency test method according to Cagampang et al (1973).

Table 7 refers to cold water temperature and time of sparging for various products.

Table 8 refers to air velocity, drying temperature, bed height, feed rate in Fluidized bed dryer FSD for various products.

Table 9 refers to air velocity, drying temperature, feed rate in LSU dryer for various products.

Table 10 refers to air velocity and drying temperature in Tunnel dryer for various products.

Table 11 to 15 refers to various rehydration recipes for various products.

Table 16 refers to quick cooking dish process for various products such as Joll of rice, Risotto, Biryani, Seasoned Yellow lentils, Pilaf, seasoned couscous, where in the major ingredients, the seasonings added in percentage, the impeller speed, the cooking time in minutes, the cooking temperature in °C, total dying time in minutes are disclosed for each product.

Table 17 describes yield study table for different types of rice giving the parameters such as input rice in percentages, the output rice after quick cooking processing in percentage and the yield in percentage.

Table 18: Yield study table pulses split, whole, polished and unpolished giving the parameters such as input rice in percentages, the output rice after quick cooking processing in percentage and the yield in percentage. Table 19: Total water consumption for processing ( Washing, Soaking, Cooking) of input material in kgs and total water consumed in litres for various products the input mater being around 10 kgs whereas the water consumption being between 50 to 70 L.

Table 20 describes the total effluent water output after processing (washing, soaking, cooking) for various products the input material in kgs being 10 and the total effluent water being in the range of 15-40 L. Table 21 describes the average reduction in volume of the product after "quick cooking process”, wherein the decrease in volume in percentage is from 3 to 7% for various products.

Table 22: Total water waste as steam during LSU drying, where the input material of 10 kg (being various products such as rice, semolina, lentils, couscous, pulses and minor millets ) consumes water between 50 to 70 L, the total loss as vapour during LSU being 14 to 18 L.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 represents a process and apparatus for manufacturing quick cooking pulses and cereals as disclosed in the present invention comprising an intake hopper (1) through which cereals/pulses are inputted, and such cereals/pulses are then sent to the storage bin (5) using a pneumatic gate (2), bucket elevator (3) and a zero speed monitor (4). The storage bin (5) is fitted with a sensor to determine when it is full and when it is getting empty by means of a high-level sensor (6) and a low-level sensor (7). The cereals/pulses are then dispatched using another bucket elevator (3) onto a screw conveyor (9), which then dispatches smaller amounts of the cereals/pulses to separate batch bins (11) through a manual gate (8) coupled with a pneumatic gate (2). A measured portion of the cereals/pulses is then transferred to the tanks (13) using pneumatic divertors (12) and the cereals/pulses are washed, soaked and cooked in the tanks (13).The tanks (13) are fitted with impellers (15) which rotate during the cooking stage of the process. The tanks (13) are further fitted with a temperature monitoring system (14) to ensure optimum temperature (Depending on various products) is maintained in the tanks (13).Hot water is generated by pumping cold water stored in the cold water tank (29) using a water pump (33) into a boiler (34). The heating of the water in the boiler (34) is controlled by a temperature-controlled PLC unit (14), and the heated water is then stored in hot water tanks (30). The hot water (Varied temperature according to various products) is then supplied to the tank (13) through the hot water inlet (16)and cold water is supplied through the cold water inlet (17).The temperature in the tank (13) is maintained by sparging steam into the water that is being used for soaking and cooking the pulses/cereals. In the event of manufacturing quick cooking dishes such as Biriyani, bisibele bath, etc. which require flavor to be added to the cereals/pulses in addition to cooking them, such flavour shall be added to the tank (13) in the form of a seasoning through the seasoning ingredient input (18) at the stage of soaking or cooking, as the case may be. The cooked cereals/pulses are then dispatched for drying through discharge valves (19) connected to a vibro discharger (20), which in turn is connected to a belt conveyor (21). The belt conveyor (21)dispatches the cereals/pulses to a Z conveyor (23), wherefrom the cereals/pulses are transferred to one or more fluid bed dryers (24) to commence the drying process. An overflow limit switch (22) is connected to the Z- conveyor (23) to ensure that excess cereals/pulses are not fed into the fluid bed dryer (24). After the fluid bed drying process, the cereals/pulses are fed into one or more LSU batch dryers (25) using another Z belt conveyor (23), which is also fitted with an overflow limit switch (22). The cereals/pulses, using pneumatic divertors (12), are then fed into a bucket elevator (3) which transfers the contents onto a belt conveyor (21), which then transfers the dried cereals/pulses to a large storage bin (26) using another set of pneumatic divertors (12). From the large storage bin (26), smaller amounts of cereals/pulses are sent to a small storage bin (27) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12). The stored pulses are then transferred to a bagging and packing machine (28) or can be further processed in cake form and wrapped using the process and apparatus as described in Figure 2.

Figure 2 describes the process and apparatus for processing the quick- cooked pulses and cereals in cake form as disclosed in the present invention. In terms of Figure 2, the dried cereals/pulses stored in the small storage bin (27) are transferred using a screw conveyor (35)to a bucket elevator (38) controlled by a pneumatic gate (37), which elevator (38) in turn feeds the cereals/pulses into one or more blending machines (40). A water doser (39) is connected to each blending machine (40), which infuses the desired amount of water to blend the cereal/pulses. Hot water, is introduced into the blending machines (40) through the hot water inlet (41), and corn starch powder is introduced through the powder inlet (42). The blended cereal/pulses are then transferred using a screw conveyor (35), and fed into multiple buffer bins (43) using a manual gate (36) and a pneumatic gate (37). From the buffer bin (43), the cereals/pulses are then dispatched to one or more cake formation machines (45) through a pneumatic gate (37) coupled with a vibro discharger (44). Once the cereals/pulses are made into cake form in the machine (45), the cakes are sent using a belt conveyor (46) to one or more tunnel dryers (47). After drying is complete, the cakes are sent to one or more packaging/wrapping machines (48) for packaging/wrapping.

Flow Chart 1: describes a process flow for the production of instant rice, the process for cooking, drying and packing the dried cereals/pulses as per the present invention, taking rice as an example. The entire process described hereinabove is illustrated with respect to the preparation of quick cooking rice. The weight of sample at each stage is noted to calculate the effective rehydration.

Flow Chart 2: describes the process flow for reconstitution of dried rice, the process for re-hydrating and reconstituting the dried and pre- cooked cereals/pulses taking rice as an example, in order to make it ready for consumption. Approximately 20 grams of rice is taken and the desired quantity of water is added based on the variety, and this mixture is cooked for 5-8 minutes and the rice is then ready to be served. As can be seen, the quantity of water as well as the cooking time required for the rice is much lower compared to regular rice.

Flow Chart 3: describes the hot water circuit for cooking of Cereals and Pulses in the preparation of quick cooking cereals and pulses and other preparations made from them. It describes the dispensation of PLC controlled water from the Boiler for cooking, wherein water at the ambient temperature is heated in the boiler controlled by a PLC controller, to a temperature of 60-100°C, and is then fed into the cooking tank. At the same time, steam from the boiler is also fed into the cooking tank in order to maintain the temperature of the water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus and method of preparing quick cooking cereals and pulses wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of cereals, pulses, lentils, millets, spices, additive flavors as disclosed in tables 1 to 22. The apparatus consists of an intake hopper (1) for inputting cereals/pulses from a storage bin (5) using a pneumatic gate (2), bucket elevator(3) and a zero speed monitor (4); the storage bin (5) being fitted with a level sensors (6) and (7); a high-level sensor (6) and a low-level sensor (7); the cereals/pulses being dispatched using another bucket elevator (3) onto a screw conveyor (9); the screw conveyor (9) in turn dispatching smaller amounts of the cereals/pulses to separate batch bins (11) through a manual gate (8) coupled with a pneumatic gate (2); a measured portion of the cereals/pulses being transferred to the tanks (13) using pneumatic divertors (12) for washing, soaking and cooking the cereals/pulses; the tanks (13) fitted with impellers (15) which rotate during the cooking stage of the process and a temperature monitoring system (14) to ensure temperature control between 60°C and 95 °C; generating hot water by pumping cold water stored in the cold water tank (29) using a water pump (33) into a boiler (34); the water being heated being controlled by a temperature-controlled PLC unit (14); the hot water being stored in hot water tanks (30); supplying hot water to the tank (13) through the hot water inlet (16)and cold water through the cold water inlet (17); maintaining the temperature in the tank (13) by sparging steam into the water that is being used for soaking and cooking the pulses/cereals; adding additional flavoring in the form of seasoning to the cereals/pulses in addition to cooking them, through the seasoning ingredient input (18) at the stage of soaking or cooking, as the case may be; the cooked cereals/pulses dispatched for drying through discharge valves (19) connected to a vibro discharger (20), the said vibro discharger (20) being connected to a belt conveyor (21); the belt conveyor (21) dispatching the cereals/pulses to a Z conveyor (23); transferring the cereals/pulses to one or more fluid bed dryers (24) for drying; an overflow limit switch (22) connected to the Z- conveyor (23) ensuring no excess cereals/pulses now being fed are fed into the fluid bed dryer (24); the dried cereals/pulses being further fed into one or more LSU batch dryers (25) using another Z belt conveyor (23) fitted with an overflow limit switch (22); pneumatic divertors (12) feeding the dried cereals/pulses into a bucket elevator (3); the said bucket elevator transferring the contents onto a belt conveyor (21); the belt conveyor (21) transferring the same to a large storage bin (26) using another set of pneumatic divertors (12); smaller amounts of cereals/pulses being sent to a small storage bin (27) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12); the stored pulses being transferred to a bagging and packing machine (28); alternatively the stored pulses being further processed in cake form, the dried cereals/pulses stored in the small storage bin (27) being transferred using a screw conveyor (35)to a bucket elevator (38) controlled by a pneumatic gate (37); elevator (38) feeding the cereals/pulses into one or more blending machines (40); a water doser (39) connected to each blending machine (40) infusing water to blend the cereal/pulses; hot water introduced into the blending machines (40) through the hot water inlet (41); com starch powder introduced through the powder inlet (42); the blended cereal/pulses transferred using a screw conveyor (35), and fed into multiple buffer bins (43) using a manual gate (36) and a pneumatic gate (37); the cereals/pulses from the buffer bins (43) dispatched to one or more cake formation machines (45) through a pneumatic gate (37) coupled with a vibro discharger (44); the cereals/pulses made into cake form in the machine (45), the cakes sent using a belt conveyor (46) to one or more tunnel dryers (47); once drying is complete, the cakes sent to one or more packing machines (48) for packing; the packaged products ready for rehydration for final consumption as disclosed in tables 11 to 15. The process under the present invention is described in Flow Chart 1 wherein the production of instant quick cooking cereals, pulses, lentils, millets being the raw material, is soaked in thrice the amount of water for half an hour; the said raw material being cooked in open boiling for 30 to 45 minutes at 80°C; the cooked raw material being washed with cold water between 25 °C and 35 °C for 10 minutes; the cold water washed raw material being subjected to two stages of drying; the first stage being FSD drying at 65°C for 5 minutes; the second stage being LSU drying at 65°C for being 4 to 5 hours; the dried quick cooked cereal, pulses, lentils, millets, then being sent to packaging or caking; the quick cooking cereals and pulses ready for rehydration and consumption.

The detailed method of manufacture of quick cooking cereals is set out herein below wherein the manufacturing of quick cooking pulses and cereals consists of i. placing cereals/ pulses in the soaking/cooking tank (13), pumping cold water in through the cold water inlet (17) (in the ratio of 3 or more times the volume of cereals/ pulses); soaking the cereals for a period of 30 minutes; soaking pulses for a period ranging from 1 to 2 hours; the soaked water then discharged from the tank (13), removing excess starch dust; ii. initiating the cooking process in tank (13) by pumping hot water from a boiler (34) whose temperature is controlled by a PLC (14); the hot water circulation circuit further comprising of a boiler of required capacity, insulated piping and PLC controlled temperature regulators (14); generating hot water by pumping cold water stored in the cold water tank (29) using a water pump (33) into a boiler (34); the heating of the water in the boiler (34) being controlled by a temperature- controlled PLC unit (14); the heated water being stored in hot water tanks (30); supplying the hot water to tank (13) through the hot water inlet (16); the temperature of the hot water maintained by sparging steam; the sparging steam injected into the hot water just to maintain temperature of hot water between 60°C to 100°C; the cooking vessels/tanks(13) provided with impellers (15) rotating at 3-15 RPM (Table 3); maintaining uniform temperature throughout the tank (13), ensuring uniform cooking time for all the cereals/ pulses inside the tank (13); cooking time for cereals/ pulses being 30-90 minutes (Table 4); the cooking temperatures being between 60°C to 80°C(Table 5); the lower cooking temperatures resulting in “Quick Cooking” cereals/ pulses having no change in organoleptic properties when compared to regular cereals and pulses; the cereals/pulses achieving a gel consistency between 26mm to 100mm (Table 6); iii. stopping the heat cycle and sparging cold water through cold water inlet (17) between 25°C to 35°C for a period of 20 to 45 minutes into the tank (13) (Table 7); reducing the temperature of cereals/ pulses down to the ambient temperature; the cold water sparging removing any additional excess/loose starch; ensuring the grains in the final product (cereals/ pulses) do not stick to each other, having a texture similar to regular, cooked cereals/ pulses; iv. dispatching the cooked cereals/pulses for drying through discharge valves (19) connected to a vibro discharger (20), which in turn connects to a belt conveyor (21); the drying happening in two stages: a. removing free moisture without physically damaging the cereals/ pulses by drying the rice/cereals in Fluidized bed dryers (FSD) (24); reducing moisture to a range between 10% -25%; the air velocity being 1.2 to 2.2 m/s, the drying temperature between 40°C to 70°C; the bed height being 0.100m to 0.120m, the feed rate in ton/hr being between 1-2 (Table 8); b. the surface moisture removed dried cereals/ pulses being fed into one or more LSU batch dryers (25) using another Z belt conveyor (23); the LSU batch dryers (25) further removing 65% -80% of moisture from the Cereals and Pulses and achieving an average moisture content in percentage Dry basis being between 11 and 12; the Air Velocity between 1-1.05m/s, the Drying temperature between 55°C to 75°C, Feed rate between 0.8 to 1.15 ton/hr; the average drying time in the LSU dryer (25) for cereals varying from 3 to 8 hours, and for pulses from 3 to 10 hours (Table 9); v. transferring the dried cereals/pulses with 10%- 12% moisture content using a belt conveyor (21) and pneumatic divertors (12) to the large storage bin (26) containing air vents; storing the cereals/pulses till the temperature of the cereals/ pulses reaches the ambient temperature by natural conduction; smaller amounts of cereals/pulses sent from the large storage bin (26) to a small storage bin (27) using the transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12); transferring the stored cereals/ pulses to a bagging and packing machine (28) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12); vi. Alternatively after step (iv) transferring the dried cereals/pulses for further processing using a screw conveyor (35) to a bucket elevator (38) feeding the cereals/pulses into a blending machine (40); adding hot water into the blending machines (40) through the hot water inlet (41), adding com paste through the powder inlet (42), the com paste obtained by dissolving 4 kgs com starch in 200 kgs water and cooking the same in low heat, between 75°C to 90°C, till the paste becomes translucent; the com paste being added to the dried cereals/pulses in the ratio of 1:10 into the blending machine (40) for 7 to 12 minutes; feeding the blended cereal/pulses into multiple buffer bins (43); dispatching the same to the cake formation or molding machine (45); vii. the molded cereals/ pulses sent using a belt conveyor (46) to one or more conventional tunnel dryers (47); the temperature in the tunnel dryer (47) being between 60°C to 75°C, airflow velocity between 2.0 to 2.2 m/s (Table 10); viii. the dried cakes sent to one or more wrapping machines (48) through a belt conveyor (46); ix. the number of LSU dryers (25) being in multiples of the batch capacity of the Initial storage tank (5), ensuring a continuous process wherein soaking and cooking of another cycle begins before drying of one cooked cycle ends; ensuring that the process is continuous and the output being maximum in least amount of time.

The present invention seeks to manufacture of quick cooking cereals by altering various parameters from soaking, cooking, drying the cereals and pulses; resulting in lower quantities (5%-7%) (from 20g to 100g) of Cereals/Pulses being used for the final product (Dish) vis-a- vis raw products used directly in such preparations; rehydration varying from 2.5 to 3.5 times i.e. 150 ml to 280 ml of water added to the quick cooking cereals/pulses; leading to a drastic lowered quick cooking cereals and pulses consumption in comparison to the same dishes being prepared using raw cereals or pulses available from the market; resulting in a lowered cooking time between 2 to 30 minutes as against 30 minutes to 90 minutes; at temperatures ranging from 80°C to 100°C (Tables 11 to 15); Table 16 referring to cooked products, the rehydration being 2 to 2.5%; the cooking time between 5 to 8 minutes; to constitute the end products as disclosed in Table 16; resulting in lower quantity of raw material consumption due to higher hydration; lower cooking time and lower energy costs and also covers dishes wherein the stickiness is retained by doing away with the step of cold water sparging, to prevent any loss of starch during washing; ensuring that the end product produces desired amount of gumminess during rehydration process. This invention also seeks to manufacture dishes such as Joll of rice, Risotto, Biryani, Seasoned Yellow lentil, Pilaf, Seasoned Couscous, along with added flavors as disclosed in Table 16. One of the key factors of the said invention is the reduction of moisture content between 1% to 3% more as compared to regular dried Cereals and Pulses as specified in Table 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes an apparatus and a process to manufacture Quick Cooking the application being different in Figure 1 & 2 comprising of Cooking cereals and pulses, process of which consists of four unit operations in following steps:(i) washing;(ii) soaking;(iii) cooking; and (iv) multi-stage drying. The cereals/ pulses are transferred from a holding area, and are fed into the intake hopper

(I), which transfers the cereals/pulses to the storage bin (5) using the bucket elevator (3). The storage bin (5) contains the level sensor (6 and 7) to monitor the quantity of cereals/pulses stored in the storage bin (5). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the storage bin (5) is made of Stainless Steel (SS) and its capacity is 5000 kg.

From the storage bin (5), the cereals/pulses are dispatched using another bucket elevator (3) onto a screw conveyor (9), which then dispatches smaller amounts of the cereals/pulses to separate batch bins

(I I). The required amount of cereals/ pulses is weighed and such measured portion of the cereals/pulses is then transferred to the cooking tanks (13) using pneumatic divertors (12) and the cereals/pulses are washed, soaked and cooked in the tank (13). The tank (13) is further fitted with a temperature monitoring system (14) to ensure optimum temperature (depending on the products) is maintained in the tank (13).

Soaking and cooking is completed in the same tanks (13). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooking vessel is made of stainless steel, and has a maximum capacity of 250 kgs. Once the required quantity of cereals/ pulses is placed in the soaking/cooking tank (13), cold water is pumped in through the cold water inlet (17) (usually in the ratio of 3 or more times the volume of cereals/ pulses) and the cereals/ pulses are soaked for a period ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the cereals/ pulses. Usually, for cereals the soaking time is 30 minutes whereas the soaking time for pulses is 1 -2 hrs. After Soaking, the soaked water is discharged from the tank (13). This is done to ensure that excess starch dust is removed from the cereals/ pulses, which if present would increase the gumminess of such cereal during the cooking process.

The cooking process is then initiated in tank (13) by pumping hot water from a boiler (34) whose temperature is controlled by a PLC (14). The hot water circulation circuit consists of a boiler of required capacity, insulated piping and PLC controlled temperature regulators (14). Hot water is generated by pumping cold water stored in the cold water tank (29) using a water pump (33) into a boiler (34). The heating of the water in the boiler (34) is controlled by a temperature-controlled PLC unit (14), and the heated water is then stored in hot water tanks (30). The hot water is then supplied to the tank (13) through the hot water inlet (16), the heating of the water and its circulation circuit as described in Flow chart 3. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cold water tank (29) and the hot water tank (30) are made of Stainless Steel (SS) and its capacity is 10,000 litres each.

The temperature of the hot water is maintained by sparging steam. However, it is relevant to note that cooking in the tank (13) is only through hot water. The sparging steam is injected into the hot water just to maintain temperature varies between product to product. Direct steam is not used for cooking the rice and/or maintaining continuous PLC controlled hot water supply. The cooking vessels/tanks(13) are further provided with impellers (15) which rotate at a very low RPM (preferably, 3-15 RPM) during the cooking stage of the process. The impellers (15) which rotate at low RPM in the tank (13), more fully described in Table 3 setting out the Impeller RPM range for different cereals/pulses, maintains uniform temperature throughout the tank (13) which ensures uniform cooking time for all the cereals/ pulses inside the tank (13). The usual cooking time for cereals is between 30-45 minutes whereas the cooking time for pulses is 30-90 minutes. Table 4 discloses the cooking time range for different products.

In the event of manufacturing quick cooking dishes such as Biryani, Bisibelle bath, etc. which require flavor to be added to the cereals/pulses in addition to cooking them, such flavor shall be added to the tank (13) in the form of a seasoning through the seasoning ingredient input (18) at the stage of soaking or cooking, as the case may be. It is relevant to note that as opposed to the traditional mode of preparation of these dishes using an assortment of spices which require longer time for cooking and for the cereals/pulses to absorb flavor, the present invention uses a seasoning which can be cooked along with the cereals/pulses in a quicker manner. The quantum of seasoning to be added for various dishes along with the cooking time and temperature is set out in Table 16. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cooking temperature is maintained between 60 °C- 100°C. Table 5 discloses Temperature ranges for different cereals/pulses the products being cooked at temperatures between 60 to 100°C. The lower cooking temperatures ensure that the cooking does not result in “Maillard Reaction” or “Non -Enzymatic Browning”. It is known that non-enzymatic browning occurs regularly in all types of cereals and pulses cooking process because of the presence of Reducing Sugars and Amino acids in the cereals and Pulses, the effect starts at temperatures above 30°C in rice and increases rapidly after 140°C. Heat is the catalyst for the reaction, and this reaction drastically affects the color of the rice, as longer cooking time will also increase browning of rice. The lower cooking temperatures also results in “Quick Cooking” cereals/ pulses which do not have any appreciable change in organoleptic properties when compared to regular cereals and pulses.

After the desired consistency is achieved as measured by the Gel consistency test method according to Cagampang et al (1973) (Table 6- Gel consistency for various products) wherein the Gel consistency is between 26 and 100 mm, the heat cycle is stopped and cold water (temperature varying from 20 to 35 °C as detailed in Table 7) is sparged inside the tank (13) through the cold water inlet (17) for a specified time period to bring the temperature of cereals/ pulses down to the ambient temperature. The cold water sparging also removes any additional excess/loose starch, which ensures that the grains in the final product (cereals/ pulses) when cooked do not stick to each other and have a texture which is similar to regular, cooked cereals/ pulses.

In yet another preferred embodiment of present invention for making “Sticky rice”, the cold water sparging step is completely removed so as to prevent any loss of starch during washing. This ensures that the “Quick Cooking” Sticky rice produces desired amount of gumminess during rehydration process.

The cooked cereals/pulses are then dispatched for drying through discharge valves (19) connected to a vibro discharger (20), which in turn is connected to a belt conveyor (21). Drying of the cereals/ pulses happens in two stages. The first stage of drying removes free moisture without physically damaging the cereals/ pulses by drying the rice/cereals in Fluidized bed dryers (FSD: 24) where moisture content is reduced, preferably to a range between 10%-25%. The air velocity in the FSD (24) varies depending on the type of cereals/ pulses being dried. Table 8 sets out the parameters for different products such as Air Velocity raging between 1.2 to 2 m/s, Drying temperature between 40°C to 70°C, Bed height between 0.100 to 0.120 m and Feed rate between 1-2 ton/hr for various cereals/pulses. Thereafter, the dried cereals/ pulses, with their surface moisture removed, are fed into one or more LSU batch dryers (25) using another Z belt conveyor (23). The LSU batch dryers (25) further reduce the moisture in the cooked cereals/pulses. Table 9 sets out the parameters for different products such as Air Velocity raging between 1 to 1.05m/s, Drying temperature between 55°C to 70°C, Feed rate between 0.8 to 1.5 ton/hr for various cereals/pulses. In a preferred embodiment, the LSU dryer (25) removes 65%-80% of moisture from the Cereals and Pulses and achieves the desired moisture content. Table 2 compares the moisture content in the Cereals and Pulses cooked as per the process set out in this invention, with that of regular cereals and pulses wherein the average moisture content of quick cooking cereals and pulses is between 11 and 12, the process under the present invention removing moisture content between 1% to 3% more as compared to regular dried Cereals and Pulses.

The number of LSU dryers (25) is in multiples of the batch capacity of the Initial storage tank (5). This ensures that before one cycle of drying can be completed, the second cycle in the soaking and cooking process commences, ensuring that the process is continuous and delivers maximum output in least amount of time.

The flow rate of counter current air inside each LSU dryer (25) varies depending on the type of cereals/ pulses. Table 9 set out the Air Velocity, Drying temperature and Feed rate for various cereals/pulses. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the average drying time in the LSU dryer (25) for cereals varies from 3 hours to 8 hours, and for pulses from 3 hours to 10 hours.

Once the cereals/ pulses reach the desired moisture content, i.e. preferably 10%- 12%, the dried cereals/ pulses are transferred using a belt conveyor (21) and pneumatic divertors (12) to the large storage bin (26). The storage bin (26) contains air vents, and the cereals/pulses are stored in the bin (26) till the temperature of the cereals/ pulses reaches the ambient temperature by natural conduction. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bin (26) is made of stainless steel. After reaching the ambient temperature, smaller amounts of cereals/pulses are sent from the large storage bin (26) to a small storage bin (27) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12). The stored cereals/ pulses are then transferred to a bagging and packing machine (28) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12) or can be further processed in cake form and wrapped.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the cereals/ pulses can be packed in brick form by vacuum packing machines, or made into cakes by the addition of com/starch based paste to the Quick cooking cereals/ pulses in the ratio of 1: 10 (com paste: cereals/pulses). Com paste is obtained by dissolving 4 kgs corn starch in 200 kgs water and cooking the same in low heat, i.e. less than 90°C till the paste becomes translucent.

In order to achieve the cake formation, the dried cereals/pulses stored in the storage bin (27) are transferred using a screw conveyor (35) to a bucket elevator (38), which in turn feeds the cereals/pulses into a blending machine (40). Hot water, is introduced into the blending machines (40) through the hot water inlet (41), and com starch powder is introduced through the powder inlet (42). The blending machine (40) blends the corn paste and cereals/ pulses and the blended cereal/pulses are then fed into multiple buffer bins (43). From the buffer bins (43), the cereals/pulses are then dispatched to the cake formation or molding machine (45), which moulds them to the desired shape. Once the cereals/pulses are made into cake form in the machine (45), the molded cereals/ pulses are sent using a belt conveyor (46) to one or more conventional tunnel dryers (47) The temperature of the tunnel dryer (47) and speed for airflow varies based on the type of cereals/ pulses, as specified in Table 10. The dried cakes are sent to one or more wrapping machines (48) through a belt conveyor (46).

It is relevant to note that the “Quick Cooking” Cereals/ Pulses can also be packed like regular cereals/ pulses in LDPE, PE, HDPE, Paper or any type of laminated packing material of desired shape and size. Accordingly, instead of the wrapping machine (48) packing machines used can be vertical form filling sealing machines, stand-up pouch filling and sealing machines, flow wrap machines, vacuum packing machines or such other type of packing machine depending on the requirement.

The recipes for rehydration of various cereals/pulses manufactured as per this invention are disclosed in Tables 11 to 15. The quick cooking cereal/pulses so obtained using the process disclosed herein, when cooked by the end-consumer, gets completely cooked in a much shorter time as compared to regular cereal/pulses. This is explained below, taking the same example of quick cooking rice and lowers the cooking time too. The time to cook normal rice is anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes, whereas under the present invention the process of rehydration of quick cooked rice is approximately 8 minutes, thereby reducing both cooking time and energy consumption while cooking.

Thus the present invention by altering various parameters from cooking, soaking, cooking, drying the cereals and pulses as disclosed herein through the systematic process detailed herein, results in lower quantities (5%-7%) of Cereals/Pulses being used for the final product (Dish) vis-a-vis raw products used directly in such preparations, resulting in a lowered cooking time, energy consumption for such cooking and also a drastic lowered consumption of the overall product of the present invention in comparison to the same dishes being prepared using raw cereals or pulses available from the market, notwithstanding the higher shelf life of the products under the present invention.

Table 1: DRYING AND REHYDRATION CHARACTERISTS OF QUICK COOKING RICE

Table 2: MOISTURE CONTENT COMPARISON

Table 3: RPM RANGE OF IMPELLERS INSIDE COOKING VESSELS FOR DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

Table 4: COOKING TIME RANGE FOR DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

Table 5: COOKING TIME RANGE FOR DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

Table 6: GEL CONSISTENCY FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS

Table 7: COLD WATER TEMPERATURE AND TIME OF SPARGING FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS

Table 8: AIR VELOCITY, DRYING TEMPERATURE, BED HEIGHT AND FEED RATE IN FLULIDIZED BED DRYER FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS

Table 9: AIR VELOCITY, DRYING TEMPERATURE AND FEED RATE IN LSU DRYER FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS

Table 10: AIR VELOCITY AND TEMPERATURE IN TUNNEL DRYER FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS

Table 11: REHYDRATION RECIPE FOR “QUICK COOKING RICE”

Table 12: REHYDRATION RECIPE FOR “QUICK COOKING SEMAOLINA AND COUSCOUS”

Table 13: REHYDRATION RECIPE FOR VARIOUS “QUICK COOKING LENTILS”

Table 14: REHYDRATION RECIPE FOR OTHER “QUICK COOKING PULSES”

Table 15: REHYDRATION RECIPE FOR OTHER “QUICK COOKING MINOR MILLETS”

Table 16: “QUICK COOKING” DISH PROCESSING RECIPES

Table 17: YEILD STUDY TABLE FOR RICE

Table 18: YEILD STUDY TABLE PULSES

Table 19: TOTAL WATER CONSUMPTION FOR PROCESSING ( Washing, Soaking, Cooking)

Table 20: TOTAL EFFULENT WATER OUTPUT AFTER PROCESSING (Washing, Soaking, Cooking)

Table 21: AVERAGE REDUCTION IN VOLUME OF THE PRODUCT AFTER ’’QUICK COOKING PROCESS”

Table 22: TOTAL WATER WASTE AS STEAM DURING LSU DRYING

It is to be understood that various modifications and substitution can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

We claim:

1. An apparatus for manufacturing quick cooking pulses and cereals comprising of an intake hopper (1) for inputting cereals/pulses from a storage bin (5) using a pneumatic gate (2), a bucket elevator(3) and a zero speed monitor (4); the storage bin (5) being fitted with a level sensors (6) and (7), a high-level sensor (6) and a low-level sensor (7); the sensors(6) and (7) regulating the filling and refilling of the storage bin (5); the cereals/pulses being dispatched using another bucket elevator (3) onto a screw conveyor (9); the screw conveyor (9) in turn dispatching smaller amounts of the cereals/pulses to separate batch bins (11) through a manual gate (8) coupled with a pneumatic gate (2); a measured portion of the cereals/pulses being transferred to the tanks (13) using pneumatic divertors (12) for washing, soaking and cooking the cereals/pulses; the tanks (13) fitted with impellers (15) which rotate during the cooking stage of the process and a temperature monitoring system (14) to ensure temperature control between 60°C and 95 °C; generating hot water by pumping cold water stored in the cold water tank (29) using a water pump (33) into a boiler (34); the water being heated being controlled by a temperature-controlled PLC unit (14); the hot water being stored in hot water tanks (30); supplying hot water to the tank (13) through the hot water inlet (16)and cold water through the cold water inlet (17); maintaining the temperature in the tank (13) by sparging steam into the water that is being used for soaking and cooking the pulses/cereals; adding additional flavoring in the form of seasoning to the cereals/pulses in addition to cooking them, through the seasoning ingredient input (18) at the stage of soaking or cooking; the cooked cereals/pulses dispatched for drying through discharge valves (19) connected to a vibro discharger (20), the said vibro discharger (20) being connected to a belt conveyor (21); the belt conveyor (21) dispatching the cereals/pulses to a Z conveyor (23); transferring the cereals/pulses to one or more fluid bed dryers (24) for drying; an overflow limit switch (22) connected to the Z- conveyor (23) ensuring no excess cereals/pulses now being fed are fed into the fluid bed dryer (24); the dried cereals/pulses being further fed into one or more LSU batch dryers (25) using another Z belt conveyor (23) fitted with an overflow limit switch (22); pneumatic divertors (12) feeding the dried cereals/pulses into a bucket elevator (3); the said bucket elevator transferring the contents onto a belt conveyor (21); the belt conveyor (21) transferring the same to a large storage bin (26) using another set of pneumatic divertors (12); smaller amounts of cereals/pulses being sent to a small storage bin (27) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12); the stored pulses being transferred to a bagging and packing machine (28); alternatively the stored pulses being further processed in cake form, the dried cereals/pulses stored in the small storage bin (27) being transferred using a screw conveyor (35)to a bucket elevator (38) controlled by a pneumatic gate (37); elevator (38) feeding the cereals/pulses into one or more blending machines (40); a water doser (39) connected to each blending machine (40) infusing water to blend the cereal/pulses; hot water introduced into the blending machines (40) through the hot water inlet (41); corn starch powder introduced through the powder inlet (42); the blended cereal/pulses transferred using a screw conveyor (35), and fed into multiple buffer bins (43) using a manual gate (36) and a pneumatic gate (37); the cereals/pulses from the buffer bins (43) dispatched to one or more cake formation machines (45) through a pneumatic gate (37) coupled with a vibro discharger (44); the cereals/pulses made into cake form in the machine (45), the cakes sent using a belt conveyor (46) to one or more tunnel dryers (47); once drying is complete, the cakes are sent to one or more packing machines (48) for packing; the packaged products rehydrated for final consumption as disclosed in tables 11 to 15.

2. A method for manufacturing quick cooking pulses and cereals comprising of:

(i) placing cereals/ pulses in the soaking/cooking tank (13), pumping cold water in through the cold water inlet (17) (in the ratio of 1:3 the volume of cereals/ pulses to water); soaking the cereals for a period of 30 minutes; soaking pulses for a period ranging from 1 to 2 hours; the soaked water then discharged from the tank (13) removing excess starch dust;

(ii) initiating the cooking process in tank (13) by pumping hot water from a boiler (34) whose temperature is controlled by a PLC (14); the hot water circulation circuit further comprising of a boiler of required capacity, insulated piping and PLC controlled temperature regulators (14); generating hot water by pumping cold water stored in the cold water tank (29) using a water pump (33) into a boiler (34); the heating of the water in the boiler (34) being controlled by a temperature-controlled PLC unit (14); the heated water being stored in hot water tanks (30); supplying the hot water to tank (13) through the hot water inlet (16); the temperature of the hot water maintained by sparging steam; the sparging steam injected into the hot water just to maintain temperature of hot water between 60°C to 100°C; the cooking vessels/tanks(13) provided with impellers (15) rotating at 3-15 RPM (Table 3); maintaining uniform temperature throughout the tank (13), ensuring uniform cooking time for all the cereals/ pulses inside the tank (13); cooking time for cereals/ pulses being 30-90 minutes (Table 4); the cooking temperatures being between 60°C to 80°C(Table 5); the cooking done through open boiling; the lower cooking temperatures resulting in “Quick Cooking” cereals/ pulses having no change in organoleptic properties when compared to regular cereals and pulses; the cereals/pulses achieving a gel consistency between 26mm to 100mm (Table 6);

(iii) stopping the heat cycle and sparging cold water through cold water inlet (17) between 25°C to 35°C for a period of 20 to 45 minutes into the tank (13) (Table 7); lowering the temperature of cereals/ pulses down to the ambient temperature; the cold water sparging removing any additional excess/loose starch; ensuring the grains in the final product (cereals/ pulses) do not stick to each other, having a texture similar to regular, cooked cereals/ pulses;

(iv) dispatching the cooked cereals/pulses for drying through discharge valves (19) connected to a vibro discharger (20), which in turn connects to a belt conveyor (21); the drying happening in two stages:

(a) the first stage of removing free moisture without physically damaging the cereals/ pulses by drying the rice/cereals in Fluidized bed dryers (FSD) (24); reducing moisture to a range between 10%-25%; the air velocity being 1.2 to 2.2 m/s, the drying temperature between 40°C to 70°C; the bed height being 0.100m to 0.120m, the feed rate in ton/hr being between 1-2 (Table 8);

(b). the surface moisture removed dried cereals/ pulses being fed into one or more LSU batch dryers (25) in the second stage; using another Z belt conveyor (23); the LSU batch dryers (25) further removing 65% -80% of moisture from the Cereals and Pulses and achieving an average moisture content in percentage Dry basis being between 11 and 12; the Air Velocity between 1-1.05m/s, the Drying temperature between 55°C to 75°C, Feed rate between 0.8 to 1.15 ton/hr; the average drying time in the LSU dryer (25) for cereals varying from 3 to 8 hours, and for pulses from 3 to 10 hours (Table 9);

(v) transferring the dried cereals/pulses with 10%-12% moisture content using a belt conveyor (21) and pneumatic divertors (12) to the large storage bin (26) containing air vents; storing the cereals/pulses till the temperature of the cereals/ pulses reaches the ambient temperature by natural conduction; smaller amounts of cereals/pulses sent from the large storage bin (26) to a small storage bin (27) using the transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12); transferring the stored cereals/ pulses to a bagging and packing machine (28) using the same transmission mechanism of a bucket elevator (3) coupled with a pneumatic divertor (12);

(vi) Alternatively after step (iv) transferring the dried cereals/pulses for further processing using a screw conveyor (35) to a bucket elevator (38) feeding the cereals/pulses into a blending machine (40); adding hot water into the blending machines (40) through the hot water inlet (41), adding com paste through the powder inlet (42), the corn paste obtained by dissolving 4 kgs com starch in 200 kgs water and cooking the same in low heat, between 75°C to 90°C, till the paste becomes translucent; the corn paste being added to the dried cereals/pulses in the ratio of 1:10 into the blending machine (40) for 7 to 12 minutes; feeding the blended cereal/pulses into multiple buffer bins (43); dispatching the same to the cake formation or molding machine

(45);

(vii) the molded cereals/ pulses sent using a belt conveyor

(46) to one or more conventional tunnel dryers (47); the temperature in the tunnel dryer (47) being between 60°C to 75°C, airflow velocity between 2.0 to 2.2 m/s (Table 10);

(viii) the dried cakes sent to one or more wrapping machines (48) through a belt conveyor (46);

(ix) the number of LSU dryers (25) being in multiples of the batch capacity of the Initial storage tank (5), ensuring a continuous process wherein soaking and cooking of another cycle begins before drying of one cooked cycle ends; ensuring that the process is continuous and the output being maximum in least amount of time.

3. A method for manufacture of quick cooking cereals as claimed in Claim 2, wherein, by altering various parameters from soaking, cooking, drying the cereals and pulses; resulting in lower quantities (5% -7%) (from 20g to 100g) of Cereals/Pulses being used for the final product (Dish) vis -a- vis raw products used directly in such preparations; rehydration varying from 2.5 to 3.5 times i.e. 150 ml to 280 ml of water added to the quick cooking cereals/pulses; leading to a lower raw material consumption in comparison to the same dishes being prepared using raw cereals or pulses available from the market; resulting in a lowered cooking time between 2 to 8 minutes as against 30 minutes to 90 minutes; at temperatures ranging from 80°C to 100°C (Tables 11 to 15); resulting in lower quantity of raw material consumption due to higher hydration; lower cooking time and lower energy costs.

4. A method for manufacturing quick cooking dishes manufactured out of cereals, pulses, lentils, millets, spices which are sticky in nature comprising the steps in Claim 2 wherein the gumminess of the products are retained by removing the cold- water sparging step of Claim 2 (iii); to prevent any loss of starch during washing; ensuring that the end product produces desired amount of gumminess during rehydration process.

5. A method for manufacture of quick cooking cereals as claimed in the preceding claims wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of cereals, pulses, lentils, millets, spices, additive flavors as disclosed in tables 1 to 22.

6. A method for manufacture of quick cooking cereals and pulses as claimed in the preceding claims wherein the quick cooking dish is selected from Joll of rice, Risotto, Biryani, Seasoned Yellow lentil, Pilaf, Seasoned Couscous, along with added flavors as disclosed in Table 16.

7. The method of manufacturing quick cooking cereals and pulses as claimed in the preceding claims wherein the moisture content of the quick cooking cereals and pulses is lower by 1 % to 3% more as compared to regular dried Cereals and Pulses as specified in Table 2.

8. The method for manufacture of the process as claimed in the preceding claims comprises of a process flow for the production of quick cooking cereals, pulses, lentils, millets being the raw material, wherein a decided quantity or raw material is soaked in thrice the amount of water for half an hour; the said raw material being cooked in open boiling for 30 to 45 minutes at 80°C; the cooked raw material being washed with cold water between 25 °C and 35 °C for 10 minutes; the cold water washed raw material being subjected to two stages of drying; the first stage being FSD drying at 65°C for 5 minutes; the second stage being LSU drying at 65°C for being 4 to 5 hours; the dried quick cooked cereal, pulses, lentils, millets, then being sent to packaging or caking; the packed product ready for rehydration and consumption.