LEGUMES

LEGUMES

METHODS OF PREPARATION

Effect of Cooking

Processing and Preservation Method

Legumes

Legumes

-Legume, originated from the Latin word "legere", which means "to gather".

-With symbiosis, bacteria that live in the roots of the leguinous plants are fed nitrogen from the air resulting in seeds rich in protein.

-Legumes is a good meat substitute.

-The cellulose of legumes is well-developed. Hence, legumes are best cooked by first softening the seed by soaking them in the water followed by long, slow cooking. Softening depends upon the kind and maturity, size and shape and how easily the legumes absorb water.

-The starch in the legumes is thoroughly cooked and made more palatable. Less disintegration on the outside of the beans when cooked below boiling temperature.

-Phaseolus vulgaris is related to a combination of processing temperature, heating time, particle size, initial moisture and amount of water added during heat processing

• Fermented whole soybeans/soybean curd or tausi - fermented soybean similar to tahure but the soybeans are fermented for a relatively time. Black beans are sometimes added.
• Taho-Unpressed soybean curd. In its manufacture, a small amount of coagulating agent like calcium sulfate is used, and the very delicate but stable gel is formed. Other coagulating agents used are sugar and carrageenan.
• Nato or Natto or flavored taho- boiled or steamed soybeans wrapped in rice straw and bacterially fermented for two days.
• Tokwa-is a firm fermented soybean cake. It is used as an ingredient in many pansit dishes, lumpia, ukoy, but is best in tokwa't baboy.
• Soybean cheese, soft curd of tofu- soft soybean curd with 80 percent of water.It is locally available packed in a tubular plastic in supermarkets.
• Bean cheese, salted or tahure-fermented soybean cake but softer than tokwa.
• Soybean paste or misu-pastelike condiment made from cooked soybeans to which a mold, Aspergillus oryzae, or a mixed mold starter, water and salt have been added. The whole mass is mixed well and stored in vat for several days to ferment and ripen.

Functions

Meat Substitute

Legumes

-Legumes, particularly soybeans, and wheat, are processed to resemble natural meat like bacon, ground beef, and chicken, either in appearance, flavor, texture and/or color.

-These are called texturized vegetable proteins (TVP).

Effect of Hardness of Water on Legumes

-Legumes are also called pulses. They come from the nature seeds of pod-bearing plants and are high in protein (18-25%). They may be purchased fresh or dry, in shells or unshelled.

The length of time required to soften the legumes depends upon the hardness of the water used in soaking and cooking the legumes. Soft water is preferable for both soaking and cooking dry beans since calcium and magnesium salts in hard water may form insoluble salts with pectic substances in the cell wall and between cells in the bean tissue and inhibit proper hydration.

Effect of Soda or Alkali on Legumes

Sources of Dietary Fiber

Alkali or baking soda increases water absorption when added to legumes during cooking. It aids in the removal of the skin of dried legumes. It hastens the softening of dried beans. However, alkali is said to have a destructive effect on the thiamin content of legumes.

LEGUMES

Nutritive Value

- Legumes contain twice as much protein in a per serving basis and about half as much protein as lean meat.

-The protein contained in legumes is low in crystine, an amino acid essential for good nutrition.

-Legumes are excellent sources of iron as they are also excellent sources of niacin and thiamin.

-Protein is similar in quantity to that of meat.

-Legumes are important source of dietary fiber. Chick peas, kidney beans, and lentils, the total dietary fiber content was 17.6, 26.3, and 19.2%, respectively. The main portion between 68 and 90%, was the insoluble dietary fiber fraction Different processing's (soaking, cooking, and frying) of chick peas yielded a total dietary fiber increase of 49.5% after cooking and decrease of 21.4% after frying. The insoluble fraction rose 108% after cooking, while the level of insoluble dietary fiber remained constant after frying.

• Soy Sauce or toyo- Oriental brown, tangy sauce used in many Filipino dishes such as adobo and bistik. Mixed with vinegar it used as a common sawsawan for dishes such as cripy pata.
• Tempeh- an Indonesian soybean product. Cracked, dehulled beans are cooked, then allowed to ferment, using the mold, Rhizopus. The curd is then sliced, seasoned, and fried.
• Soluble isolates-spray-dried alkali dispersion from defatted soy used for coffee whiteners, frozen desserts and soybean beveages; for foaming and gelling agents; also for fortifying bread and breakfast cereals and for protein food or weaned infants.
• Soybean meal- coarsely ground soybean. Especially processed low-fat oilseed flours have been used to supplement diets for children and to treat protein malnutrition in children. The processed foods based on soybean meal include: low-fat soya grits fortified with minerals and vitamins; blends of soybeans, peanut and sesame.
• Soybean protein concentrates- bland, light colored containing seven percent protein and prepared by leaching soluble carbohydrate and mineral components of soybeans meal by water, dilute acid or alcohol.
• Soy flour- ground treated soybeans. Used in combination with wheat flour in baked goods. Three classes of principal soy flour products with varying fat contents are used.