Abstract
Noodles were produced by blending varying proportions (20, 30, 40, 50, and 60% levels) of taro flour with remaining equal proportions of rice and pigeon pea flour, which were evaluated for anti-nutritional, cooking, textural, and sensory properties and possible correlations between various noodles' properties were established using principal component analysis. Anti-nutritional evaluation of noodles revealed a decrease in phytic acid content, as the percentage of taro flour in the noodles increased. Pasting properties of the blends were also measured, which differed significantly (P < 0.05). Taro flour addition produced noodles with decreased gumminess, adhesiveness, b* value, and increased a* value as compared to the control sample (100% wheat flour). Significant correlations among various noodle properties were established using principal component analysis. Texture and color can be adopted as distinguished parameters for analyzing the noodle samples using a principal component analysis loading plot. Noodles containing 50% taro flour, with remaining equal proportions of rice and pigeon pea flour, resulted in the highest scores for color, taste, firmness, and overall acceptability.