Makhrouta, A Traditional Egyptian Food Product: Production and Enrichment of Nutritional Value

Wheat was the first crop cultivated in Egypt and remains highly important today. Physical examination, extraction rate, and gluten content determination of the Giza 155 and Sakha 8 wheat varieties were conducted to select the type of wheat best suited for Makhrouta dough. This study aims to evaluate the development and enhancement of the nutritional value of Makhrouta made from Egyptian wheat flour as an alternative to instant noodles, corn flakes, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Physical, nutritional, technological, cooking, and sensory characteristics were evaluated in triplicate. The rheological characteristics of flour samples were assessed using Mixolab indices. Different levels of sweet lupin flour (SLF) (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%) were added to produce composite flour and assess its impact on the chemical composition, physical properties, cooking quality, and sensory evaluation of the product (dry and steamed Makhrouta). Results showed that Sakha 8 outperformed Giza 155 in all aspects, particularly in flour yield (%). In terms of rheological indices, the sweet lupin flour-wheat flour (SLF-WF) composites' water absorption, dough development time, and C4 torque increased as the SLF level rose, whereas their flour moisture, dough stability, and C2, C3, and C5 Mixolab decreased. Makhrouta generated by the SLF-WF composites had greater volume, harder texture, and a darker color. greater antioxidant activity as well as greater protein and mineral content were also demonstrated by makhrouta with SLF. Panelists liked the color, flavor, texture, taste, and overall acceptance of Makhrouta samples enhanced with SLF (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%). In comparison to other samples, the addition of 20% SLF produced the best acceptance.The economic evaluation for producing Makhrouta with 20% SLF at an industrial scale proves the cost-effectiveness and potential profitability of this addition.