Effect of Heat-Moisture Treatment of Pigeon Pea Starch on Quality Characteristics of Its Gluten-Free Noodles

Pigeon pea starch offers a potential alternative to wheat flour in gluten-free noodle production. This study evaluated the effects of heat–moisture treatment (HMT) on the cooking, textural, color, and sensory characteristics of pigeon pea starch noodles. Extracted starch was treated at 110 °C for 3 h at 30% moisture content and subsequently used to produce noodles. Noodles prepared from untreated pigeon pea starch and wheat flour served as controls. Cooking quality, texture profile, instrumental color, and sensory properties were assessed using standard methods. HMT significantly altered noodle color (p < 0.05), including a reduction in lightness from 59.31 to 36.33. Compared with untreated starch noodles, HMT-treated starch noodles exhibited higher cooked weight, water uptake, and cooking yield, accompanied by increased cooking loss. Treatment also increased cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness, reduced hardness, and altered gumminess. However, less favorable color and taste reduced the overall acceptability of HMT-treated starch noodles relative to both controls. Wheat flour noodles received the highest scores for most sensory attributes, although pigeon pea starch noodles remained generally acceptable. These findings demonstrate that HMT modifies the cooking and textural performance of pigeon pea starch noodles, with accompanying limitations in sensory acceptance. HMT-treated pigeon pea starch shows potential as an ingredient for gluten-free noodle formulations and greater utilization of indigenous crops, although color and taste remain important considerations in product development.