Eggplant curry

EGGPLANT CURRYA new convenience food productDanielle CushingExperimental Food Science, Fall 2011

What is it?• Based on the Indian dish Baingan Bharta

• Mashed eggplant cooked with spiced tomato• Vegetarian• Flavorful and traditionally spicy

• My version• Very similar, but not spicy

The Need• Many ready-to-eat foods found on grocery store shelves

• Few vegetarian options• Few ethnic options

• Many ethnic options that exist are high in calories, fat and sodium and healthy varieties are not marketed as such• “Lean Cuisine,” “SmartOnes,” and other brands have expanded

their options in recent years, but the majority of options remain American- and Italian-inspired dishes

• Newer concepts:• Asian-Inspired – Sesame Chicken, Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry• Mexican-Inspired – Fiesta Quesadilla, Chicken Enchiladas Suiza

• No Indian-inspired dishes

Target Market• Men and women• In professional workforce• Busy, often hurried, lifestyle• Eating some meals alone• Want more variety• Need something quick and easy• Want something low in calories and want• Don’t want to compromise quantity or flavor

Sensory EvaluationEach domain of the sensory evaluation averaged between “Good” (5.0) and “Very Good” (6.0) when tested.

Ingredients• Eggplant• Tomatoes• Onion • Green peas• Ginger• Oil• Cumin• Coriander• Turmeric

Processing

Add eggplant and green peas to tomato and onion mixture. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes.

Combine tomato and onion mixture with cumin seeds. Add coriander and turmeric and continue to cook in saucepan.

Chop and blend tomatoes, onion and ginger.

Crack cumin seeds in saucepan with a little bit of oil.

Combine eggplant and green peas.

Bake whole eggplant at 400°F for 45 minutes. Peel skin and chop into small pieces.

No processing except for natural cooking methods.

After cooling, the eggplant curry is ready for preservation and packaging.

Preservation & Storage• pH of Eggplant Curry = 4.90

• Low acid• Aw of Eggplant Curry = 0.93

• Susceptible to yeast and bacteria growth

• The curry is considered a semi-liquid, so we will use a heat treatment as a preservation barrier• Pasteurization – finished curry is heated to 161°F (72°C) or higher for a

minimum of 15 seconds• Additional barrier needed

• Freezing – stored frozen• Increases shelf-life to about 1 year

• Alternatively, the curry could be commercially sterilized because it is a low-acid food. • Does not require additional barrier of freezing

PackagingPrimary – microwave-safe plastic dish covered with a thin, clear plastic lining• Actual barrier• Meets production,

distribution and storage demands

Secondary – the plastic dish will be placed in a cardboard box• Eye-catching and

stackable• Meets consumer,

retailer and marketer needs

Sample packaging:

ANY QUESTIONS?