The various factors affecting GIs have also been studied. The amount and nature of starch, protein, fibre and other such antinutrients and fat have been reported to affect the glycaemic response. Besides the constituents of food, processes such as grinding and flaking 8,9 cooking 10,11 and canning 12 also influence the GI of a food. Certain food additives such as salt 13 and fat 2 have also been shown to alter the glycaemic response. Amongst the various foods investigated, legumes show a low glycaemic index, indicating their suitability for diabetic diets.
Legumes form a major source of protein in the Indian diet.
Apart from being consumed as boiled preparations, these are also processed in the form of snacks. Cheela is a snack food prepared by cooking a thin consistency batter of legume or cereal flour, like a pancake. The legumes required for the study were purchased in bulk from a Government cooperative store to ensure uniformity of sample. The cleaned grains were ground using a 'Milcent' domestic flour mill which was adjusted at a set point '2'. The recipe of each was standardized in terms of the amount of flour taken, volume of water added, duration and temperature of fermentation, final volume of batter, thickness and diameter of cheela, amount of fat and cooking time.