Saraswati Nadi

Milk in Carrot Halwa

Current Research in Complementary & Alternative Medicine | ISSN: 2577-2201
Volume 07, Issue 03 | Article 204

The Untold Benefits of Using Milk as Base for Traditional Indian Carrot “Gajar-Halwa” Pudding

Sharadendu Bali¹*, Asfia Khan²

¹ Adesh Medical College and Hospital, Mohri, Shahbad Markanda, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

² Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author: Sharadendu Bali, Professor General Surgery, Adesh Medical College, Kurukshetra.

Received: 7 September 2023
Accepted: 13 September 2023
Published: 15 September 2023
Citation: Bali S, Khan A (2023) The Untold Benefits of Using Milk as Base for Traditional Indian Carrot “Gajar-Halwa” Pudding. Curr Res Cmpl Alt Med 7: 204.

Abstract

Review Article

Halwas, which are vegetable, lentil, and cereal-based puddings, have a prominent place in Indian desserts. Traditionally, many of these halwas incorporate milk into their recipes. Milk offers more than just its well-known nutritional value in terms of fats, proteins, and vitamins. The aim of this review is to expound the rationale of using milk in view of recent studies that acknowledge milk proteins for their versatility in carrying hydrophobic phytochemicals. This capability allows for the effective delivery of otherwise insoluble phytoconstituents found in vegetables and cereals, thereby enhancing their bio-accessibility. Milk lipids also play a role in solubilizing and encapsulating certain phytochemicals. Thus, using milk as a base in carrot pudding results in the enhanced bioavailability of essential phytoconstituents such as carotenes, flavonoids, and polyphenols present in carrots. This greatly enhances the spectrum of health benefits offered by the carrot halwa pudding.

Keywords: Carrot halwa, carrot pudding, milk pudding, milk protein phytochemical carriers, milk proteins encapsulating devices, milk fats phytochemical.

1. Introduction

Milk has been a long-standing ingredient in food preparations due to its nutritional value and pleasing taste. In the Indian subcontinent, milk has been utilized for millennia in a variety of delectable sweet and dessert dishes. Traditionally, these preparations were considered nutritious primarily due to the high protein and fat-soluble vitamin content of milk. However, recent studies have revealed that the value of milk in these culinary creations extends far beyond these commonly known parameters. Use of milk may offer a range of benefits that include, but are not limited to, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, and anti-cancer effects.

Research conducted over the past three decades has shed light on the significance of milk solids as effective carriers for various phytochemical components in fruits and vegetables. It is now widely acknowledged that bovine milk proteins and milk protein aggregates serve as crucial nano-vehicles that can be employed as carrier systems. These proteins, owing to their predominantly hydrophobic structure, offer a natural means of transporting hydrophobic bio-active compounds.

2. Milk Proteins: Versatile Carrier Systems and Encapsulating Devices

Milk is composed of two main proteins, namely casein (80%) and whey (20%). Casein constituents are αs1-casein (38%), αs2-casein (10%), β-casein (36%), κ-casein (13%), and γ-casein (3%). The whey protein fraction consists of α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin, and immunoglobulins.

2a. Types of Interactions of Milk Proteins with Phytoconstituents

Figure 1Binding Mechanisms
Non-Covalent Interactions (Reversible)
  • Hydrophobic Interactions: Binding of hydrophobic molecules to surface sites
  • Hydrogen Bonds: Stabilizing phenolic surface contacts
  • Electrostatic Interactions: Ionic attraction with charged residues
Covalent Interactions (Irreversible)
  • C-N and C-S Bonds: Direct chemical linkage between polyphenols and amino acid reactive groups
  • High structural stability under heat & pH changes

Figure 1: Types of interactions of milk proteins with phytochemicals. The interactions can be both covalent and non-covalent, the latter being of further three types: hydrophobic, electrostatic and through hydrogen bonds.

Figure 2Casein Micelle Nano-vehicle

Figure 2: All casein peptides are amphiphilic. Casein molecules agglomerate into colloidal spherical micelles surrounded by a hairy layer of κ-casein, encapsulating bioactive carotenoids and polyphenols.

3. Release and Swelling Behavior of Milk Proteins

At low gastric pH (1.2–2.0), casein swelling is reduced, protecting bioactives from degradation. At intestinal pH (5.3–7.4), swelling and release rates significantly increase, enabling efficient absorption of β-carotene into intestinal cells.

4. Milk Lipids as Carriers for Enhancing Bioavailability

Milk fats exist as oil-in-water emulsions surrounded by Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM), which resists gastric digestion and forms lipid vesicles that maintain hydrophobic bioactives in solubilized state, increasing bioaccessibility by 30%.

5. Culinary Science & Stepwise Preparation of Gajar Halwa

Figure 35-Step Culinary Process
Step 1
Grating carrots
Step 2 ★
Cooking in milk (Cell wall breakdown)
Step 3
Adding sugar
Step 4
Frying in ghee
Step 5
Garnishing with dry fruits

Figure 3: Stepwise process of preparing carrot halwa. Cooking carrot pulp in milk is an essential step, breaking plant cell walls and binding carotenes to milk proteins and lipids.

6. Discussion & The Pectin-Whey Protein-Polyphenol Complex

Figure 4Triple-Complex Formation

Figure 4: Whey protein aggregates get coated with solubilized pectin fibrils to which polyphenols get attached. This complex protects bioactives from stomach acid and delivers them safely to the large bowel to nourish beneficial gut microbiota.

7. Conclusion

The use of milk as a cooking medium and base in carrot halwa enhances the absorption of bioactive compounds. This traditional culinary wisdom can also be applied to other halwa varieties such as bottle gourd (calabash), fig, and almond halwa.

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