Vol. 9, Special Issue 11, Part I (2025)

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), a staple cereal renowned for its nutritional density and resilience, remains underutilized in the modern food industry primarily due to its susceptibility to enzymatic degradation. This research aimed to address these challenges by developing a shelf-stable, instant raab mix from pearl millet through the optimization of ingredients with key processing parameters. The study employed Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Box-Behnken Design (BBD) to investigate the effects of three independent variables ghee proportion, roasting temperature and roasting time on critical product quality attributes, including Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content, lipase activity, peroxidase activity and moisture content. The results demonstrated a highly significant negative effect of roasting temperature and time on all measured parameters, indicating effective thermal inactivation of enzymes and moisture reduction. The model successfully identified a synergistic relationship between ghee proportion, roasting temperature and roasting time, which collectively minimized enzymatic activity and lipid hydrolysis. The statistical models for all responses were found to be highly significant and predictive, with coefficient of determination (R²) values ranging from 0.9256 to 0.9943. The study’s most significant finding was the successful validation of an optimized set of processing conditions 12.19% ghee proportion, 186.92 °C roasting temperature and 15 min roasting time yielded a product with minimal quality degradation.