Plant based protein innovation: IIT-Delhi’s ‘mock eggs’ with moong dal as main ingredient – The Financial Express

Are you a foodie who loves to experiment with healthy food alternatives? Do you find yourself discussing and researching on plant based diet benefits? Then, how about tasting a scrambled egg that is made from plant-based products, instead of eggs? On Industry Day, IIT Delhi’s researchers unveiled their ‘mock egg’ with moong dal as its main ingredient but it actually comprises of five different types of dal. Yes, we are referring to a plant based protein indeed! The ‘mock egg’ tastes exactly like an egg, has the same nutrient value and best of all, it is priced just like a brown egg!

Is a plant based diet healthier?

A research team led by Professor Kavya Dashora, Center for Rural Development and Technology led the initiative towards creating plant-based meats to replace high protein food. Spanning six months, the research team has been on the project and it has been funded by Four Pursuits Ventures, an industry partner, looking to provide healthy options to vegetarians, weight-conscious and fitness-oriented consumers.

While the European market is already opening up to plant-based initiatives and has witnessed considerable interest, the same is not the case in India, where a traditional and conventional food preference is prevalent across states, particularly those that are known for consumption of non-vegetarian food options.

According to Professor Dashora, the research aims to offer low-cost, locally grown product that tastes like a mock egg in texture, nutrient profile and texture but it is actually made using a non-soy raw material. Further, this initiative also aims to support the Make in India initiative, whereby the raw material will be purchased from the local farmer to provide his farm-based income.

On Industry Day 2019, IIT Delhi’s research community brought forward a commendable number of prototypes to industry leaders. Five thematic sessions were held along with a session on “Women in Science”, comprising of over 500 industry experts and 100 IIT Delhi faculty members.

Get live Stock Prices from BSE and NSE and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.