Studies on the nutritive value of idli fortified with Indian multipurpose food.

The nutritive value of idli (a steamed cake from a fermented dough of rice and
black gram dhal) fortified with Indian multipurpose food or Bengal gram flour has
been studied by growth experiments on albino rats. The results show that (1) unfortified
idli diet promotes significantly higher growth than rice diet and (2) diet containing
idli fortified with multipurpose food promotes significantly higher growth
than those containing unfortified idli or idH fortified with Ben~al gram flour. The
livers of animals receiving the rice diet show parenchymal damage of a mild
protein deficiency type, while the livers of animals receiving idli or idli fortified
with Bengal gram and Indian multipurpose food are quite normal. The mean fat
content of livers of rats receiving diets based on unfortified idli and idH fortified
with Indian multipurpose food or Bengal gram was significantly less than that of
livers of animals fed on the rice diet.