29/09/2025
Trial on Ragi and Bajra-Based Chocolates (29/09/2025)
Our Food Processing Head, Reshma Ma’am, was undergoing training related to the development of millet-based value-added products. During this period, she requested me to help formulate and conduct trials for a new product — ragi and bajra-based chocolates. I was glad to take up this opportunity to contribute by designing a new composition and performing multiple trials to achieve the best results.
On 29th September 2025, I began working on the formulation of both ragi and bajra chocolates. The main objective of the trials was to develop a nutritious, tasty, and well-textured chocolate by incorporating traditional millets with modern chocolate compounds.
I carried out three to four trials, gradually refining the ratio of ingredients to balance taste, smoothness, and binding. After several adjustments, the final optimized composition was fixed as follows:
- Dark compound – 50 g
- White compound – 50 g
- Ragi/Bajra flour – 18 g
- Ghee – 3 g
- Cashew – 6 g
- Almond – 6 g
This formulation provided an excellent blend of rich chocolate flavor, nutty crunch, and the mild earthy aroma of millet flour. The final chocolates showed great taste, smooth texture, and good binding, with enhanced nutritional value due to millet incorporation.
Overall, the trials were highly successful, and the product has strong potential for further development as a healthy and innovative millet-based chocolate. This experience also helped me learn about ingredient balancing, flavour pairing, and the importance of multiple trials in achieving a market-ready formulation.
Training Session on Ragi and Bajra-Based Chocolate Making
After successfully developing my ragi and bajra-based chocolates, I recently got an excellent opportunity to conduct a hands-on training session on chocolate making. This session was organized at Vigyan Ashram, Pabal, where such practical training activities are regularly conducted for school students, college students, and teachers to promote skill-based learning in food processing.
For this session, I had the opportunity to train students from 8th and 9th standard. The objective was to introduce them to the process of making healthy millet-based chocolates and to help them understand how traditional ingredients like millets can be used to prepare modern, value-added food products.
At the beginning of the session, I explained the importance of hygiene and cleanliness during food preparation. Then, I demonstrated the step-by-step process of making chocolates — including melting of dark and white compound, roasting ragi/bajra flour in ghee, proper mixing, and filling the molds. The students also learned about decorating the chocolates with dry fruits and the packaging process to maintain quality and appearance.
The session was very interactive, and the students showed great enthusiasm in preparing their own chocolates. They enjoyed learning about ingredient handling, temperature control, and presentation techniques. The final chocolates turned out excellent in taste and texture, with a smooth finish and appealing decoration.
Overall, the training was a great success. It helped me enhance my teaching and communication skills while sharing my product development knowledge with young learners. This experience also contributed to Vigyan Ashram’s goal of promoting hands-on learning and innovative food product development among students.
