SPECIFIC HEAT of INDIAN UNLEAVENED FLAT BREAD (CHAPATI) AT VARIOUS STAGES of COOKING

A simple inexpensive calorimeter was built to measure specific heat of foods at various process temperatures. By using vegetable/mineral oil as the heating medium in place of water, specific heat at temperatures beyond 100°C can also be evaluated. Specific heat of whole wheat dough and Chapati (round disc prepared mostly from whole wheat flour dough) at various stages of cooking and puffing were determined. Based on the experimental data a linear equation (C = 2476.56 + 23.56M ? 3.79T_e) is proposed from the experimental data for specific heat of wheat flour, dough, cooked and puffed Chapati and for other food materials at moisture levels ranging from 0.1% to 80% and temperature ranges from 303° to 336° K.