CAU produces hygienic Hawaijar maker

Premchand Thongam *

CAU produces hygienic Hawaijar maker :: Pix - Chronicle News Service / Premchand Thongam

There is almost no person in the state who does not salivate upon mention of Hawaijar Chagempomba (porridge made with fermented soybeans), with hawaijar (fermented soybeans) being one of the most loved food products.

As such, with the objective of mass and speedy production of fermented soybeans, the scientists of Central Institute of Postharvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with College of Food Technology, Central Agricultural University have developed a machine to produce 'Hawaijar' .

The machine was jointly developed by CIPHET scientists Dr Vidyalakshmi, Dr K Bembem, and Surya Tushir, and CAU College of Agriculture, Imphal scientist Dr Ng Joykumar under the project "Mechanised System for making Hawaijar: A Traditional fermented food of northeast India", funded by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research of Ministry of Science and Technology.

Hawaijar is prepared by boiling the soybeans (Nunghawai in Manipuri; scientific name - Glycine max) and fermented with the help of microorganisms. It is a legume species native to East Asia and a major source of protein containing carbohydrate-reducing properties.

In an exclusive chat with The People's Chronicle with regard to the 'Hawaijar' machine, Dr Joykumar said, Hawaijar a flavourful and much-loved food consumed by the people of north-eastern states including Manipur, is known as Kinema in Darjeeling hills and Sikkim, Tungrymbai in Meghalaya, Bekang in Mizoram, Axone in Nagaland and Peruyaan in Arunachal Pradesh.

After fermentation, the nutritional level of hawaijar increases and helps in controlling various diseases. It has anti-oxidant, anti-ageing and anti-diabetic properties, and prevents hypertension.

Noting cases of food poisoning after consuming hawaijar, Dr Joykumar informed that the microorganism required in fermentation of soybeans is bacillus subtilis. However, other microorganisms such as clostridium, botulinum, e coli and proteus mirabilis have been found to be present when the fermentation is done un-hygienically.

These microorganisms produce harmful toxins, thereby leading to food poisoning. As such, the idea to create a 'hawaijar maker' was formed to alleviate the difficulties in making the food in the traditional way, where the fermentation process takes more than a week to complete.

In the traditional way, the soybeans are soaked in water for a day, boiled and then wrapped with banana or fig leaves and packed into a bamboo basket, which is then placed near the stove or in the sun. The microorganisms in the air then trigger the fermentation process, which takes a long time and effort.

However, all of the above process from soaking the soybeans to fermentation is done inside the 'Hawaijar maker' machine, thereby ensuring hygienic preparation and preventing any contamination, he elaborated.

Informing that the machine is able to produce around 20-25 kg of soybeans from 5-7kg of soybeans within 8-9 hours, Dr Joykumar explained that the water is electronically warmed and the vapour used to cook the soybeans, thereby significantly reducing the cooking time.

After cooking, the soybeans are put into small cans with a culture of microorganisms and placed inside the machine. The machine is then locked tightly and hot water is pumped into the machine, and set under a specific temperature (32-37 degree Celsius).

The fermentation process in the traditional way takes a long time as it is hard to regulate the temperature. However, the machine completes the fermentation process within 4-5 days and the taste remains as flavourful as ever.

Stating that a patent request for the 'hawaijar maker' has been applied to the Intellectual Property India, Dr Joykumar expressed that once the patent rights are secured, anyone in the industry can purchase the technology to produce the machine commercially and supply it in the market.

The cost of the machine could range around Rs 1.2 lakh, he added.