Preparation and characterization of akara and senke cakes made from cowpea flour paste

Despite commercial acceptability as diets in some West African and South American households, the bulk of the world's population does not consider akara and senke to be foods due to a lack of scientific proof demonstrating their intrinsic benefits and formulation processes. The focus of this study, therefore, was to prepare and characterize akara and senke developed from dehulled (DH) and undehulled (UDH) cowpea. Sample A (100% DH), Sample B (100% UDH), Sample C (25% UDH: 75% DH), Sample D (75% UDH:25% DH), Sample E (50% UDH:50% DH). Analysis was carried out using standard methods. Results showed that samples E and A had the highest and lowest values for oil absorption capacity (OAC), water absorption capacity (WAC), and loose-packed density (LBD), respectively. Protein (17.40%), carbohydrate (42.33%), and energy (541.72 kcal/g) were the highest for samples A, D, and C, respectively. The fat content (14.44%) was the lowest in sample D, while sample B had the lowest ash content (3.18%). While sample C had the highest L value (50.94), a (13.14) and b (-6.13) were the lowest in sample A. The sensory qualities showed that senke made from Sample E had the highest ratings (except for color) in all the sensory parameters. The average overall acceptability was 7.13, and statistical analysis revealed no significant (p<0.05) differences among the samples. Formulation of dehulled and undehulled cowpea flour paste as cakes has intrinsic nutritional benefits and their consumption should be encouraged globally.