Hungry kya? DRDO to the rescue

On the surface, there is little in common between the jawans posted in the freezing Siachen glacier or the burning Rajasthan deserts, and yo...

On the surface, there is little in common between the jawans posted in the freezing Siachen glacier or the burning Rajasthan deserts, and young working couples in bustling metros.

But for sustenance, they both turn to instant foods 8212; packaged vegetables and cereals 8212; developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO. Initially conceived with the defence forces8217; strategic operational requirements in mind, the technology8217;s success has prompted the DRDO to go commercial.

8216;8216;We have developed a freeze-thaw dehydration method, which allows cooked and dehydrated pulses, whole legumes, cereals and other foods to be reconstituted in less than eight minutes in hot water,8217;8217; says DRDO chief V K Atre.

Now, many of their successful recipes are being marketed under a popular brand-name. The instant mutton biryani, palak paneer, rajma and various other pulses 8212; all with a shelf life of 12-18 months 8212; are now popular with working couples having little time to cook. Incidentally, the DRDO had also prepared 6.25 tonne of instant khichdi for supply to Gujarat earthquake victims.

The organisation has also developed a technology of 8216;minimal processing8217; for vegetables, which increases their shelf life to 14-28 days at room temperature. It allows a variety of vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, beetroot, potato and french beans to be available, prepackaged, trimmed and cut.

The DRDO is also engaged in developing suitable agro technologies in high altitude areas like Leh, Partapur base camp and glacier areas in Ladakh region. The aim, according to Atre, is to meet the requirement of perishable commodities vegetables, fruit, milk and meat of the armed forces locally and improve economic condition of local farmers.

A major success for them has been developing Seabuckthorn juice, a rich source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E and K, which does not freeze at sub-zero temperatures. Seabuckthorn is a wild shrub found in high altitude areas and is known for anti-cold, anti-ageing and anti-radiation properties; the juice is drawn from the berries of the plant.

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In addition, the DRDO has developed several crop varieties and hybrids 8212; mainly of vegetables such as tomato, brinjal, capsicum, potato and cucumber 8212; for commercial cultivation in the Himalayan states.

Technology has also been developed for protected cultivation of vegetables in high altitudes. Trench cultivation 8212; as the method is known 8212; calls for raising an early nursery of vegetables in polythene-covered trenches, generally in April, which are transplanted as soon as cropping season starts. It has been especially successful in growing potato.

Green leafy vegetables are also being grown in places like Ladakh, where not a single blade of grass grows in the open. Using the protected cultivation technology developed by the DRDO, greens like coriander, mint, lettuce, celery, parsley, fenugreek and palak are being locally grown in Leh at an altitude of 3,500 meters.