A Comparative Study on the Sensory Acceptance and Shelf Life of ‘Nasi Dagang Terengganu’ Prepared from Modified Rice Recipes Using Various Combinations of Coconut, Skim and Evaporated Milk

‘Nasi Dagang’ is a signature Malaysian dish consisting of rice steamed in coconut milk, fish curry and extra ingredients such as pickled cucumber and carrots. It is a well-known breakfast food in the states on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thai Malay provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Being a food preparation meant for immediate consumption, it naturally has short shelf life. Traditional preparations usually soak rice in fresh coconut milk with subsequent gelatinization facilitated via steaming process. As an objective to mitigate the adverse property of this food product, the scope of study undertaken focused on improvements of the formulation of the recipe using ultra-high temperature (UHT) coconut, skim and evaporated milk to replace the fresh coconut milk. In attempting to meet this objective of shelf life enhancement, modifications to the rice base utilized predetermined levels of various combinations of ultra-high temperature (UHT) coconut, skim, and evaporated milk to replace the fresh coconut milk. Sensory preference test and colour analysis were performed on resultant modified rice recipe samples. Subsequent evaluation of shelf stability quality of the rice samples were conducted on samples stored in room temperatures for three days and at chilled temperatures (4°C) for four weeks. The results showed that rice formulated with UHT coconut milk had the highest score for taste, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability, as compared to skim milk and evaporated milk. Shelf life evaluation indicated that rice stored at room temperatures (25°C) deteriorated due to increased presence of total bacteria count, which exceeded the safety level. Meanwhile at chilled temperatures, there was no evidence of microbial growth in the rice formulated with UHT coconut milk.