The present invention provides a process for preparing a dehydrated food composition comprising the steps of: ° mixing a vegetable component and oil to produce a vegetable-oil mixture, said vegetable component and said oil together representing at least 70 wt.% of the vegetable-oil mixture ° heating said vegetable-oil mixture at a temperature of at least 70°C ° if the vegetable-oil mixture is not a puree, comminuting the vegetable-oil mixture before, during and/or after the heating to produce a puree ° mixing said puree with a starch component to produce a thickened puree, said starch component being selected from native starch, modified starch and combinations thereof ° drum drying said thickened puree to form a dehydrated food composition said dehydrated food composition comprising 0.1-50% of oil by weight of the total dehydrated food composition and having an Aw of at most 0.45. The flavour quality of drum dried vegetable-based compositions is improved substantially by heating the vegetable component in intimate contact with oil at a temperature of at least 70°C, before dehydrating the heated vegetable component by means of drum drying.
