BEANS, LENTILS & PULSES

 

HOW TO COOK BEANS, LENTILS AND PULSES :

     Pulses in a single sense can be called as a versatile food.  They can be named as tiny power houses loaded with nutrition.  They are rich in protein, packed with fibres, easily digestible and has a very low glycemic index. To improve our overall health, ensure that you get ample amounts of fibre in your diet. Fiber, found in whole grains, seeds, fruits, vegetables and all plant foods, is essential for keeping our digestion moving well, and reducing constipation, bloating, and digestive discomfort.
    Lentils are an excellent source of minerals like folate, molybdenum, copper, iron, manganese, B vitamins and zinc. And they contain high-quality protein and are also loaded with fibre. Most lentils have similar nutrition benefits. Choose red, brown, or black lentils depending on your recipe. Pulses mainly compose of dry peas, lentils and beans, which can be used to create anything of your taste may be a hummus, dhals, curries, falafel patties to soups, smoothie bowls, snacks, sweets, desserts or cupcakes.

PREPARATION :

• Older the beans - tougher the texture and take a longer time to cook.      
• Rinse thoroughly to remove any debris or dust from the beans
• Soak - Most beans require soaking, except split lentils.
• Drain the water used to soak and rinse thoroughly.

SOAKING & COOKING :

Soaking the Pulses -

• Increases digestibility
• Reduces cooking time &
• Saves time and fuel

Cooking the Pulses -

Cooking time depends on the age of the bean, the amount of water used, heat and the method of cooking.

• Properly cooked beans should be tender but not too mushy.
• For every cup of lentils use 1.5 cups of water for Splits Lentils and Pulses
• And 2.5 cups of water for Whole Lentils and Beans.
• 1 Cup of dry Lentils yields up to 2.5 cups when cooked.

Quick soak method -

   This method can be used for pulses like split lentils - Tuvar Dhal/ Pigeon Peas, Bengal Gram Dhal / Channa Dhal and for some whole lentils like Green Gram, Red Bean and Black -Eyed Bean. Just soak them for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Drain the water used for soaking.  And cook them with 1.5 Cups of water for every Cup of Lentil.  If cooking in a pressure cooker, do not soak them.  As it tends to cook soon in pressure cookers.

Soaked Split Lentils :

• If the above lentils are Soaked then they take approximately 30-40 minutes to cook in a Regular Sauce Pan. 
• In a Pressure Cooker, cook for 2-3 Whistles in high settings and for about 5 minutes in very low flame.

Unsoaked Split Lentils :

• Unsoaked lentils take approximately 40 minutes - 1 Hour to cook in a Regular Sauce Pan.  
• In a Pressure cooker, cook them for 2-3 whistles in high settings and for about 10-15 minutes in very low flame.

 No Soaking :

     Lentils like Green Gram Dhal/Moong Dhal and Masoor Dhal do not need soaking at all. They yield the best texture when cooked in a regular Sauce Pan.

• It takes approximately 20-30 minutes to cook in a Regular Sauce Pan.  
• If you want more mushy dhals then can Pressure cook them for a whistle or two in high settings

Long soak method -

      This method is for pulses and beans like Garbanzo/ChickPeas, Anasazi, Adzuki, Black-Eyed Peas/Cow Beans, Black Beans, Red Beans, Kidney Beans/Rajma.  Soak them for at least eight hours or overnight in a cool place. Use a large bowl, big enough for the beans to expand when soaked. Also, add enough water to cover it. Drain away the water from the pulses and rinse well. Cook in fresh water, in a saucepan or in a pressure cooker.
  
*Cheat Version of Quick Soak method:
     It can be used if you have forgotten to soak tougher beans, as the above ones.  But use boiling water to soak the beans.  Soak them at least for 2 hours.  Can add a pinch of soda-bi-carbonate to speed up the cooking time.

Whole Beans -

BEANS                                     SOAKING TIME       COOKING TIME       ADVISORY

Adzuki	Minimum 2 hours	25 - 40 Min	Soaking Advised
Anasazi	Minimum 2 hours	25 - 40 Min	Soaking Advised
Black-eyed Beans	Minimum 2 hours	25 - 40 Min	Soaking Advised
Black Bean	Minimum 2 hours	25 - 40 Min	Soaking Advised
Red Bean	Minimum 2 hours	20 - 30 Min	Soaking Advised
Green Gram	Minimum 1 hour	20 - 30 Min	Soaking Advised
Kidney Bean/Rajma	Minimum 8-10 hrs/Overnight	1 -11/4 hrs.	Soaking Advised
Chick Peas/ Garbanzo	Minimum 8-10 hrs/Overnight	1 -11/4 hrs.	Soaking Advised
Soya Bean	Minimum 12-15 hrs/ extensive soaking	11/2 hrs - 3 hrs.	Soaking Advised

NOTEWORTHY TIPS:

• Cook in fresh water.
• Do not add salt, stock or sugar while cooking beans or lentils.  
• This would toughen the beans and also prolongs the cooking time.
• Such flavourings can be added to the pulses once they are cooked.

Extensive Soaking Method :

     Some find it hard to digest the pulses, especially the larger beans and older beans.  If so, soak them for 2-3 days. Change the water daily, until they just start to sprout. This breaks down the sugars which lead to bloating. Then cook them as usual.
     For lentils like Pigeon Pea/Tuvar Dhal, Bengal Gram Dhal, Black Gram Dhal/Urad Dhal, Green Beans, soaking isn’t necessary. But soaking makes them more digestible. Also, it reduces the cooking time and fuel usage too. Minimum of 30 minutes to 2 hours soaking is more than sufficient for such lentils.

Pressure Cooking Method : Times will vary slightly, depending on the brand of Pressure cooker used (check your cooker's handbook beforehand).
For example,

• Kidney Beans take 15-20 minutes.3 Whistles in high flame and 2 whistles (5-8 min) in low flame.
• Chickpeas take around 25 -30 minutes.3 Whistles in high flame and 4 whistles (10-15 min) in low flame. 
• Smaller beans like Adzuki, Anasazi, Red bean need only about 8 minutes if pre-soaked. 2-3 Whistles in high flame and 1 whistle (5 min) in low flame.
• Whole Lentils will take 10-12 minutes if pre-soaked. 3-4 Whistles in high flame and 2whistles (5-7 min) in low flame.
• Split Lentils need just a whistle or two in high settings.

    Some high-pressure cookers take less time to cook.  If cooking for the first time cook for lesser minutes than mentioned and check whether it's cooked, if not cook for few more minutes accordingly.  Take care not to let them go mushy or burn them while cooking.  Add enough water.  Do not add salt, sugar or any other flavouring while cooking them.

Freezing Pre-cooked Pulses :

     If you prefer to cook more portion of pulses and save it for future use cook bigger batches and freeze in meal-size portions. Use clean and dry small plastic bags or airtight boxes with lids to store them. Cool them well before freezing them. Defrost as usual, or in a microwave.  Use them within one months time.
Can store them in the refrigerator too, if so use them within two to three days time.


Frozen Peas/ Beans :
We can also buy ready made frozen peas or broad beans from the super market and store them as per instructions.  They are of great use and also can be readily used. During fresh Peas season, when we can get them cheaply and in large quantities, we can store them in clean and dry small plastic bags or airtight boxes with lids.  Peel and clean them before storing.  Make sure the peas are not wet.  Can do the same with Broad beans too.

How to avoid Bloating caused by Lentils, Beans and & Pulses?

   The reason behind Lentils, Beans & Pulses causes bloating and flatulence is because they contain high levels of fibre & phytic acid(Phytates).

• Soaking them in plenty of water can reduce the phytate levels.
• Adding few drops of Lemon juice or Vinegar to the water used for soaking breaks down the phytates present in the outer coating of the Lentils, Beans & Pulses.
• Once soaked, rinse them thoroughly and discard the water used for soaking.
• Cook them in fresh water.     

   Carminatives help soothe the digestive tract and reduce the symptoms of bloating and flatulence. There are many herbs and spices with carminative properties which have been traditionally used for its culinary and medicinal values. Star anise, Caraway, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Nutmeg, Parsley and Peppermint. These herbs and spices have been used in cooking for many years; not only do they add flavour, but also improve the digestion and reduce the symptoms of bloating and flatulence.  Adding some of the above spices and herbs are very common while cooking Lentils, Beans & Pulses.

---

IMPORTANT: Pulse Safety!
While pulses are one of the most healthy and unprocessed foods available, it is always good to follow certain guidelines while cooking them

• Rinse beans and change the water if soaking longer than a day,  during extensive soaking.
• Soaking & Cooking the beans thoroughly - Most of the dried bean varieties contain a naturally occurring toxin called LECTIN or PHYTOPHAEMAGGLUTININ. This is destroyed when cooked. When not soaked and cooked properly, it may trigger food poisoning. 
• Lectin is present in kidney beans, cannellini beans, black beans, haricot beans and butter beans. 
• Soya beans don’t contain lectin, but they do need to be soaked and cooked thoroughly.
• Do NOT cook raw beans in a crock pot/slow cooker as this increases their toxicity! However, it is safe to add pre-cooked beans to a crock pot or oven casserole, stew etc.,
• Do not sprout the above types of beans.