©Ashy's vegetarian recipes.

Cooking pulses (legumes)

In short, there are a few key points to remember here.

1. Soak anything bigger than a split-pea overnight.
2. Never add salt until they're cooked.
3. Boil vigorously for ten minutes with the lid off the pan before reducing to a simmer and covering.
4. Skim off any froth that is produced.
5. The larger pulses can take a hell of a long time to cook.
6. Watch they don't boil dry.
7. The addition of a little bicarbonate of soda makes the larger pulses cook quicker and go much softer than might normally be expected.

That's all you need to know really, but if you want to read on, here it is again with more detail and some qualifications added.

1. Soak anything bigger than a split-pea overnight.
- If you don't you can cook your beans all day and they won't go soft. Rinse the beans (peas, whatever) well before covering with water. They will swell to more than twice their size so make sure the container is big enough and fill with water almost to the top. Rinse and add fresh water before cooking.

2. Never add salt until they're cooked.
- This is a must (or a 'must not' rather). If you add salt the pulses will stay tough no matter how long you cook them for.

3. Boil vigorously for ten minutes with the lid off the pan before reducing to a simmer and covering.
- This seems to help them cook faster - perhaps because they get heated right through at the outset.

4. Skim off any froth that is produced.
- The froth can make the final dish bitter tasting. If you are going to drain the pulses before using in a recipe, this point is not so important.

5. The larger pulses can take a hell of a long time to cook.
- Just remember this. There's not a lot you can do about it and it depends on the particular beans you are using (how old they are, how they have been stored etc.) as well as the variety. Using a pressure cooker might be an option - at the moment I don't know enough about them to give advice and I find them a bit scary. I will try some day and publish the results of my research. Watch this space.

- Point 7 below is also a speedy alternative, but read the notes.

6. Watch they don't boil dry.
- Keep your eye on them. This is especially true of the larger beans which take longer to cook. If they look as if they will need more water, stick the kettle on. Adding boiling water means the cooking won't be interrupted.

7. The addition of a little bicarbonate of soda makes the larger pulses cook quicker and go much softer than might normally be expected.
- This is frowned upon by many nutritionists (amateur and otherwise) because it ruins the vitamins in the pulses. While this may be true, the soda probably makes the pulses more digestible. It is also worth considering that if you are making humus, for example, where the pulses are cooked and drained before other ingredients are added, then the loss of vitamins will only be from the pulses but if, on the other hand, the recipe involves cooking other ingredients along with the pulses, one would assume that the vitamins in all the ingredients would be spoiled. I wouldn't worry about it too much as long as you're not adding baking soda to your food every day.

A more important concern for me is that the soda often imparts an unpleasant taste. This effect can be lessened by using the minimum amount of soda (about 1/4 teaspoon for 1/2 kilo of dried beans) Be careful when salting any dish cooked with soda. Use half as much salt as you would normally add.

beans and pulses recipes