Posted by kathryn in Shopping Basket, A Balanced Diet, Vegan and Legumes

So having talked about why legumes are so good for you, it’s time to post about how to cook them. While tinned beans and lentils are really convenient and I always have some in the cupboard, soaking and cooking them from scratch is definitely cheaper. It also means you can cook the legumes to exactly the texture and taste that you want – whether that be soupy or more crunchy. Cooked legumes freeze really well, so I always make more than I need.

Categories:

• lentils – green, brown and Puy lentils
• beans – chickpeas, red kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed beans, haricots, adzukis, and so on
• split peas and beans, also known as dals, eg mung dal, split red lentils, chana dal

Basic principles:

• Most legumes available in Australia are pretty clean, although I would still advise you to wash and pick over them before using.
• Beans need to be soaked before cooking, while lentils and dals don’t. The soaking reduces their cooking time, ensures more even cooking and it destroys some of the flatulence-causing oligosaccharides.
• Do not add salt to the cooking beans until near the end.
• Once the legumes are cooking, partially cover them with a lid. Don’t fully cover them, as they tend to boil over really easily.
• Legumes roughly triple in bulk when they are cooked, so you’ll need a big pan and don’t go too crazy with your quantities.
• The cooking times below are rough guides only, the quality and freshness of dried beans varies enormously, which affects their cooking time.

How to cook lentils:

For every 200g of lentils you’ll need about 600ml of water. Put this in a large saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Cook for about 20 minutes for salads, 30 – 35 mins for main dishes and at least 40 mins for soups. Add salt towards the end of the cooking time.

How to cook beans:

Whole beans need to be soaked before cooking, there are two options for this:

• Overnight soaking – put the washed beans into a bowl and cover with water. The water should cover the beans by at least 10cm. Leave for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Quick-soak method – the quick-soak method is my favourite, as I slightly prefer the texture of the final cooked bean, although the term “quick” is only really in comparison to the overnight method! Put the washed beans in a large-ish saucepan and cover with water so the beans are covered by at least 10cm. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 2 – 3 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pan and then leave the beans in the water for 1 hour.

To cook, drain the soaked beans put in a large pan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and then partially cover. If white froth forms on the top of the water then spoon it out. Simmer for between 45 mins and 1.5 hours – yes, seriously the cooking time can vary this much depending on the type of bean, the freshness and what consistency you want. Season with salt about 10 minutes before the cooking is finished. Drain the beans and then they’re ready to use.

How to cook split peas (dals):

Like lentils, split peas don’t need to be soaked before cooking. They can be used in soups and to make dal.

For every 200g of dried split peas you need about 1 litre of liquid. Put the washed peas and water into a large-ish saucepan and bring to the boil. Spoon out any froth that forms on the top, turn the heat down and leave to simmer, partially covered. As the split peas cook they will disintegrate until you’re left with a soupy-stew.

13 July, 2006