A Guide to Pulses: Soaking, Cooking and Storing

White beans with rice, red lentil soup, chickpea stews... Pulses are the backbone of Turkish cooking. They are filling, cheap, and rich in protein and fibre. But chickpeas that stay hard, beans that collapse into mush, or the bloating after the meal put many beginners off. In this guide we get to know pulses step by step.

Buying and storing

A good bean dish starts with good beans.

• Choose shiny, brightly coloured pulses of similar size. Avoid broken, wrinkled or pitted ones.
• Pulses go stale. Beans or chickpeas that have sat for a year or two may never soften, however long you cook them. Buy the new crop where you can and use it within a year.
• Store dried pulses in airtight jars somewhere cool, dry and dark. Tucking a bay leaf or two into the jar is an old household habit.
• Before cooking, spread them on a tray and pick them over; small stones, grit or bad beans can turn up.

Soaking: how long, and how?

Soaking shortens cooking time, helps pulses cook evenly and makes them easier to digest.

• Chickpeas, white beans, borlotti, black-eyed beans: At least 8-12 hours, or overnight. Use plenty of water, as they can double in size. In hot weather, soak them in the fridge so they don't start to ferment.
• Green or brown lentils: No soaking needed, though you can soak them for an hour or two.
• Red lentils and bulgur: No soaking; a rinse is enough.

If you forgot to soak them the night before, use the quick-soak method: bring the pulses to the boil in plenty of water, boil for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat and leave them covered for an hour. Then drain and cook as usual.

Cooking times

These times are for soaked pulses and vary with the age of the crop. Always check by tasting a few: the inside should be creamy and soft, with no chalky core.

• Chickpeas: 1.5-2 hours in a pot; 20-30 minutes in a pressure cooker once it reaches pressure.
• White beans: 1-1.5 hours in a pot; 15-25 minutes under pressure.
• Borlotti beans: 1-1.5 hours in a pot; 15-20 minutes under pressure.
• Green lentils: 25-35 minutes in a pot.
• Red lentils: 15-20 minutes in a pot; they break down as they cook.

An important warning: Red kidney beans and large dried beans contain a natural toxin when raw, which is destroyed only by proper boiling. Always boil them hard for at least 10 minutes, and never cook them only in a slow cooker or at a low simmer without boiling first.

Using a pressure cooker

The pressure cooker is a pulse cook's best friend, but follow a few rules:

1. Fill it no more than halfway; pulses foam and can block the valve.
2. A spoonful of oil reduces foaming.
3. When the time is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally. Releasing the steam suddenly makes the skins burst.
4. If you're unsure, err on the short side. Simmering underdone beans for a few more minutes is easier than rescuing mush.

When to add salt and acid

It is widely believed that salt toughens pulses, but salt added to the soaking water or during cooking actually softens the skins and seasons them from within. What you really need to watch is acid: tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon and vinegar slow down softening. Add them once the pulses are nearly cooked.

Reducing bloating

Certain carbohydrates in pulses can cause gas. You can't avoid it completely, but you can reduce it:

• Always discard the soaking water and rinse the pulses well.
• Skim off the foam that rises in the first boil. If you like, discard the first boiling water too and continue with fresh water.
• Cumin, bay leaves, fennel seed and thyme are traditionally cooked with pulses and are believed to aid digestion.
• Cook pulses until they are truly soft; undercooked beans are harder to digest.
• If you aren't used to pulses, start with small portions and increase gradually. Your body adapts over time.

Storing cooked pulses

Cooking a big batch and storing it saves a lot of time.

• Keep cooked pulses in their cooking liquid in a lidded container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Divide into portions or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. If you drain them and freeze them spread on a tray first, they won't stick together.
• Don't throw away the cooking liquid; it makes a tasty stock for soups and stews.

Final word

Pulses ask for patience but repay it many times over. Make overnight soaking a habit, get to know your pressure cooker, and cook by tasting. Soon the chickpeas coming out of your pot will be as soft as butter.