Chana dal to chickpeas; know ideal duration of soaking pulses from expert
Soaking pulses and lentils for the right duration can boost their nutrient availability and digestibility. Know idea duration to soak different varieties.
Soaking your pulses before cooking can multiply the benefits of this protein powerhouse. Not only it improves nutrients absorption, it helps remove anti-nutrient phytic acid and helps in binding calcium, iron and zinc. Soaking lentils for the ideal duration can also improve its digestibility and those with poor digestion can benefit from it apart from reducing the cooking time and boosting taste. Not all pulses or lentils are however soaked for the same duration. While some need 8-10 hours before their full benefits can be reaped, for others 4-5 hours is more than enough. (Also read: Is it important to soak mangoes before eating? Nutritionists answer)
Pulses must be included in meals every day as they are full of essential nutrients. A storehouse of protein and fibre, pulses also have vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, folate and magnesium. Eating daal every day is good for keeping chronic diseases away. They help in improving your heart health, aids in reducing LDL or bad cholesterol and also in reducing blood pressure. People with diabetes can manage their blood sugar levels better with pulses.
Considering soaking pulses can unlock their full benefits, one must try to do that for the right duration.
There is always a confusion about which legume/pulse needs to be soaked when? Nutritionist Juhi Kapoor in her recent Instagram reel shared suitable duration for soaking all varieties.
Category 1: Split pulses
Easy to cook and hence the soaking time can be as small as 4-6 hours. Eg: Yellow Moong Dal, Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Tuvar Dal among others. Basically these are split pulses - when the whole legume variety is divided into half.
Category 2: Whole Legumes
Legumes are basically pods of plants and whole in structure. This category consists of smaller legumes like cowpea, green moong dal, kultih or moth. These can be sprouted too. It is suitable to soak them for 6-8 hours.
Category 3: Beans & Chickpeas
These are the bigger legume variety like soybean, kidney beans, Bengal gram, black beans. Due to their size and tough structure, it is suitable to soak this variety for 8-10 hours.
Why is duration of soaking important?
Juhi Kapoor also explains why it is important to soak pulses for the right duration.
-Soaking reduces the cooking time and thus, avoid loss of nutrients.
-Makes pulses and Legumes easier to digest, lighter on stomach.
-Lowers the impact of anti-nutrients in legumes and improves nutrient availability.
- Reduces the likelihood of bloating and digestive trouble after eating legumes.
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