Soaking Pulses

Almost all dried pulses require presoaking to speed up the cooking process, and soaking is also supposed to help to reduce any tendency to flatulence. Although not essential, pulses intended for the pressure cooker are best presoaked as this cuts down on foaming. Pulses can be soaked in cold water for up to 8-12 hours. Smaller pulses, such as lentils, can be cooked without soaking, particularly red lentils which can be tipped straight from the pack into the cooking pot and only take 20 minutes or less to cook. Thicker green and brown lentils, however, cook far quicker if soaked for a couple of hours beforehand. If you forget to start soaking larger pulses well in advance, then you can cut the soaking time to 1-2 hours by covering in boiling water and then cooking them a little longer.