Pulses Novice needs HELP!!!!

tryhard_2

i make a dish similar to the madhur jaffrey one without the 6 tbsp oil. just use 1 teaspoon oil and add a bit of low fat yougurt at the end to make it creamier

aurorahelios

We had that Madhur Jaffrey curry on Saturday, it was lovely although IMO very salty. I would make it again but reduce the salt.

Strepsy

I keep meaning to make this Red Dragon pie, and not just because of the fab name. Maybe you could substitute the aduki for one of yours. Let me know if you try it anyway. http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/recipes.php?i=4

angelavdavis

aurorahelios wrote:

We had that Madhur Jaffrey curry on Saturday, it was lovely although IMO very salty. I would make it again but reduce the salt.

Yes now you mention it, I agree it is salty - I think I also cut down on the salt (I would struggle to add two teaspoons in any dish to be honest as I am so used to cutting down on salt)

wendym

I'm reading this thread cos as a result of my pantry blitz I have a huge pan of soaked and boiled rosecoco beans.

O/T I just wanted to say that the last time we ate an authentic Kashmiri meal in Bradford I thought I was going to die of salt poisoning. It took 48 hours of mad thirst to recover.

Squiggly_Diddly

These confuse me so much....lol!!!

I often see recipes including lentils/pulses/beans .... but aren't you supposed to do something like soak them overnight etc... I would like to try to do more with these in my cooking, especially as they're a [STRIKE]reasonable[/STRIKE] cheap! way of making things more filling, and bulking food out. And there are sooooo many different types & colours!

But, I just don't "get it" with what to use where, and how....

Can anyone shed any light (in a type of "idiot's guide to....") please?!

JoJoB

I've just started to use dried beans/pulses instead of tins - there should be instructions for how long to soak etc on the packet.

For something like a veggie shepherds pie I will use a higher proportion of lentils to beans. The beans I will soak overnight and then cook till soft (this can vary from 1 hour to 3, depending on the beans). Lentils can often be cooked without soaking - again from 1-3 hours (sometimes the pack has called for 3 but I've found they have cooked in a much shorter time, it's just trial and error really).

Best thing to do is soak loads of beans ovenight and cook them the following day and batch freeze. Then when you want to make chilli or whatever you have some already in the freezer that can be chucked into the dish without all the soaking and faffing.

poodlehorse

Beans need overnight soaking and in the case of kidney beans (and according to delia soya beans too) need boiling for ten mins [soak overnight then drain and boil in fresh water]. Dried peas and lentils can be used just as they are but quite confusingly some recipes call for soaking. Also don't add salt at the start of cooking as (again according to Dame Delia) this draws out moisture which with a dried thing you are trying to get back in so add salt nearer the end of cooking. Hope this helps.

Olliebeak

This is just my own preference - but other people may do otherwise.

For traditional 'British' casseroles and soups, I tend to use 'soup and broth mix' (lentils/yellow split peas/dried peas/barley).

For curries, I would use just lentils.

In the case of a chilli, I have some dried mixed beans which need soaking overnight and then 'vigorous boiling' (necessary to kill off any toxins present in kidney beans) for at least 10 - 15 mins BEFORE being put into the meal.

The mixed beans and lentils also go very well in a casoulet (rustic sausage/beany/beefy casserole).

But if you are just throwing a meal together for budget reasons, then I suppose anything can be used to bulk out almost any meal - then it's just down to what your family like/will eat without too much protest/what you can disguise without them noticing (lentils disguise very well indeed )!

Dobie

Well done you for trying something different. Not only is it money saving to use lentils & beans etc. it's also very healthy. They're full of vitamins & minerals.

I agree with what JoJoB said about soaking & boiling up in bulk & then freezing in portions. I do this with mine & then the dried ones are just as convenient as tinned.

My suggestion would be to try each variety on it's own first rather than to buy a mix. This is just so you know what each one tastes like & which ones you like best.

I like most of them but chickpeas are my absolute favourite. They have a fairly mild, nutty taste& are great in curries so you could try making a veggie curry with chickpeas as your first experiment & see how that goes down. Chickpeas need the overnight soaking, boil for 10 minutes & then simmer until tender treatment. Why not try buying a tin for the first time? They taste almost as good & although not as cheap as dried, they're still inexpensive & it will save you throwing loads away if you decide they're not for you.

I'd also try red lentils to bulk out mince. They don't need soaking & you'll probably find nobody notices because they absord the flavour of the sauce/gravy.