Is Soaking Rajma And Lobia Before Cooking Really Important? Let's Find Out

It's fascinating to see how every person has unique cooking practices which they perform every day, without even paying much attention to the details. For instance, you will find people mixing store-bought masalas in hot water, then straining and using them in food. Have you ever wondered why? Then there are people who leave the last sip of chai in the cup, instead of totally finishing it off. Have you ever asked them why? Likewise, one such practice is soaking lobia, rajma, and other such beans overnight before actually cooking the food. In this article, we will decode the culinary practice to understand the reason for doing so.
Also Read: Why Beans Are A Superfood For Your Skin You Should Not Ignore

Why Do You Soak Legumes And Beans Before Cooking?

Reason 1. Easy to cook:

Beans and legumes, especially the dried ones have firm outer coat that often makes it hard to boil. In fact, we have seen unsoaked rajma, chana dal, chole taking up to two hours to cook. On the other hand, soaking legumes softens the outer layer and saves a lot of cooking time. In fact, you would be fascinated to know that soaked dal can be cooked in three to four whistles of your pressure cooker.

Reason 2. Better texture:

You will often find soaked beans burst or split up while cooking. This gives your final product a better texture and makes your fish taste way better. This is why, you will often find people mashing a few boiled chole to add thickness to the curry.

Reason 3. Easy to digest:

A report in WebMD reads that unsoaked beans, especially dried ones like rajma, chole, safed matar, etc. contain oligosaccharides - a form of carbohydrate that is hard to digest. This further leads to the formation of gas in your stomach, resulting in indigestion, acidity, and constipation.
Soaking helps eliminate some of the oligosaccharides and makes it easier for your body to break it down and enjoy all the benefits. Alongside, it also prevents gas production in the intestine.
Also Read: Forgot To Soak Rajma, Chole Overnight? Try This Trick

Is It Really Necessary To Soak Beans Overnight?

By now, we all know, that soaking helps you cook the beans faster. Alongside, it also breaks down the complex carbs, making them easy to digest. But that doesn't mean you need to soak them overnight. The WebMD report further reads that the best practice is to soak beans at room temperature for up to four hours. Exceeding the time limit might multiply the bacteria in the beans, increasing the harmful levels of toxins. However, the soaking time may vary and stretch up to eight hours as per the type of beans and their firmness.

What Is The Right Method To Soak Beans:

Step 1. Clean the chole, lobia, rajma, or whatever you want to soak. Wash them well in running water.
Step 2. Take a bowl of water and add the legume to it. Make sure you use clean drinking water as any kind of contamination might affect your health.
Step 3. Make sure the water level is one inch above the legume you soaked.
Step 4. Once done, strain the excess water and boil the legume in fresh water.
And finally, you are good to go. Happy cooking, everyone!