Chickpeas and kidney beans: soak, boil, simmer
Dried pulses need time and water. A soak, a hard boil and a gentle simmer make them tender — and for kidney beans, the boil matters.
Dried chickpeas and beans are staples of ash, abgoosht and ghormeh sabzi. Before cooking, spread them on a tray to pick out any small stones or damaged pieces, then rinse them.
Soak them in plenty of cold water — about three times their volume — for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. They'll roughly double in size. Pour away the soaking water and rinse again.
Red kidney beans need extra care: raw or undercooked kidney beans contain a natural lectin that can upset the stomach. After soaking, boil them hard in fresh water for at least 10 minutes before lowering the heat. If you use a slow cooker, boil them separately first.
Then simmer gently until tender. Chickpeas usually take one to two hours and kidney beans about an hour; older pulses take longer. Acidic ingredients such as tomato paste or dried lime slow the softening, so many cooks add them once the pulses are nearly done.
Cooked pulses keep for a few days in the fridge, or can be frozen in their cooking liquid. Keep dried pulses in a closed container in a cool, dry place.
This note is general and educational; for exact LUXSPRING product specifications, contact the sales team.
