Pulses: Lentils, Peas & Beans | |
Pulses (peas, beans and lentils) are a highly nutritious and versatile staple food. All pulses are high in protein and offer a good amount of fibre (particularly when left in their husks). Beans and peas are very inexpensive to buy, they have long shelf life and are surprisingly filling. In fact, pulses make very good "student food" (beans on toast is a good starting place).
In modern day meals, typically in Western cultures, pulses are used less frequently and our understanding of how to use them/why we should use them is being lost. Pulses can be used in all kinds of dishes and are very satisfying.
Pulses can be cooked into hot meals such as soups, curry and stews. They can be cooked and squashed into patties or burgers. They can be cooked then cooled and added to salads. Many pulses can also be sprouted (such as, bean sprouts) and added to stir-fries and salads. |
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Pulses A-Z: | |
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Aduki beans are a little red bean popular in China and Japan. They are high in protein, Iron and folate. They taste similar to kidney beans and would go well in chilli con carne, curry and stir-fry. Cooking time: Approximately 30 minutes (less if soaked first).  | Black-eye peas (or black-eye beans) are pale coloured with a distinctive black dot. They come from the cow pea family.They are either cooked in sauces with vegetables and meats, or served in salads with a light dressing. Cooking Time: Approximately 20 minutes. |
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Black Turtle Beans are a general-purpose bean. They are slightly smaller than haricot beans and high in minerals, as well as protein, vitamin B6 and folic acid. | Borlotti beans are a type of kidney bean and are a light brown mottled colour. These beans are used in Italian cooking.
Cooking time: Approximately 45 minutes. |
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A light brown, plump lentil
Slightly nutty and earthy in flavour and holds a firm shape. Can be seasoned with herbs & spices. | Butter beans are large, flat yellow-white beans, with a creamy texture; popular in the British diet. They are high in fibre, protein and low in fat.
Cooking time: Approximately 40 minutes |
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The Cannellini Bean (also known as the White Kidney Bean or the White Alubia bean) is from the haricot bean family. It is an off white bean which is long and oval in shape. These are used often in Italian cooking. Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour. | Chickpeas are yellow, medium sized round peas which have multiple uses. They can be added into soups and curries but are famously used for making hummus.
Cooking time: Approximately 40 minutes (tip: pre-soak in the morning, to shorten cooking time in the evening) |
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Chana Dal are halved chickpeas. They take less time to cook than whole chickpeas.
Cooking time: Approximately 20-25 minutes | A Dark, Speckled Lentil
French Type lentils have a very mild peppery and slightly meaty flavour. They remain quite firm once cooked and are also suitable for sprouting. Cooking time: Approximately 30 minutes |
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Bigger & almost "meaty" in textureLots of flavour - compliments warm meat and vegetable dishes & adds depth to salads. Cooking time: Approximately: 30 minutes. | Organic Green Split peas are dried halved green peas. They are full of protein and have a very mild sweetness. They cook quite quickly: Approximately 15-20 minutes. |
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Haricot beans are small off-white oval beans which cook to a fluffy, creamy consistancy inside. These are the beans used in baked beans. Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour - 1 hour ½ | Kidney beans are long, curved red beans which are high in fibre, iron and magnesium. They release carbohydrates slowly making these a great source of energy.
Cooking time: Approximately 20-40 minutes |
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Moth Beans are tiny brown coloured beans that have a deep nutty flavour. They are common in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern & Indian cuisine. Despite their name, they are pronounced "moat" and they are quite delicious.
Cooking time: 15 - 25 minutes. | Mung beans are very small greeny-yellow beans. They can be cooked into curries and soups or sprouted (like bean sprouts). Moong Dal is the split mung bean which makes it like a lentil. These cook quicker than the whole ones.
Cooking time: Approximately 20-25 minutes. |
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Pinto beans are a bit like a kidney bean in size, flavour and texture. It is brown and mottled in colour and is used in Mexican and American dishes, such as refried beans and chilli con carne. | Soya beans are very hard, ivory coloured round beans. These are a fantastic source of protein and are very versatile. These can take a long time to cook. We advise you soak these first.
Cooking time: Approximately 3 hours (it takes half the time when using a pressure cooker). |
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Red Cow Peas are from the same family as black eye peas. These are slightly smaller however which means they are quicker to cook.
Cooking time: Approximately 15 minutes | Red lentils are a good place to start if you are new to trying pulses. They are slightly sweet and nutty in flavour. They are quick to cook as they have had their husks removed and have been halved. Cooking time: Approximately 10-15 minutes |
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Yellow Split Peas are also known as yellow lentils. Theyare typically used in soups and Indian cuisine. Cooking time: Approximately 25 minutes | |
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| | Packs of single seeds
Singly sold seeds allows you to pick and mix which seeds you'd like to try. Single packets of seeds include:
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Cooking PulsesPeas, Beans and Lentils are easy to cook. Add to boiling water and boil as you would boil rice.
Many pulses take on average 35 minutes to cook, depending on their size. Red lentils, chana dal and smaller peas take 15 - 25 minutes. Harder or larger beans such as kidney beans, butter beans, soya beans and chickpeas can take between 40 minutes - over an hour. These do better when pre-soaked the night or morning before you want to cook them. Long cooking time is ok. You can leave them alone to simmer whilst you do other things. (We specify cooking time on each product page).
Pre-soaking is not always necessary. Pre-soaking simply shortens cooking time. This is good if you plan ahead, otherwise you'll pre-soak for the same amount of time that you could be boiling them for.
Beans for Beginners
If you are new to pulses, we recommend trying out the following to get you started;Red Split Lentils (the quickest to cook & are easy to digest), Haricot Beans, Mung Beans and Aduki Beans. | |
