The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Boiling or Pressure Cooking: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends boiling or pressure cooking pulses to improve their nutritional quality. These methods destroy anti-nutritional factors (enzyme inhibitors) and increase digestibility and protein availability¹.
2. Cooking Times:
   • Lentils and Split Peas: Boil for 20-30 minutes or pressure cook for 5-10 minutes.
   • Whole Beans and Chickpeas: Boil for 60-90 minutes (or 30-40 minutes if pre-soaked) or pressure cook for a similar duration².
3. Water Amount: Use just enough water during boiling to retain folate in legumes. Avoid excessive water, as longer cooking can reduce the nutritive value of pulses¹.
4. Protein Retention: Both boiling and pressure cooking retain a large percentage of pulse protein. Pressure cooking may have a slight advantage in protein retention over boiling¹.
5. Other Considerations:
   • Lectins: Both methods successfully destroy lectins, which can irritate the digestive tract.
   • Phytic Acid: Pressure cooking may be more effective in reducing phytic acid due to higher temperature and shorter cooking time.
   • Soaking pulses overnight can also help reduce overall cooking time¹.

Remember to enjoy your pulses while keeping their nutritional benefits intact! 😊🌱¹²