Dried Bean Cooking

By Steve-3

How to cook dried chick peas or other beans.

Ingredients

• dried chick peas

Preparation

Step 1

Stove Top


This soaking method from Nigella Lawson (who got it from Anna del Conte) works like a miracle for me: Put the dried chickpeas in a bowl, cover with water. In a small bowl or glass, mix one teaspoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of salt. Add enough water to make a thin paste, add to the beans. Cover and let soak overnight, or up to 24 or even 36 hours in the fridge.

When you're ready, drain and rinse the peas. Put them in a pot with water to cover, and bring to a boil. They should be very tender after simmering for about half an hour.

last thing i might suggest is to allow your chickpeas to cool in thier own salted water. When i worked in restaurants, I always found the texture element to evolve within the cooldown, not just for chickpeas but other large "soaker" beans.


The basics:

--Put beans in a heavy, covered ovenproof pot such as a dutch oven. Most beans do not require soaking, though I find that chick peas cook quicker and more evenly after an overnight soak. Cover the beans about 4 times their depth if not soaked, twice their depth if soaked.

--Add salt to the cooking water. It flavors them as they cook. The notion that salt toughens beans is a myth. I often add a few garlic cloves, a pinch of dried thyme, a bay leaf or two, and black pepper or red pepper flakes, too.

--Bring the beans to a boil on the stovetop, then cover the pan and continue cooking, covered, in a 350 F oven. Check the beans now and then, add more water if necessary, and taste for doneness. Soft chick peas (presoaked) take about 1.5 hours for me. Your timing my vary. The oven ensures slow, gentle cooking that is essential to properly done beans.



Crock pot:

I do soak the beans and then into the crockpot on low overnight and then they are ready the next day around noon. To me its the easiest because if they're on the stove they take more of my time monitoring their progress.

I don't know if it's my imagination or what, but they always turn out so much better in the crockpot, and there is no chance of scorching the bottom either. I do all beans in the crockpot and they always turn out great. It just takes a little planning is all.