HEALTHY TRENDS: How to сook peas perfectly

Peas are a unique product from the legume family. They are fully absorbed by the body, contain valuable health elements, and are rich in vegetable protein. They are also used to prepare a variety of delicious dishes that, thanks to their health benefits, supplement and enrich everyone’s diet.

However, pea-based dishes are quite rare in home cooking. This is due to the popular misunderstanding that peas take a long time to cook. Some people even believe that it takes several hours. Today, we will dispel these long-standing myths and tell you how long to cook peas in a pot and how to soak them properly.

How long should peas be cooked without soaking?

Similar to other grains, the cooking time for peas depends on several factors: the size of the peas, the date of production, the cooking method, the desired texture of the dish, etc. However, on average, the cooking time for split peas is 50 minutes, and for crushed peas, it is 40 minutes.

Pre-soaking in water will help make the texture of the finished dish creamier and reduce the cooking time slightly. This option is not required, but many cooking enthusiasts recommend this method for best results.

How long should peas be soaked?

There is no specific time for soaking dry split peas, and it varies from 2 to 6 hours. It depends mostly on how much free time you have. For instance, you can soak the peas early in the morning to prepare a delicious, flavourful soup for lunch. But if your time is limited and your hungry family desires tasty meal as soon as possible, you can limit yourself to expressing soaking for a few hours or choose split peas in cooking bags.

We strongly don’t recommend soaking peas for a long time or overnight. Staying in water for too long will reduce the nutritional value of the product and diminish its aroma.

How to soak peas?

It may seem that this process is extremely easy. There are a number of points that need to consider. Therefore, we are posting detailed instructions on how to soak peas:

Choose a suitably sized container, keeping in mind that the peas will almost double in size.

Rinse the peas a few times under cold running water.

Cover the peas with plenty of cool water, so that the water level is 2-3 cm above the peas, and leave them in a cool place.

If the peas are being soaked for 6 hours, change the water after 3 hours to prevent them from fermenting.

At the end of the soaking process, be sure to drain all the water and rinse the peas thoroughly again.

Place the rinsed peas to a pot and covered with cold water in the right amount for the dish you are cooking. If you are making porridge, a side dish or pea soup, the ratio of peas to water is 1:3. If you are making soup, use 2-3 liters of liquid.

Turn on the heat, bring to a boil, and then cook according to the recipe.

Rules for easy pea cooking

The first and most important rule for cooking peas is to salt the dish at the end. If you do this at the beginning of the process, the peas may remain hard even after cooking. Therefore, do not salt until the heat is turned off.

The second important tip is to cook with the lid half open. If you close the lid completely, the water may escape or boil away; while a half-open lid will help you control the water level and add more water if necessary.

The third tip is to choose the right size of peas. We recommend avoiding whole peas, which are very inconvenient to cook, and giving preference to other types of peas:

MAKFA split peas are ideal for pea soup (гиперссылка https://makfahealth.com/recipes/spicy_soup_with_pumpkin_and_peas_87/) or Thai pea hummus ( гиперссылка https://makfahealth.com/recipes/thai_hummus_54/) with a smooth, creamy consistency;

MAKFA split peas in convenient cooking bags are the best choice for side dishes or porridge. By the way, peas in cooking bags do not need to be soaked or rinsed.

Keeping these details in mind will ensure you have a positive experience while cooking pea dishes. MAKFA—delicious, healthy, and enjoyable!