Legumes (hobubot) are a very good source of protein and dietary fiber in any diet, even more so in a vegetarian diet. There are so many different legumes with different flavors, textures and colors to easily make delicious colorful meals that are anything but boring. Besides beans the legume family also includes peas and lentils.
Before cooking, legumes need to be picked through very carefully since almost every time you will find some debris mixed in (anywhere from merely discolored or broken pieces to small pebbles). To do this, spread them on a light-colored platter to makes the debris more visible. Discard any legume that seems to have holes or dark discolorations. The legumes need to be washed in cold water couple of times before cooking since they are never washed after being harvested.
The split peas and lentils don’t take very long to cook, watch that they are not overcooked. To cook this group of legumes add them to a saucepan large enough to accommodate the volume that you’re cooking. Add enough water to cover the legumes by one inch. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer over medium low without covering the pot; it will boil over if you cover the pot. You may add a small amount of salt while they are cooking for added flavor.
However, cooking beans could be a bit challenging. They take a long time to cook and then they fall apart with most of the beans losing half their skin in the process and subsequently they do not look as nice in chilies, soups and especially salads. For these reasons most people resort to using canned beans, which is perfectly fine, but they have a lot of preservatives and a very high sodium content.
(Please scroll down to get the instructions for Home-Cooked Beans)
Black Beans (lubia siah) are smaller than most beans. They have a nutty flavor, a firm texture, and their shiny skin adds just the right touch to a colorful salsa, chili, or nachos.
Black eyed Peas or black eyed beans (lubia cheshm bolboli) have a distinctly different flavor than the other beans, so it is a good idea to taste one before substituting it in any recipe that calls for any other variety of beans. It also cooks faster than the other beans. Place cleaned and washed peas in a pot and fill it with enough cold water to cover the peas by about 2 inches. Add 1 tsp salt. Bring the water to a boil without covering. Allow to boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let it sit for 2 hours. This method soaks the peas and they cook in a matter of a few minutes afterwards and hold on to their shape and skin. Drain the water, cover the peas with fresh cold water, add another teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil without covering. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the peas are tender but firm. They taste good in salads, chilies, stews and soups, and best of all they have a reputation to bring good luck when eaten on New Year’s Day!
Brown Fava Beans (baghali ghahvehi). The cooked brown fava beans is called baghali pokhteh that is a very popular snack in fall and winter months in Iran. It is usually cooked until very tender and is served with olive oil, vinegar and spices. Imagine how amazing it would be if on a crisp fall evening while you’re out shopping with friends or running errands, you run into a street vendor who sells you a bowl of this hot from the pot that is in his handcart.
Dal is split red lentils without skin. It cook faster than the regular lentils and is a great addition to some soups. Dal is used in Turkish cooking and is used prevalently in Indian cooking.
Garbanzo Beans (nokhod), also called chickpeas. As one of the tastiest and most versatile beans, cooked garbanzo bean is used cold in salads, added to stews and soups, and hummus is really not hummus without it, especially since it means garbanzo bean.
Fresh Fava Beans or Broad Beans (baghali sabz) have a large green pod that resembles a peapod. The pod is twisted open to expose the large fava beans. The beans are separated into halves and used in several Persian dishes. One of the most traditional recipes is the Dill Fava Bean Rice (baghali polo ba shevid) and Baghali Ghatogh is a favorite Shomali (from North of Iran) dish.
Green Lentils (adase sabz) are smaller than the common lentils. They have a somewhat nutty flavor with firm texture and hold their shape after cooking. Enjoy them in salads, mixed with rice, or any recipe that calls for lentils.
Kidney Beans hold their shape and color nicely after cooking. They are used in chilis, salads and Stews such as Ghormeh Sabzi
The common lentils (adas) cook fairly quickly and need to be watched so they don’t overcook and become mushy.
Pinto Beans (lubia chiti) are the most common beans used in different cuisines around the world. The cooked pinto beans lose their speckled look and become a solid pinkish brown color. They have a smoother texture with tender skin that makes them perfect for making the refried beans that is used in Mexican cooking. Pinto beans are also used in many Persian recipes such as Ghormeh Sabzi and Aash Reshteh.
Red Beans (lubia ghermez) are smaller and rounder than kidney beans with a slightly firmer texture and similar to kidney beans retain their beautiful red color after cooking.
Red Lentils are by far the most tender of the lentil family. They have the fine skin that dal is missing. They can overcook before you know it. This is precisely why they are perfect for thickening soups and stews.
Yellow Split Peas (lapeh). There are two types of yellow split peas, fast cooking and slow cooking. I personally prefer the slow cooking variety because it holds its shape after cooking and does not fall apart; it also tastes better. There is also green split peas that is used in the green split pea soup. Yellow Split pea is a key ingredient in Persian Khoresh Gheymeh.
Each 1 ½ pounds of dry beans yields 3 pounds of cooked beans. So think of it this way instead of storing several cans of beans in your pantry, you will be storing small 1-pound bags of home-cooked beans in your freezer. Even if you don’t have a sodium restricted diet, once you have tasted the home-cooked beans you will have a hard time going back to the canned variety.
Yield: 3 pounds of cooked beans
Pick carefully through a 22-24 ounce bag and to get rid of any debris that might be mixed in. Wash the beans thoroughly with cold water and place them in a large stockpot so they have plenty of room when they increase in volume as they cook.
Add enough cold water to cover 2 inches above the level of beans. Add 1 TBSP salt. Place the pot uncovered over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a tight lid and leave at room temperature for 6 hours.
Drain and discard the water. This will help with some of the bloating that eating beans may cause in some people.
Place the beans back in the pot, add 1 TBSP salt and enough fresh cold water to cover 2 inches above the level of the beans. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and without covering the pot cook the beans for about 20 minutes, or until they are firm but cooked through.
Drain and cool the beans completely in a colander before dividing them into three 1-pound zippered bags. Store the bags in a larger freezer bags and freeze for up to 3-4 months. When ready to use leave the individual bags at room temperature for 20 minutes to defrost and use in all your recipes from salads to stews.