Digvir S. Jayas, vice-president (research and international) conducts research on pulses. // Photo by Adam Dolman
Quickening the pace of cooking pulses
The UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP).
Pulses are leguminous plants, including the likes of lentils, beans and chickpeas. The term “pulses” is confined to crops harvested solely for dry grain.
“The IYP 2016 aims to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition,” writes the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba, including Digvir S. Jayas, vice-president (research and international), developed a technique to help speed up the time it takes to prepare pulses, looking at the red lentil, chickpea, pigeon pea, mung bean and pinto bean.
“Microwave treatment has significantly reduced cooking time of all pulses,” write the researchers.
The paper also looks at the effects of microwaving on nutrient qualities.
“The lipid/protein ratio was increased for red lentil, chickpea, and mung bean at both microwave treatments relative to control,” write the researchers.
Their full paper and its finding on reducing cooking times for pulses, and the effects of microwaving on nutrient qualities, can be found here.