The real reason why Dal is soaked before cooking

Lentils and legumes have been a quintessential part of Indian cuisine so much so that every region has some or the other delicacy made with dals. But have you ever questioned the age-old ritual of cooking dal after hours of soaking in water? Well, here’s the answer to this traditional cooking ritual decoded for you!

Soaking not only helps in reducing the impact of acids in legumes and lentils, but also helps in bringing Prana(life) to lentils and increases the health quotient of dals as per Ayurveda.

Soaking lentils can help in softening the texture and also helps in reducing the cooking time. But wait there’s more to it, according to Ayurveda soaking removes the presence of phytic acid and tannins from the legumes (which blocks the absorption of nutrition from it and causes bloating). This is the main reason why many people experience discomfort and heaviness after eating legumes.

Apart from that, it also helps in stimulating Amylase, which is basically a molecule that helps in breaking the complex starch in lentils and legumes and makes it easier for the body to digest. Washing as well as soaking legumes also helps in discarding Oligosaccharides, which are types of complex sugars that often trigger bloating and discomfort.

Thus, it is best to wash and soak legumes and lentils for better absorption of nutrients and better digestion.