reason: heat penetrates a dry seed faster than
water does. If beans are cooked directly from
the dry state, much of the cooking time is
actually spent waiting for water to get to the
center. Meanwhile the outer portions of the
bean cook more than they need to and may get
undesirably fragile.
Briefly Fermented Legumes in India
Though India isn’t as fond of fermented
foods as many other countries, it did find
ways of turning legume and rice gruels into
slightly raised pancakes and steamed
cakes. In the making of the cakes called
idli, cooked black gram and rice are ground
and mixed to make a thick batter, then
allowed to ferment overnight. The same
lactic acid bacteria found in fermented
milks and creams (Leuconostoc
mesenteroides, Lactobacillus delbrueckii
and L. lactis, Streptococcus faecalis) as
well as some yeasts (Geotrichum