On Food and Cooking

candidum, Torulopsis species) feed on the
sugars and produce acids, aroma
compounds, carbon dioxide gas, and
viscous, sticky carbohydrates that thicken
the batter and help trap the gas bubbles.
The batter is then steamed to produce a
spongy, delicately flavored cake. Dhokla is
a similar preparation made using rice and
chickpeas. The dosa, a large fried disc,
crêpe-like but crisp, is made from a thin
fermented batter of rice and black gram.
Papadums, a familiar side dish in Indian
restaurants in the West, are thin wafers of
black gram paste that has been allowed to
ferment for a few hours before being cut
into discs and dried; they’re then fried and
develop a blistered, delicately brittle
texture.
Soaking Times Depend on Temperature
Medium-sized beans absorb more than half of
their total water capacity in the first two hours
of soaking, and plateau at about double their