A Pulse Week
Cooking Skills: Pulses and Beans 1
Chapter 8 · A Pulse Week
Skill goal
Plan a week of varied, cheap, high-protein meals around pulses, cooking in batches and freezing the rest.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Pulses are one of the cheapest sources of protein there is, and they reward planning. The routine is simple: on one day cook a big pot of two kinds (say chickpeas and cannellini beans), keep half in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, and freeze the rest in portions. Add tinned beans and red lentils (20 minutes, no soaking) to fill the gaps. Variety comes from the sauce, not the pulse: the same chickpeas can be a curry, a salad, a dip or a fritter.
This chapter brings the whole course together: Cooking Skills: Pulses and Beans 1, chapters 1 to 7. Cooking Skills: Rice 2, chapter 7 pairs pulses with rice for a complete protein, and Cooking Skills: Soups and Stocks 1, chapter 8 shows how to freeze and reheat soup, which uses the same rules. The week below is a template; swap in your own favourites.
The method
- Cook a big pot of dried pulses once a week, in two kinds if you can.
- Cool quickly and chill what you will eat within 2 to 3 days; freeze the rest in labelled portions.
- Plan the sauces, not the pulses: curry, salad, dip, stew and burger from the same base.
- Keep tins and red lentils in the cupboard for the nights you didn't plan.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat until steaming hot.
| Day | Meal | Pulse | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chana masala with rice | Chickpeas | Chapter 3 |
| Tuesday | Lentil salad with feta | Green lentils | Chapter 5 |
| Wednesday | Black bean burgers | Black beans | Chapter 7 |
| Thursday | Bean chilli with rice | Kidney and black beans | Chapter 6 |
| Friday | Tarka dal with flatbread | Red lentils | Chapter 3 |
Storing, freezing and allergens
Cooling and keeping stock: stock is an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Strain it, then cool it quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and use within about 2 days (fish stock within 1 day) or freeze it. Never leave a big pot to cool slowly on the hob or worktop overnight. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.Freezing and defrosting soup: cool soup quickly, then freeze it in labelled flat bags or tubs with a gap at the top for expansion, for up to about 3 months (general guidance). Defrost in the fridge overnight or in a pan over a low heat, and reheat until steaming hot. Soups with cream, egg or potato may separate or turn grainy, so freeze the base and add cream or fresh potato when you reheat.
Reheating soup: reheat soup only once, until it is steaming hot all the way through (bubbling for a couple of minutes), not just warm. Do not reheat soup that has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Allergens in pulses: soya, peanuts and lupin are legumes and major allergens, and sesame (in tahini) is one too. Check labels on tinned pulses, flours and sauces, tell guests what is in a dish, and use separate pans and spoons if someone is allergic. Celery is in many stock cubes.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A pulse supper for four
A bean chilli (chapter 6) with rice, yogurt, avocado and lime. It uses tinned beans and takes under an hour, and half of it can be frozen. Add a salad (chapter 5) for freshness.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 batch of bean chilli (chapter 6)
- 300 g basmati rice
- 4 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 lime, in wedges
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- Make the chilli as in chapter 6 and keep it warm. Cook the rice as in Cooking Skills: Rice 1, chapter 3.
- Serve the chilli over the rice with yogurt, avocado and coriander.
- Cool the rest quickly and freeze in portions for another night.
Hot stew, storage and allergens
Thick soups catch and spit: a thick soup sticks to the base of the pan and blobs and spits when it bubbles. Stir often, keep the heat low, use a pan with a heavy base and a long spoon, and keep your face back.Cooling and keeping stock: stock is an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Strain it, then cool it quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and use within about 2 days (fish stock within 1 day) or freeze it. Never leave a big pot to cool slowly on the hob or worktop overnight. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Allergens in pulses: soya, peanuts and lupin are legumes and major allergens, and sesame (in tahini) is one too. Check labels on tinned pulses, flours and sauces, tell guests what is in a dish, and use separate pans and spoons if someone is allergic. Celery is in many stock cubes.
Allergens: contains milk (yogurt).
Level 2 · Plan
A week of pulse meals
Write a five-day plan using one big pot of chickpeas and one of cannellini beans, plus tins and red lentils. Mix cuisines: a curry, a salad, a burger, a stew and a dal. The shopping list shows the pulses; the vegetables are left to you.
Ingredients (5 meals for 2)
- 250 g dried chickpeas (cooked in a big pot)
- 250 g dried cannellini beans (cooked in a big pot)
- 2 tins of black beans
- 2 tins of kidney beans
- 250 g red lentils
- 1 pack of freezer tubs
- On Sunday write the plan: the day, the dish, the pulse, and the chapter. Cook the two big pots and cool them quickly.
- Chill what you'll eat within 2 to 3 days and freeze the rest in labelled portions.
- Each evening cook the planned dish and tick it off. At the end of the week note what you'd change.
Storage, freezing and digestion
Cooling and keeping stock: stock is an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Strain it, then cool it quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and use within about 2 days (fish stock within 1 day) or freeze it. Never leave a big pot to cool slowly on the hob or worktop overnight. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.Freezing and defrosting soup: cool soup quickly, then freeze it in labelled flat bags or tubs with a gap at the top for expansion, for up to about 3 months (general guidance). Defrost in the fridge overnight or in a pan over a low heat, and reheat until steaming hot. Soups with cream, egg or potato may separate or turn grainy, so freeze the base and add cream or fresh potato when you reheat.
Pulses and digestion: pulses contain sugars that some people find hard to digest and that cause wind. Soaking, discarding the soaking water, cooking until completely soft and building up the amount gradually all help. This is general information, not medical advice; talk to a doctor if you have a digestive condition.
Raw kidney beans are toxic: dried red kidney beans (and, to a lesser degree, other dried beans) contain a toxin that causes severe sickness if they are undercooked. Soak them, drain, then boil them hard in fresh water for at least 10 minutes (general guidance) before simmering until soft. A slow cooker does not get hot enough to do this safely. Tinned beans are already cooked.
Level 2 · Freezer
Freezing cooked beans
Cooked beans freeze beautifully. Cool them in their liquid, freeze them flat in portions of about 240 g (one tin) with a little liquid, and defrost or use straight from frozen in stews. One batch of dried beans costs a fraction of tins.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 1.5 kg cooked beans in their liquid (from chapter 2)
- 6 freezer bags
- 1 permanent marker
- 1 tray that fits the freezer
- Cool the cooked beans in their liquid in shallow containers, then chill.
- Portion about 240 g with 4 tbsp of liquid into labelled bags, press out the air and seal. Freeze flat on a tray for 2 hours, then stack.
- Use within about 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or tip straight into a stew, and bring to a boil.
Freezing, reheating and raw beans
Freezing and defrosting soup: cool soup quickly, then freeze it in labelled flat bags or tubs with a gap at the top for expansion, for up to about 3 months (general guidance). Defrost in the fridge overnight or in a pan over a low heat, and reheat until steaming hot. Soups with cream, egg or potato may separate or turn grainy, so freeze the base and add cream or fresh potato when you reheat.Reheating soup: reheat soup only once, until it is steaming hot all the way through (bubbling for a couple of minutes), not just warm. Do not reheat soup that has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Raw kidney beans are toxic: dried red kidney beans (and, to a lesser degree, other dried beans) contain a toxin that causes severe sickness if they are undercooked. Soak them, drain, then boil them hard in fresh water for at least 10 minutes (general guidance) before simmering until soft. A slow cooker does not get hot enough to do this safely. Tinned beans are already cooked.
Cooling and keeping stock: stock is an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Strain it, then cool it quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and use within about 2 days (fish stock within 1 day) or freeze it. Never leave a big pot to cool slowly on the hob or worktop overnight. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Level 3 · Signature
Your signature pulse dish
Choose a pulse, a method (a curry, salad, dip, stew or burger), a flavour (spice, herb or sauce) and a side, and write the recipe as you cook it. Make it twice, changing one thing. A signature dish is one you can cook without a recipe.
Ingredients (your choice)
- 1 pulse of your choice
- 1 method from chapters 3 to 7
- 1 flavour, sauce or spice mix of your choice
- 1 notebook and pen
- Choose your pulse, method and flavour, and write them down before you start.
- Cook it, noting quantities, times and what you would change.
- Cook it again with your change, then write the final recipe on a card.
Pulses and allergens
Allergens in pulses: soya, peanuts and lupin are legumes and major allergens, and sesame (in tahini) is one too. Check labels on tinned pulses, flours and sauces, tell guests what is in a dish, and use separate pans and spoons if someone is allergic. Celery is in many stock cubes.Pulses and digestion: pulses contain sugars that some people find hard to digest and that cause wind. Soaking, discarding the soaking water, cooking until completely soft and building up the amount gradually all help. This is general information, not medical advice; talk to a doctor if you have a digestive condition.
Tinned pulses: tinned pulses are cooked and ready to eat once drained and rinsed, which also washes off much of the salt. Check the use-by date, never use tins that are bulging or leaking, and keep opened tins in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days rather than in the tin.
Experiments
Experiment
A timed batch-cook session
Planning.
- Cook two big pots of beans and one tray of roast vegetables while timing yourself.
Look for: Most of the time is waiting; use it to cook a second dish or tidy up as you go.
Experiment
Swapping the pulse
Flexibility.
- Make the same curry with chickpeas, kidney beans and black beans.
Look for: Each pulse changes the texture and flavour; chickpeas are nutty, kidney beans soft and sweet, black beans earthy.
Experiment
Frozen against fresh
Quality.
- Cook the same stew from freshly cooked beans and beans frozen for a month.
Look for: Properly frozen beans are nearly identical; badly wrapped ones are dry at the edges. Wrapping matters.
Experiment
Your own signature dish
Making it yours.
- Cook your signature dish for a friend and ask for one comment.
Look for: A repeated dish improves every time. Write it down.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulse supper for four | ||||
| A week of pulse meals | ||||
| Freezing cooked beans | ||||
| Signature pulse dish | ||||
| A timed batch-cook session | ||||
| Swapping the pulse | ||||
| Frozen against fresh | ||||
| Your own signature dish |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pulses go off in the fridge | Left too long | Use within 3 days; freeze the rest |
| Frozen beans mushy | Overcooked first or thawed slowly | Cook just tender; thaw in the fridge |
| Meals all taste the same | Same sauce every time | Vary spices, herbs and the cuisine |
| Plan falls apart | Too ambitious | Plan fewer cooking days and rely on tins and red lentils |
| Too much wind | Amounts too big, too fast | Build up gradually and cook until completely soft |
| Bland batch | Cooked without salt or aromatics | Salt near the end and add onion and bay |
Storing, freezing and allergens
Cooling and keeping stock: stock is an ideal place for bacteria to grow. Strain it, then cool it quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and use within about 2 days (fish stock within 1 day) or freeze it. Never leave a big pot to cool slowly on the hob or worktop overnight. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.Freezing and defrosting soup: cool soup quickly, then freeze it in labelled flat bags or tubs with a gap at the top for expansion, for up to about 3 months (general guidance). Defrost in the fridge overnight or in a pan over a low heat, and reheat until steaming hot. Soups with cream, egg or potato may separate or turn grainy, so freeze the base and add cream or fresh potato when you reheat.
Allergens in pulses: soya, peanuts and lupin are legumes and major allergens, and sesame (in tahini) is one too. Check labels on tinned pulses, flours and sauces, tell guests what is in a dish, and use separate pans and spoons if someone is allergic. Celery is in many stock cubes.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can cook pulses in a batch.
- I can plan a week of pulse meals.
- I can freeze and reheat cooked beans safely.
- I can make a curry, salad, dip, stew and burger from pulses.
- I have a signature pulse dish.
Next chapter
Congratulations: you have finished Cooking Skills: Pulses and Beans 1. A second pulses course is not yet planned; the series continues with the other cooking skills courses.