PULSES

d"ble frUits or seeds of pod-bearing plants belonging to the family of the leguminous. The
puJses are] e 'whi·ch find important place in our dietaries are red gram dal, Bengal gram dhal black
,
maior al
fs een gram dhal and masoor dal. Some are used as whole grams. Cow pea, rajmah,
gram dh ' and soyabean also belong to leguminous family. Since peanuts and soyabean are rich in
dry

peas,thpean~ discussed in the next chapter under 'Oil seeds' .

01Js,Leeyumes not only h ave d 1etary
. va1ues b u t al so p 1ay an important
. ro1e m
. mamtairung
. . . or even
unprovig soil fertility through their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Table 3 . 1 gives names of some

legumes.
Table 3.1: Names of some legumes
Common name Other nam<'

Bean
Bakla, Avarai,
Broad bean Sem, Hyacinth, Bean, Mochai.
Field bean Kidney bean, Rajamah,
Haricot bean Common bean, French bean.
Shell bean }
Horticultural bean
Butter bean
Lima bean Matki Dew gram, Aconite bean.
Moth bean
Lentils and similar pulses
Lentils Masoor
Chick pea, chole
Bengal gram
Black gram Urad
Green gram Moong
Horse gram Kulthi
Khesari dal
Red gram Pigeon pea, Arhar
Peas
Peas Matar

----------=-=-=-~----- - --
---------Cow pea Lobia, Karamani, Black-eyed pea.

71
 Figure 3-a: Whole grams are more nutritious than dais.

Energy
Pulses give 340 calories per 100g which is almost similar to cereal calorie value.

Carbohydrates
Pulses contain 55 to 60 per cent starch. Soluble sugars, fibre and unavailable carbohydrates are alw
present. The unavailable sugars in pulses include substantial levels of oligosaccharides of the raffinose
family (raffinose verbascose and stachiose) which produces flatulence in man. These sugars escape
digestion due to lack of a-galactosidase activity and digested by the microflora of the lower intestinal
traet resulting in the production of large amount of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and small amount of
methane. Fermentation, germination, cooking, soaking and autoclaving reduce considerable amount of
oligosaccharides.

Protein
In a ~egetarian diet, pulses are important source of protein. They give about 20-25 per cent protein
that 1s double the amount of protein compared to cereals. They contain chiefly globulins. Albuntlni
can also be seen in pulses.
~e ~roteins of pulses are not of good quality as they are deficient in methionine and red graJII
defic'.en~ m ~ptophan also. Compared with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reference protein-
methionme is about 50 per cent below requirement and total sulphur amino acids about 40 per celi
beli°w. Ben~al ~am _contains higher amounts of arginine and sufficient amount of tyrosine. Howevt'f 5
pu se~ are nch 10 lysme._ Hence, they can supplement cereal protein. A mixture of cereals and pulse
supenor to that of the either one.
The and
proteins mostone
effective
part of combination
ulse . to ach"ieve maximum
. supplementary effect is 5 parts of cerr_ .I
1
combination gives a pro~· pr~tem. ~ terms of grains 8 parts of cereals and 1 part of pulses. ']'bl'
m qua ity equivalent to animal protein.
 Table 3.2: Nutritive value of the pulses (per 100 g)
F,,,,,f i:•1<T,;, Pn>t!'i11 Fat CarlJ/>· Calci11111 l ron Caro- Thiamine Rihoj1o\'ill Niacin
hytln11es 1ene
l..,·,il ,(' s g mg mg ~lg mg m!f mg

60.9 202 4.6 189 0.30 0.15 2.9

Bengal gram whole 360 17. l 5.3
56 5.3 129 0.48 0.18 2.4
Bengal gram dal 372 20.8 5.6 59.8

58.l 58 9.5 113 0.20 - 1.3

Bengal gram roasted 369 22.5 5.2
154 3.8 38 0.42 0.20 2.0
Black gram dal 347 24.0 1.4 59.6
77 8.6 12 0.51 0.20 1.3
Cow pea 323 24.1 1.0 54.5
60 2.7 0 0.52 0.16 1.8
Field bean, dry 347 24.9 0.8 60.1
124 4.4 94 0.47 0.27 2.1
Green gram whole 334 24.0 1.3 56.7
75 3.9 49 0.47 0.21 2.4
Green gram dal 348 24.5 1.2 59.9
287 6.8 71 0.42 0.20 1.5
Horse gram, whole 321 22.0 0.5 57.2
75 7.05 39 0.47 0.19 3.4
315 19.7 1.1 56.5
Peas dry
81 6.4 18 0.47 021 3.5
340 22.9 1.4 58.8
Peas roasted
22.9 1.3 60.6 260 5.1
Rajmah 346
73 2.7 132 0.45 0.19 2.9
335 22.3 1.7 57.6
Red gram dal
Source: Gopalan C., Rama Sastri B.V. and Balasubramanian S.C. , Reprinted 2011 , Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, National Institute of
Nutrition, ICMR, Hyderabad.

j CHAPTER 3
 Legumes are better than cereal s as a source of the essential amino acids like isole . -
' \ \ . . . . . d . . f uc1ne I
p ,1eny a anmc, thrconme and valtne. The quality of protein ecreases m m ested pulse : euci
. b. 1 . t th · s. Pig 1lt
gwcs 10 ogica\ value of some legume proteins in companson o o er protems. Ure l(f

96 90
100 80
90 74 72
80
70 55
iii 60
> 50
5 40
·g,30
o 20
ai 10
o~~~~ ~ ~ -=:. ._.,. . .!
Bengal Red Ground Egg Milk Rice Wheat
gram gram nut

Figure 3-b: Biological value of legume proteins compared to other proteins.

Source: Gopalan et al., Reprinted 2011, Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, NIN, Hyderabad.

Fats
Pulses contain 1.5 per cent fats on moisture free basis. They contain high amounts of polyunsaturated G1Y'
fatty acids. Along with cereals, they meet the requirements of essential fatty acids for an adult. Apan BeaJ
from linoleic acid, most legume seed oils contain high proportion of linolenic acid. They under,0 aod
oxidative rancidity during storage resulting in loss of protein solubility, off flavour development ~ loW<
loss of nutritive quality. Oleic, stearic and palmitic acids are also present.

Minerals
I
They contain calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and phosphorus; 80 per cent of phospho1115 Am
is present as phytate phosphorus. Phytin complexes with proteins and minerals and renders them V3ri
biologically unavailable to human beings and animals. Processing such as cooking, soaking, germinatioo
and fermentation can reduce or eliminate appreciable amounts of phytin. In amounts used, pulses do die
not contribute much to the total mineral intake. 00!1
easi
Vitamins
Legume seeds are excellent source of B complex vitamins particularly thiamine, folic acid and
pantothenic acid. Lik" cereals they do not contain any vitamin A or C but germinated legumes int
contain some vitamin C. ,t
olij
Ille
Antioxidant activity
R.ajmah and Soyabean have better antioxidant value than other pulses. Bengal gram dhal (roasted) h:15
the lowest antioxidant activity.
By boiling and pressure cooking total phenolic content increases in whole gram like green gr.Jill, Fa
black gram and bengal gram. Soaking and sprouting increase total phenolic content in green grain· •
Figure 3-c shows the antioxidant activity of legumes.
 Rajmah
Soyabean 107
Peas green dry 97
Bengal gram (Whole) 88
Bengal gram dhal (Roasted)
53
26
Green gram (Whole)
Lentil 86
44
Bengal gram dhal
49
Black gram dhal 27
Green gram dhal 30
Red gram dhal
61
0
50
100 150
DDPH"l(Trolox equi) mg/lOOg)
"2,2'-Diphenyl- 1-1 pi cry] hydrazy (DDPH) radical scavenging activity

Figure 3-c: Antioxidant activity of legumes. cw,

Source: Annual Report, 2006-2007, NIN, Hyderabad. 0:

w
l-
Glycaemic index a.
c(
:c
Beans, peas, lentils and other pulses have low glycaemic index. Legumes are generally rich in protein (.)
and provide high fibre and contain enzyme inhibitors. Hence glycaemic index is low and there is a
lower rise of blood sugar.

DIGESTIBILITY OF PULSES

Among legumes, chick pea protein has high digestibility. Other legumes including lentils and phaseolus
varieties have low digestibility.
Polyphenolic compounds in human studies have been found to account for about 8-10 per cent of
the negative digestibility. The white beans have extremely low levels of tannins.
Phaseolus vulgaris (rajmah) is one of the leguminous seeds that is highest in (rypsin inhibitor
content. The reason for low digestibility is that the globulin fraction in phaseolus vulgaris is not
easily digested.
Pulses produce flatulence due to the presence of oligosaccharides. As there is no a-galactosidase
in the human intestinal mucosa to cleave the a-( 1---6) galactose linkage present in galactoside-containing
oligosaccharides, such as raffinose and stachyose. These oligosaccharides pass into the large intestine
where bacteria metabolise them and form large amounts of carbon dioxide, hydrogen and sometimes
lllefhane. These gases that are produced cause flatulence and associated discomfort.
The presence of oxalate, phytate and crude fibre all interfere with iron and calcium availability.

Factors that red uce the digestibility of pulse proteins :

• Pulse proteins have high molecular weight and compact molecules that reduce the digestibility.
 . '\ • duccs digestibility.
• r rr ~cnce
· 1 "tor re . · b hydrntes
nf 11) '1'~"' 1n" · and In fl· ucnce d'1ges t'bTt
1 1 1 y.
s,,me
• pfl.)leins nrc comp1exed w11i 1 Il car o which decreases d'iges t'bTt
I tin I I I y.
.,/_
..,.
Some protciM· nre complexedf wt I P 1Y . 'b'1I'1ty depends on th ~d
· t 2 per cent. Apparent d1gest1 .,/_
Digc~tibi1ity in pu1scs rnngc IOI\\ 50
0 6
e co1~ ..-
of the ~red. (JO

GI

MIiiing or decorti cation

The "eed coat tightly envelops the cotyledons probably through a _layer of and li_gnin. The
al
J' hu/
!'
· d d d d brittle and friable by controlled drymg to a crit1cal moisture level .,
can be loosene an rcn ere · d d,. l'tti th
then ea~il; removed by abrasion. Increased moisture content is nee e ,or sp I ng e cotyledons. lit
¾I ..
I
Lc~umes arc generally milled to remove the outer husk by wet ~r dry pr~ess. The dal obtailled'
by the dry method is hemispherical in shape, softens rapidly ~n c?°kmg and gives good ~avour. Dai 1 /1.
prepared by wet method is usually flat, has a small depression m the centre due to shrinkage and ,
softens slowly during cooking. Legumes are consu~ed as a whole or deh~sked ones.
The application of edible oil as a pre-treatment, 1s mostly confined to pigeon ~ea, when: seed coa
i, more tightly bound to the cotyledons as compared to oth~r pulses. Aft.er te~pering operation, grairu
are thoroughly mixed with about 1 per cent oil preferably hnseed and 011 grams are then sun dried f<X
2-3 days. Oil appears to penetrate through the husk to the cotyledons and releases its binding under~
mild heat of the sun and husk is loosened.
Milling yield can be increased by lower seed coat percentages, regular shaped grain variccy,
having loose-husked varieties and heating seeds before dehulling. Normally the percentage of yield u
82 per cent during milling.
Advantages
• Protein digestibility is improved. Net protein utilisation of dal is higher than those of whole seeds.
• Removal of hull facilitates a reduction of fibre. Nutrients availability is increased.
• Seed coats account for 80-90 per cent of the total seed polyphenols. Dehusking removes thil
antinutritional factor.
• This improves appearance, texture, cooking quality and palatability.
• Keeping quality is improved.
In dehusking, germ may be removed with skin and may result in loss of thiamin.

Soaking
Many pulses panicularly whole grams which have hard outer covering need soaking prior to cook·
ing. During soaking, water enters through the hilum or scar where the bean is attached to pod, fro~
there, it i.eeps around the periphery of the bean and causes the seed coat to wrinkle. These wrinJ<lCS
arc eliminated when the cotyledons swell and fill the seed coat. Whole pulses are soaked in coW F
water overnight or in warm water (60-70°C) for 4-5 hours. Oreen gram lentils and cow pea caol 1
•ali•fuctorily without prior soaking. Soaking makes the pulse tender and hastens the process. It aJSO ,
reduce& phylic acid and oligosaccharides. l
By rehydration moisture content is increased from 10 per cent to 60-70 per cent.
 1.1ard water makes
. the outer
. .surface
,. ofd the beans more resistant to w ater pene tration
. d unng
•
ri
1,-;ng _1,-;ng
SOill'-' in salt so1ut10n
d 1s pre1erre
k' to
. loosen the seed coat and en hance water absorpt1on.
•
c00"'
d'tion· of soda to water re uces coo mg time . significantly
. by about on e- th 1r
· d . Th 1s
' savmg
• m•
,,,e t,.d king
1 tun . e is compensated
. for the . amount of th1amm Jost as a result of the alk a me env1ronmen t.
1- •
coo W]ten legumes are in contact _w 1th water, hot or cold, some leaching of water-soluble nutrients

] =:s the legumes into the water will occur. T~e process is gre~tly enhanced in the presence of broken
or split seed coats. Water used for soaking can be used m cooking to minimise these losses.

Germination .
ole grams are soaked overnight and water should be drained away and the seeds should be tied in
Wh ly woven cotton cloth and hung. Water should be sprinkled twice or thrice day. In a day or two
a Joose . .
:'lie hi,! errnination takes pl_ace. Mmsture and w~th :ire essential _for germination. Green gram can be germi-
evcJ 1 !ated in a shorter ume. In summer, germ mah on process 1s faster than in winter. Bengal gram, dry
CdJ l,ea!IS and dry peas can also be germinated.

Db~I
our.~ AdVantages
ag~J • Nutritive value is i~pro~e? during sprouting, dormant enzymes get activated and digestibility and
availability of nutnents ts improved.
eed * Starches and proteins are converted to simpler substances as germination proceeds, the ratio of
1, · essential to non-essential amino acids changes providing more of essential amino acids. Sprout-
lried ing reduces trypsin inhibiting factors due to the release of enzymes. Germinated seeds have more
nder of maltose. The action of cytases and pectinases are released during sprouting and the cell walls
are broken down and the availability of nutrients increases.
* During sprouting minerals like calcium, zinc and iron are released from bound form. Phytic acid
amount is reduced so the availability of proteins and minerals are increased.
* Riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, choline and biotin content are increased.
* Vitamin C is synthesised during germination when dormant enzymes are activated. Germinated
pulses can be substituted for fruits. The increase in vitamin C is around 7-20 mg per 100 g of
e pulses. Vitamin C content is maximal after about 30 hours of germination.
• Sprouting decreases cooking time. The thick outer coat bursts open the grain and the grain becomes
soft making it easier for the cooking water to penetrate the grain.
• Dehusking is easier when the grains are sprouted and dried.
• Germination decreases the mucus inducing property of legumes.
• Thickening power of starch is reduced due to conversion of starch to sugars.
• Germination metabolises oligosaccharides and hence do not produce gas or flatulence.
• Germination improves taste and texture and without much cooking also sprouts like green gram can
-~ be consumed.
01,'U"'J · Ge.
i • pulses add variety to diet.
Studies showed that black beans have antioxidant properties due to the presence of anthocyanins.

ill~J Fermentation
~(:O'I 1bi
. JI;, arid':roeess increases the digestibility, since the microbial enzymes ?~eak down the legum~ pr~tein
To . nhances cooking process. It a1so improves palatability and nutnttve value (B and C v1tnnuns).
XIC substance s of pulses can be eliminated by fermentation. In 1'dh· mak'mg, ,.1ermentatton
· process
 PULSES
~ ~,.,_";, .<' <.....•'~-.....• ~,.,.,._1"'""•....,;,._•.~~;.._-.:w~'•~.,;~ ,-,:..-o:,kt.. \fA'---)-'•'-""··"~'1.!l>~,.~~,·.'~ a -.~.,:,.:!t":t~•:.:.·,;.)~ ._- ~ ..-r lL~ .~ .; ;· ,_.:ii-, .
,i: -:,n,.ie~'~"'-;,.-~, •.:•i - •',, ,-~ v~-~-·J..-.~ ... -~.,,.,_._,_.,_,;,:.,. _,. ,,,_ ·-~ •···- ,1,ts -;..--. """'~ """''·'"• ~ --~... ....__ , _ _

d creases protein quality through heat damage resulting .

improves the availability of e_<;sential amino acids and thus the nutritional qualit
proved. ldli and dosa are examples of fem1ented foods.
•s,1
0 - - ·~·:-•-~---_,,
1 111
y f protein . 51orage also t beans become harder with increased storage period a ?wer avai(able lysine.
re 3.d show~ t ~ytic acid and increase in PCMP number during sto;arequire more time to cook
figU deerease in p ge.

•~ ;.wHn..
Parching and puffing . . dlJC to
and peas are parched to give highly-acceptable products. The tr d"11. ..-... al!'-!!!ffllftlm!~~~~
,a~•E
Legumes such as beng~l
l~ian _household
little 11,ater. Then
::cn~se ~;
pu
roasting or parching pulses involves initially sprinkling the grai a
mixed with the pre-heated sand ~n a frying pan kept an open"~ Willi
oing from 200 to 250°C dependmg on the pulse species for 2-3 _re 1111
• ••• . . . . ?n
tain chemical constituents havmg toxic properties.
.
IIQt
maintained at a temperature rane- . . . rn1nu1ei. ulses con
. are prepared in the country m a manner s1m1lar to that used for roasti·ng.
Puffed puIse grams P
ffi seeds
O
soaked in water, mixed with sand that has been heated to 250 C and then heat d In Inhibitors
5
~n;~ n:::orc common legumes prepared in this manner ru:e chick peas and field peas. P;c~ T1YP resent in red gram, B<:mgal gr~m,_ c_owpea, ~o~ble beans, soyabean, lathyrus sativus and
bengal gram has been used successfully in the treatment of protem calone malnutrition in children. 'JbeY rrypsm are P. 1•nhibitors are protemsdthat thmh1b1t
.
the act1V1ty of trypsin in the gut and interfere w·th
.. . p 1
peas- . . . f dietary proteins and re uce elf Uh11sat1on. ancreas enlargement and growth retardation
. digesub1hty o . . . . . h "b"

Extrus ion
Blends of cereal and legume flours are extruded at high temperature (140-200°C) high pressure ill! OCC~ ~ ~ :ethionine is hampered by the presence of inhibitors. They are generally heat labile and
3 moisture content< 20 per cenL The prod~ct is c~ked for a _ short time (30-o0 sec) and the produa ::s:uh:a{~eatment like p_re~sur_e _cooking de~tr~ys_ tt_iem. Autocl~vi~g at_ I20°C for 15-30 minutes
is forced out of the extruder through a vanety of dies and dried on conveyor belts.
S~ORAGE AND INFESTAT ION
Important problems in industrial or home processing of food legumes are to be found not only in
their physical inherited characteristics but also in those that often develop during storage and handling
after harvest. If storage conditions are not adequate the problems that may arise are
• insect and mould infestation.
• losses during milling or home preparation, and
• increased cooking time.
All these may cause high physical losses as well as reduction in nutritive value.
(,
:Ir.i
. .11 als that consume diet contammg trypsm m 1 1tors. The release of essential amino acids
1
. . tes almost all trypsm mh1b1tors. Trypsm 1nh1b1tors are eas!ly macnvated from dais but more
macnva . • · 'nhib'
drastic heat treatment is necessary to mactlvate trypsm 1 !tors of soyabean and kidney bean. These c ·
inhibitors prevent degradation of storage proteins during seed maturation.
Lathyrogens
Lathyrism is a nervous disease that cripples man. This is entirely preventable. The disease now 0
known to result from an excessive consumption of the pulse Lathyrus sativus. It affects young men
between the age of 15 to 45 years.
L
Lathyrus sativus is grown in dry districts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal,
Maharashtra, Mysore and Andhra Pradesh. Throughout the country, it is known by the common
~e "Khesari Dal". The dehusked seeds resemble Bengal gram dal or red gram dhal. Hence, some-
times kesari dhal is used as an adulterant in other dais. If the rains fail and there is poor crop of
wheat, a useful harvest of lathyrus may be reaped. When it is eaten in small quantities lathyrus seeds
arc ~afoable as food since it contains 28 per cent protein. But if they are the main source of energy
providmg more than 50 per cent a severe disease of spinal cord may result.
The symptoms of lathyrism are muscular rigidity, weakness, paralysis of the leg muscle.

f Stages of Lathyrism
Firir stage· It i h
J
. d· k ovements
~a"' d. s c aractensed by a typical manner of walking with short steps an Jer Y m ..
1Jll of s ·
1011•- cissors or crossed gait This is non-stick stage. The patient may remam m s condition
· · thi
•ie rest of his J"f .
I
Sec011d e, or he may pass on to the next stage.
srage · Th . • ssary to perform all
'llking by .1. · e muscular stiffness is increased and this makes it nece Thi .
0 2 ..
till. ,
·""<II onc-suti ting
k
th . . . t
e pelvis to such a degree that a suck 1s necessary O m
aintain balance. s 1s
6 1Ji· c stage.
~ IIICllll19 lbert .•rd stage• Th . eeds two sticks for support and
II lllarked ·ti! . e muscular rigidity is so great that the patient n . . alled two-stick stage.
Figure 3~: Effect of storage on the protein quality of common bean cooked during I 0, 20 and ediPJ'
30 minutes. /lina1 ting of the pelvis sideways to maintain balance. This is c .d bl
Source: Brcssaru Ricardo, 1982, 'Dry Area Agriculture', Food Science and Human Nutnt1on,
.. procc srage: B . . , . h n account of cons1 era e
of Workshop, Pergamon Press, New Yort. "& of the kn Y this lime, the patient 1s unable to walk upng. t O • th n reduced to crawling
llklna his w tes and extreme stiffness of the lower limbs. The pauent is e
e &ht on his hands. .
 •~- ~ --•~-_..,,,.__ ,. •-""~w;:prea-e•....-.---·- -~u.. ·-,.,\~
P ~ SES .~ ;
The neurotoxin responsible for lathyrism is J3-N-Oxalyl-L-a,J3 diamino pro ~-~•
0
11 . . of early symptoms like muscle spasm and the immediate wi lhdrawal of the pulse
Reeogmuon
c.an be removed by steeping or parboiling. Pionic .,,
(d1 the diet.
Figure 3-e shows one-stick stage of lathyrism. · frornneed for growing alternative crops in place of Lathyrus sativus.
'fhe
(t)

Fav1srn . .
. a disease charactensed by haemolytic anaemia that occurs wh . d' .
(4'..;"'
i:~-'. ·~' ,., Pavis~ ISJucose-6-Phosphate dehydrogenase consume faba beans or broa~ni:.,n ,v,~uals who are defi-

..
.... .. :.
' '
""'' ..'.,.~,
. .~
:;~
.:, "-,..,.
'-i
cientalin thg. level of glutathione in the erythrocytes is also reduced. Three dif' anst. n suscep.tible indi-
vidU s . 1· d I .
'--ans have been imp 1cate as P aymg a causative role in the disease T
,eren compounds present
f h
• ·f:,~·, . \ ' ''., ',!, '_'J
I
In faba "" . . d • · d h h' d . · • wo o t ese are
.
~i~.; , = 1cnown as v1cme an cov1cme an t e. t 1r 1s an amino acid derivative known as d'h
..1ycos1'd•• d
I y roxy
~nyl alanine, DOPA. These are present only m the cotyledons of the beans, the hulls (testae) being

~-}i
}~}!L ,11 , -~J.. , .,J.,
. '· ,ssentially free.
; 0enninating and boiling reduce these toxic substances.
' -., .-::/
,,~•''· I I
~;

:,0-J: ·~ .,J. .
L · ..
.. ~aemagglutlnlns
1beSe an: proteins in nature and someti":1e~ referred to as phyto agglutinins or Jectins. They occur
t .., !
-- . ·-I: _ _,..,..~1. ,.
.. -
.,,;: .,-':;..
. ~' -. ··1··
..... ~ delY in Iegumi~ous .seed~. Haem~gglutm1_ns reduce the food intake ~esulting !n poo~ growth. The
! Ir
•'- -• \r-.c.:__ ..... ' -...... ,k tinS interact with d1VC:p~dases, _d1sacchandases and other enzymes mvolved m nutnent digestion i! w !/ ,I
Figure 3-e: One-stick stage of lalhyrism. uptake, Haemagglullnms are isolated from soyabean, field bean, white bean, double bean and ? li:: I
hone gram. Haemagglutinins are heat labile. Haemagglutinins combine with the cells lining the intestinal ,t < J I
Steeping process
• Four times the quantity of seeds is first brought to a boil.
·wa11, in ahnost the same way as it combines with red blood cells thus causing an impairment with the
absorption of amino acids. The lectins protect the plants from fungal attack and insect infestation. tJ·I' 1
i :I:

• Seeds arc soaked in hot water for two hours. Cyanogenic glycoslde
• Water is drained off. 'eyanogenic glycosides yield hydro-cyanic acid upon hydrolysis by an enzyme present in the foodstuff.
This causes cyanide poisoning by interfering with tissue respiration. On hydrolysis of the glycoside
• Tiie seeds arc washed with cold fresh water and sun dried.
of the enzyme p-glucosidase hydrogen cyanide is liberated. Cyanide content in the range of
• Eighty to ninety per cent of the toxin is removed by this method. 10-20 mg/HJO g of pulse is considered safe. The green pod shells of rajmah contain traces of a cyano-
Parboiling process gcnic glycoside, Many legumes except lima bean contain cyanide within this limiL

• The seeds are soaked in cold water for 12 hours. Saponlns s·des of high molecular
• Then the seeds are steamed for 20 to 30 minutes. Saponins produce lather or foam when s haken_ WI·th water• These are gIyco 1 These toxins can be
d vomiting.
• Again seeds are soaked for one hour and dried. !weight.
. They are present m . soyabe ans. Saporuns cause nausea an
1
• E1g
. h ty to runety
· per cent of tmun
· Ieach out by thJS
· process. ,eliminated by soaking prior to cooking.

Research at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IAR1) New Delhi has evolved a low~ Goitrogens Th" ate isothiocyanares and
. (Pusa-24). The vanelles
,•ane1y . . LSD-6 and Pusa-24 besides . . • high
bemg . y1elders
. are 1O w in toxin ,..___ • .
"""' substances interfere with 1odme uptake
b Y th yroi.d gland,
. E 10cyan '
•ve intake ~,.,, • .
of these fovu-,
0 03 I 10
.2 to . per cent eve!. . .
Ihc." denvatives . soyabean, groundnu ts and lenllls. lead
are present m xceSSJ . of gmtre.
to precipiranon .
To prevent lathyrism, the following aspects are to be educated in endemic areas: Ihc face of marginal intake of iodine from foods and water may
1
(a ) The cause of the disease. di Tannins in seed coat of
(b) The fact that Lathyrus pulse can safely form not more than a quarter of the tot
al amou Tannins Ille condensed polyphenolic compounds. They are pre sent . .in high amoun IsTannins mterfere
bsorption. .
cereals and pulses ea1en per day.
( ) Inh d 1lllOst legumes. Tannins bind with iron irreversibly and interfere wt th 1":'n a d carbohydrate indi_ges11ble.
c .
erent anger of paymg
. wages m . terms of Lathyrus sativus. f"'Ihdi
t , gesuve . action
. of trypsin and a-amylase rend_en~. g. theThe
dietary protem
also an B-v11anun
affect . . absorpuon.
lllnins also bind proteins and reduce their avrulabihty, Y
 . andb.1oava1lab1ltty
gram · · · of nutnents.
·
.. _..._,,.. -

\''h.
·.r•- ~ .. "-· - ) -,·

Removal of seed coat of legumes reduces the tanni_n conte~t. Removal of husk 1
' '!---·-

content and thus improve the appearance, texture, cookmg qualtty, palatability, di . ?~ers 1
,, 1te coat be ans h ave neg 1·1g1·bl e quantity ofgeS1tb11·
black and red varieties have higher content of tannins. Red kidney bean, black gra
have higher amounts of polyphenolic compounds.
.

·
..i

. lly or
t 31111111
s %,
m and soya II!,
.: ~-~ . . . . . ~ + ~ ll >!!:••-.,_.,_""

d5
~ n relativehowever,
'7.:....r al 90 rn,'al Relative
611'1"'.ced maten · .
dtlC(JOk 1,ean
,,,.,-,em""
••-~"~c"<~ ·•••·~-----•--~ •••- -•-•,--

. ly high amounts are ,oun

1·
•-•...~ !...,3
king time at atmospheric pressure. Trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins
to coo polyphenolic compounds
r dalthough
· th decreasing
k. · with time are still found in
m e dcoo mg liquor. Red kidney' black gram
mounts of polypheno tc compoun s.
ba~e ~•~h:: 3.g shows ~ea~i?g increa~es pr~tein quality by dest~oying ami-nut_ritional
..AI/JY• , nuahlJ'•
1 d·gesll 1 Y and ava1lab1hty of ammo
1 Fig .b 1•i·t · Even1afterh cookmg, the d1gest,b11ities
d acids.
I
,:easing
~, • ch as carbohydrates an protems are ess t an those of cereals. Excess
PULSE COOKERY I ~ !11palc seed con~utuen:;i:,ean
the quality of protein. Protein quality of pulses is improved more by moist heat

ln lndia. ahout 80 per cent of the pulses arc co~su_med in the ~orm of dal or besan and the rem ·..
~o per cent as whole seed· Cooking J 1,8
f-~-7\.,..-~P=ER: - - ----7r eo
- .
of pulses ts ttme-consummg process and costly in le
for cooking. 'Ibey take longer t,me to cook than cereals.
ai
rrns or u 70
I
!!
60
The c~king quali_ty of _pulses is a function the cooking_ time, t?at _is, the time of boil 1.2
50
durinl! which they attain desirable softness. In add,tton, the cookmg quality ts also a funcr PEA 1.0
- in volume after cooking, higher d.1spers1·b·1·1 tty o f so1·d . k. ion .Of ,4()
increase I s mto coo mg media and i We4gt,t gain i
0.8 l
texture. Pulse foods which arc too hard, sticky or slimy in texture are unattractive. mp, 30
0.4
~ l
.I
'Jbe heat treatment during cooking helps in loosening the intercellular matrix of the middle 1 20
sufficient to allow separation of individual cells. According to this theory, different cooking r aJnel 0.2 10
\e.gumes could be related primarily to differences in the rate at which cell separation occu~;cs 0 0
middle lamella of plant tissue is generally considered to be composed of pectic substances assoc;,
I
v,;th divalent cations such as calcium and magnesium and possibly proteinacious material. It ma
suggested that separation of cells during cooking may be related to removal of Ca and Mg froj
bridge position within the pectinaceous matrix of the middle lamella.
A study of the progressive changes during cooking of pigeonpea indicated that when some hydrati,
o 15 30 415 eo 75 so 10s 120 1as 1so
Cooking ijme, min [J
Figure J.g: Effect of cooking on nutritional quality of common bean.
and swelling reached (about 20-25 m) a thin layer peeled out from the inner side of the cotyledor,I
Source: For 3-f and 3-g Bressani Ricardo, 1982, Dry Area Agriculture, Food Science and Human Nutrition.
Cooking time influences the nutritive value and overall utilisation of pulses.
Proceedings of Workshop, Pergamon Press, New York.
Effect of cooking Jhan by dry heat treatment, as available lysine is decreased in roasted pulses as compared to boiled and
Amuuarilional f octors: Uncooked legume seeds contain antinutritional factors that can be toxic if J. pressure cooked ones. Heat treatment causes loss of methionine, the most important amino acid of
legume.

.K
amounts are consumed. Figure 3-f shows changes in trypsin inhibitors, haemagglutinins and polyphen,
Minerals: Cooking has little effect on calcium, magnesium and total iron content of pulses.

r
16 Vitamins: Loss of thiamine may occur due to the heat applied.

Clllocllin
0.3
c.ct11n.....- 12
Colour: Sodium metabisulphite is found to be effective in maintaining colour of lentils, other
seeds acquire a darker colour during processing.
10
T,ypsln lnhibl!OJS Studies conducted by Narasimha and Desikachari (1978) showed that cooking time is directly
g.% andlectlns ~lated to the PCMP number. ·
0.2 8
6 PCMP number= Free Pectin + Calcium + Magnesium/2 - Phytin.
0.1 -f-- '\.\. ~ T 2• Factors affecting cooking quality
O .l.. - - - - -r- o The hardness is of two types hard shell and sclerema Hard shell is described as a physical condi tion
'--- mwhih ' . d· · dcedby
T,ypeln trHbllor9 v , c th• seed fails to absorb water. Sclerema takes place in the cotyledons an ts m u
anous factors.
o 115 ao 415 eo 75 eo 105 120 135 150 ' lnhe, h • · · heritable charac-
•- thaent c aracter: Some varieties are hard-to-cook inherently. Cookmg ttm': is 8 . f diffierent
Coo!alg1mt,mn "' t diffi • . . · t · the cookmg umes o
Ylricti ers w1~ely among genotypes. Large vanattons exis _m the hi hest in chick pea
Ylpue J.I: Effec:c cl cookina oa ro:a:ic factors of common bean. ronow::i and s~c1es of pulse crops. Cooking time of whole seed ts usually g
by pigeon pea and black gram and green gram.
'•E..._! ~~~~-~i..--,.•~ ••-~·-""'- -.Jo.:.'"•· ,. __,'
.

• Storage con d,11 on.

,.._
lfi
Env,ronmentll acror., . ana
.

, .·
storage. Coo ..mg nme ,or
storage auvve 10 per cen
'>· "Ir•.. •"'•· . . ,.-, ~ .. ...__,.., __,,_er_,. ,•
.. V . n·on in cooking quality of pulses within and between varieties could
,
. & • .ty . moisture and other env1ronmenta actors.
due to \ocauon, s011 ,ert11I • s0 I1

• &
. .
If

.
.

. nn1
t may cause deterioration m the cooking qua11ty. 1ncrease in cooking t'
. . 'lilt
-~w-
b!taJlces
. • . Coo'·i·ng quality is influenced by time, temperature and relative humidity du . ~ydrate:
'" . • M • nn
fl111"
t,een pro P
II Jl8S are round
,,
_.....,.~..,,....,.,....._...____,._ ···~?-..._

osed that polymerisation of polyphenolic co

h . h

dration of intercellular protein.

.
and c anges hm •t e micro-chemical
.

.
pectic substances, p yt1c acid and pota,sium cal .

the same hardness increases with storage time. msture content du . 1 ...,,kJnJ quahlY·k defect that delays the cooking process can be due t
o
9

.
. _~

-.._
mpounds 10 the seed
stru cture of the
......... v,'"~

coat where these

Coty 1edons involving
• cium and magnesium ions, affect
.. - - ............,__,_ -

-
PuL_S

'

during storage is associated with decrease in phytic acid and increase in PCMP number durj"I • JjJlli~. by )ubilisation in the middle lamella by Ca and/or Mg.
...d!D anso (I' 'fi . ) .,,
storage. . . • .,..- . Id g of phenolics agm 1cat1on anwor protein in the middle la 11 f
• Sud maniriry: High temperature at the time of maturing affects the cooking time. _Cooking tiliit cross-Ian n . me a o cell wall
• . lion of the contents of phytm, Ca and Mg and free pectin could be an i ·
increa._ses with the increase in seed maturity. The very hard mature seeds take long time to cook, , (be an~rac king process. mportant factor
• Dehulling: This reduces the cooking time by 70 per cent and increases digestibility. enung the coo .
gov f the seed coat, palisade layer and the contents of lignin and alpha 11 1 .
• Soaking : Whole grams are soaked in water to improve the cooking quality. Whole grams lilt , dtickJICSS o -ce u ose m the seed
bengal gram cannot be cooked to the desirable consistency without this pretreatment.
- ~ taken to cook, pulses is ~ected by the physical hardness of the seed, the chemical compo-
• Salts: Hard-to<OOk condition can be eliminated by soaking seeds in salt solution consisting of 111'!
• ~OD of the cell walls--all of which affect the rate of penetration of water. The physical size of the
cent NaCl and 0.75 per cent NaHC0 3 instead of only water. Separation of cotyledon cells occur Q
hich governs the distance to which water must penetrate in order to reach all parts of the seed
salt solution soaked seeds. Carbonate or bicarbonate not only acts as an alkaline agent and bufferbil
::rects
also acts as a protein dissociating, solubilising or tenderising agent. Salts such as trisodium phos.

without appreciably raising the salt and altering the taste. These chemicals could be added to coot.
the cooking time. Small seed tended to cook faster than larger seeds.
phate, sodium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate in small quantities improve cooking quali~ , : apart from inherent character chemical and physical nature of seed coat and cotyledons affect
cooking quality of pulses.
ADIODS the legumes, green g ~ has relatively low amoun~ of protease inhibitors, polyphenols
Gli .,
. 0::: 1
! W l
i t l_
ing water or impregnate (presoaked) or coated on the surface of the dal as a final step in millin& ct l
J' lI I,
• Precooking: The cooking time for precooked lentil seeds is less compared to untreated onct and tlaluS producing oligosacchandes and no haemagglutonallng and amylase inhibitor activities. . J:
Offen gram can be easily cooked at much faster rate than many other legumes. , CJ .
Precooking is done by cooking, treating with enzymes and dehydrating in controlled condition~
• Phyrin con1en1: High available phosphorus in the soil contributes to high phytin content in the Seed L....i l
and consequently to good cooking. Phytin has a softening action on pulses during cooking by acti"! Fonns of pulses
as a calcium absorbent, consequently preventing the formation of insoluble calcium pectate. Pulses are used in different forms such as
1be softening of pulses during cooking takes place through a reaction between sodium/potassium (a) Whole legumes.
phytate present in cotyledons and insoluble calcium/magnesium pectinate present in the cell wal (b) Decuticled split legumes with skin and without skin.
that converts the latter into the soluble sodium/potassium pectate. Phytic acid chelates divalem (c) Genninated or fermented pulses.
cations (Ca, Hg) and prevents their cross linking with pectin, there by facilitating cell wall dissol~ (d) Flour of pulses and
tion during the cooking process. Thus, cooking quality is related to levels of monovalent elemenu {t) Parched pulses like bengal gram and peas.
and lo some extent lo the ratio of monovalent to divalent elements.
• _Calcium and magnesium: Large amounts of insoluble calcium and magnesium pectates are fonned
m ,ruddJe lamella of the cell walls when the seed is high in calcium and magnesium or when tht ROLE OF PULSES IN COOKERY
- ---
cooking water is high in these elements. Pectinase treatment results in degradation of pectic sub-
stances ~ereby reducing their ability to complex with calcium and magnesium. Enzyme treatmenl • Pulses are rich in protein and B vitamins and improve the quality of cereal protein.
may facilitate cell wall dissolution during cooking process. • Pulses give satiety due to high protein and fibre.
legumes are cooked in _hard water, the~ take long time to get cooked. Hard water contains • Pulses improve flavour and consistency of dal, sambhar and rasam.
ondes and sulphates of calcrnm and magnesrnm salts. They appear to react with pectic substances • They COOb'ibute to fermentation in preparation of idli and dosa.
and phytates and harden the cellulose and delay the cooking of pulses. : They are Used in snacks like sundal, bajji, panipuri and bhelpuri.
• Cellulose·· The thico.uc:ss of the pal'1sade layer and the contents of lignin and alpha cellulose mu•
· ''' They are Used m
. sal d d
::!=1'
L--
, The a s, e.g., sproute gram. ak d laddu
probably im~rtant factors in the cooking quality of pulses. Hard shell seeds in , Yare Used in desserts like paruppu payasam and sweets like pulses mysore P • an dhi ·
1V8IJ resist waiec_absorption and thereby delay the cooking process. Middle-lamella of the cell , They
The 8IC used as thickening
. . B
agent and prevent curdlmg, e.g., eng
al !IT3J1l flour m ka - 0
time~~ &eparati~ affects the cooking time. Compared to other pulses, lentils require shorter , Used as stuffing agent in poorna burelu.
to.._ due IO lhear soft seed coat content.
Sodium bicarbonate IIOftena lhe cellulose and hastens cooking. • The pulses are used in making chutneys and chutney powders.
y 8IC Used as part of seasonings in curries.

,Ji
 ...
"I" , - : , ;··'·, •""111
~ .·-_-wa~-
87

• • SUGGESTED REFERENCES
.,.;.1-- ~\. / -~ )I
.-
. "'\ ;r." '
. ' ..... ,.•. ,,._'
L ~ .,
"' J
.'
, Apama, K.. 2000 ' Cooking quality and In-vitro digestibility of legumes cooked 1n different media. J.
food- Sci. Technol., 37, 2.
,/~
.... ·' ) . ._ ' .
Shakuntala and M. Shadakshara Swamy, 200 1, Foods-Fact, and Pnnc, ples. New Age
• Manay. nal (P) Limited Publishers, New Delhi.
Intcmauo '
. L•·t
.--., J.
QUESTIONS

Discuss the nutritional contribution of pulses to the diet.

E'.il 2. Explain the effect of germination on pulses.
., 3, Discuss the anti-nutritional factors of pulses.
4. Write a short note on lathyrism.
s. What is favism? ...,
Figure 3-h: Addition of sprouted grams to salads increase satiety and nutritive value. 6. What are the factors affecting cooking of pulses? a::
7. Explain the different processings done on legumes. w
I-
MEDICINAL VALUES OF PULSES s. What is parching of pulses? Give two recipes where parched pulses are used. Q.

9. Describe the role of pulses in cookery.

<
:x:
Leguminous seeds and beans provide ~igh fibre as well ~s antinutrients like phytates, tannii 110. What are the substances present in pulses which affect the digestibility? How can you overcome this'
u
saponins and enzyme inhibitors and therr gradual absorptlon produces a lower rise of bl~ 1I. What are tannins? Give their importance in pulses.
sugar than an equal amount of carbohydrate from other sources hence recommended for diabefu
Phytic acid present may play a role in reducing colon and breast cancer risk, pos1~
because of its antioxidant effects. I PRACTICALS
Oligosaccharides encourage the growth of bifidobacteria which promotes health of the col1
and decreases the chances of getting colon cancer. I. Demonstrate the factors such as soaking, hard water. sodium chloride and papaya on cooking
quality of pulses.
Bengal gram consumed over a period of several weeks may reduce serum cholesterol Jc,~
2. Prepare recipes using whole gram, sprouted pulses, split dais. parched pulses :md pulse tlours.
by increasing faecal excretion of total bile acids. Presence of isoflavones may also Ml
3. Prepare recipes using cereal and pulse combination.
hypocholesterolernic effect.
4, Prepare recipes using fermented pulse products.
Guargum a gel-forming galactomannan polysaccharide derived from the cluster bean •
been shown to reduce plasma cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic men. This is due to its ab~
to fonn a viscous gel in the small intestine which decreases cholesterol absorption and deh:
of ch~Ie sterol 10 the liver by the chylomicron remnant or its ability to bind bile acids~
mobilisehepauc · cholesterol pools due to an increased demand
' for bile acid synthesis,·
Guargu
. al · fl
m so m uences glucose tolerance. This may be due to viscosity, alterat!OD · in fd
prand1al responses t0 · Ii .
msu n and vanous gut hormones. I
Recent studies revealed tha I t'1aJ sou((t
linoleic and ex Ii . . t egumes on germination are not only the poten 01 J
acid and deco ahno1eruc ~1d but also long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids like eicosape11aiJI
s exaeno1c acid Th hi h • , h Ip to a
recommended ratio of fatt ·. e g rat10 of n-3 to n-6 on germination can e Black f
contains cx-linolenic 'd Yacids and thus keep the degenerative diseases at bay. d regul~
Cowpea lipids also haci hand hence it has cholesterol lowering effect if conSUIDe
- ave ypocholesteremic effect.