I made yellow pea and aubergine stew. Last time I made it the yellow peas were really tough, so this time I soaked them for around 12 hours. They’re less tough than last time but still tough.
Is that just how yellow peas are? Or is it that I need to cook them differently?
I sometimes have the same problem with dried beans. Soak them more, even for a few days, while changing the water. Some also suggest to add baking soda to the soaking water.
If they still remain crunchy, maybe the only solution is a pressure cooker.
Adding baking soda helps breaks down cell walls, which will help soften the beans.
You do not want to add anything acidic until the end of cooking. That will make them tougher.
This isn’t just for beans though, a small amount of baking soda will make your onion confit cook faster and be darker. A little acid will keep your raw onions crunchy and bright in salsa.
So I add it to the soaking water only? Do I need to boil the yellow peas in water for a bit before adding them to the tomatoes?
Add the baking soda to the soaking water. If you are cooking your legumes and tomatoes (which are acidic) together the legumes will be tougher.
Cook the beans, peas, etc. Then add tomatoes and whatever other acidic ingredients you may be using.
Another source of tough legumes is if they are old, especially if they have been stored in a hot and humid place.
There is a very good Serious Eats article (archive link) Here
Edit: here are their suggestions, for anyone not wishing to read the article
3 tablespoons (36g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight 1 ¾ teaspoons (10g) baking soda 8 ½ cups (2L) water 1 pound (455g) dried beans, picked of any debris and rinsed
I’ve got an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker for my pulces. I still soak them overnight because it helps reduce the farty-ness. But the pressure cooker absolutely sorts out any dried pulce in my experience.
Adding baking soda to the soak can help. Baking soda in the boil is the secret to mushy peas, and while you probably don’t want them to go that far for a stew it could help soften them up a bit.
Alternatively, give them a quick boil on their own for about 10 minutes before adding them to the stew to give them a head start. Just enough water to cover, boil hard but don’t let them boil dry.
Do you have hard water? That can make it more difficult to cook legumes to a creamier texture. If you think this might be the culprit, you can soak your peas in salty water or use water from a filter.
