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Overnight soaking of seeds has remained a long-lasting custom dating back centuries. Many iconic Indian recipes, like chole masala and rajma curry, start with a soaking process. If you want to prepare something early in the morning for breakfast or lunch, soaked seeds and nuts present an array of possibilities for whipping up nutritious recipes.
Soaking seeds, nuts, and legumes overnight has remained an age-old practice that's beneficial in many ways. This technique not only speeds up recipes but also offers multiple options for various dishes. There are several benefits of overnight soaking. When the seeds soak up the moisture, their nutrient content breaks down, allowing for easy digestion. Soaking also enables easy cooking, as it takes less time to cook.
Know what seeds, nuts and legumes you need to soak overnight for consumption. Make it a reminder to soak the seeds tonight to ease your cooking tomorrow.
7 Foods To Soak Overnight For Consumption
1) Kidney Beans
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Kidney beans are one of the principal legumes that take a long time to soak. Soaking is the most important part that comes first and foremost in making these beans. It also helps break down the phytic acid and lectins, which inhibit the absorption of nutrients during digestion. Better digestion leads to reduced production of gas and so can reduce bloating in the stomach, too.
2) Chickpeas
Chickpeas are the hardest to cook when not soaked. They belong to the legume family and contain phytic acid and lectins, which need to be broken down to allow proper digestion and absorption. Soaking also softens chickpeas, ensuring even cooking.
3) Soybeans
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Soybeans can be transformed into delectable recipes like curries, one-pot rice dishes, and stir-fries. Like other legumes, soybeans need to be soaked to soften them, which allows even cooking and proper digestion. Soaking soybeans also reduces the production of gas during digestion.
4) Oats
Many people prefer to eat oats directly in milk and eat them right away. However, you might not know that oats, too, require soaking before eating. Oats also contain phytic acid, a type of antioxidant that prevents proper absorption of nutrients. Soaking oats helps break down the nutrients, allowing you to get the most out of them.
5) Almonds
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Almonds, unlike other nuts, are long-soaked nuts, which need at least 8 hours to soak. This improves digestibility and also releases enzymes that support weight loss, purify the body, and activate antioxidants. Eating overnight-soaked almonds every morning can benefit brain development as well.
6) Pistachios
While roasted pistachios are an incredibly good anytime snack, soaked pistachios are way more beneficial than that. Soaking pistachios enhances the nutrient value and makes it softer. It is necessary to soak pistachios 6-8 hours before eating.
7) Seeds
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Seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, mustard seeds, and hemp seeds have a hard exterior that is often difficult to consume immediately. Therefore, these seeds need to be soaked overnight for easy consumption. They have high vitamin and mineral content, which needs to be broken down to allow proper digestion.
When you soak these foods overnight, you can get the most out of every bit of them. If you are eating all these foods and still wondering why they are not benefiting you, try to soak them before eating and see effective results from the get-go.
