What things are soaked before cooking in your house? Why?

Cooking makes food easier to eat, digest, and absorb. Before actual cooking, we usually wash, cut/break, or soak ingredients—especially hard, dry ones.

What is soaking and why do it?

Soaking means immersing food in water so it absorbs moisture. It’s common for legumes and cereals:

• Legumes/dry seeds (rajma/kidney beans, chickpeas, dry peas, many pulses): usually soaked overnight.
• Rice and other cereals: typically soaked for a few hours.

Benefits of soaking

• Water diffuses into dry seeds, increasing moisture and softening them.
• Faster cooking and less fuel used.
• Helps ensure even, thorough cooking of hard foods.

Sprouting

Some soaked pulses (e.g., chana, moong) are left to germinate into sprouts. Sprouts are nutritious, relatively low-calorie, and often recommended for weight and metabolism management.