Legumes, Grains, Pasta, and Other Starches Chapter 19 Legumes, Grains, Pasta, and Other Starches Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Dried Legumes Legume is a plant that bears seed pods that split along two opposite sides when ripe. In culinary usage, legumes refer to the seeds from these seed pods, especially when they are mature and dried. Legumes are high in protein and, thus, are important in vegetarian diets. They are rich in B vitamins and minerals. Some legumes, like the soybean, are also rich in fat.

Dried Legumes Types and Varieties Kidney Beans Peas A subgroup of this family is sometimes called haricot beans (haricot is the French word for “bean”). Peas Dried green and yellow peas are the same peas we eat as a fresh vegetable, but they are left on the vine until mature and dry. They are usually split, with the hull removed. Split peas cook quickly without preliminary soaking.

Dried Legumes Types and Varieties Lentils Other Legumes Lentils are small, lens-shaped legumes. They have a shorter cooking time than kidney beans, even when whole, and do not need soaking. Other Legumes Lima Beans Chick peas Mung Beans Fava Beans Adzuki Soybeans Dal

Dried Legumes Types and Varieties Top row: navy beans, garbanzo beans or chickpeas, Great Northern beans. Bottom row: baby lima beans, cannellini beans or white kidney beans, rice beans.

Dried Legumes Types and Varieties Top row: black turtle beans, dried fava beans. Bottom row: Swedish brown beans, calypso beans, flageolet beans.

Dried Legumes Types and Varieties Top row: red kidney beans, pink beans, appaloosa beans. Bottom row: cranberry beans or borlotti, Christmas lima beans, pinto beans.

Dried Legumes Types and Varieties Top row: yellow split peas, green lentils, green split peas. Bottom row: brown lentils, red lentils, black-eyed peas.

Dried Legumes Cooking Legumes The primary cooking method used to prepare dried legumes is simmering. Dried beans, peas, and lentils are dry and hard, and they must be rehydrated. They must absorb water in order to be made edible. Once the beans are cooked and tender, they can be finished in a variety of ways.

Grains Types of Grains Grains are the edible seeds of various members of the grass family. Each seed consists of four parts: The husk: an inedible fibrous outer layer that is removed during processing The endosperm: the starchy mass that forms most of the kernel The bran: a tough but edible layer covering the endosperm The germ: the tiny embryo that forms the new plant when the seed sprouts

Grains Types of Grains A product labeled whole grain consists of the: Endosperm Bran Germ The grain may be polished or milled to remove the bran and germ. White rice and other polished grains are only the endosperm.

Grains Types of Grains Rice Regular milled white rice has been milled to remove the outer bran coating. This process removes some vitamins and minerals It produces a white, lighter-textured product most people prefer.

Grains Types of Grains Enriched rice Short-grain and medium-grain rice Has received a coating of vitamins to compensate for some of the nutrients lost in milling. Short-grain and medium-grain rice Have small, round kernels that become sticky when cooked. Long-grain rice Has long, slender grains. Stays separate and fluffy when properly cooked.

Grains Types of Grains Parboiled or Converted rice Has been partially cooked under steam pressure, re-dried, and then milled or polished. This process results in a higher vitamin and mineral content, compared with regular milled white rice. Parboiled rice is the most widely used in food service. The grains stay firm, separate, and light, and the product holds well in the steam table without becoming mushy or sticky. The flavor and texture are not like those of regular long-grain rice.

Grains Types of Grains Instant rice Brown rice Has been precooked and dried. It can be prepared quickly. It does not hold well after cooking, and the grains quickly lose their shape and become mushy. Brown rice Has the bran layer left on. Available as short, medium, or long grain. Brown rice takes about twice as long to cook as white rice.

Grains Types of Grains Arborio Basmati rice Jasmine rice Arborio rice is one of several Italian varieties of a type of short- grain rice essential for making the highest-quality risotto. Basmati rice Extra-long-grain rice widely used in India and surrounding countries. Jasmine rice Long-grain white rice from Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. A little like basmati rice but more delicate or floral.

Grains Types of Grains Wehani Rice Wild Pecan Rice Glutinous rice Aromatic rice, red in color, with a rich, earthy flavor. Wild Pecan Rice Wild pecan rice is a cultivated, not wild, long-grain rice from Louisiana. Glutinous rice Also called sticky rice and sweet rice. Sweet-tasting short-grain rice. Becomes quite sticky and chewy when cooked.

Grains Types of Grains Top row: basmati rice, glutinous rice, plain long-grain rice. Bottom row: Japanese short-grain rice, jasmine rice, Arborio rice.

Grains Types of Grains Top row: true wild rice, Wehani rice, cultivated wild rice. Bottom row: parboiled or converted rice, brown long- grain rice.

Grains Types of Grains Corn Corn, as a grain, is not often cooked whole. It is ground into cornmeal. Meal can be defined as a coarsely ground grain, as distinguished from flour, which is finely ground grain. Polenta Hominy Grits Pozole Blue Corn

Grains Types of Grains Wheat Wheat Germ and Wheat Bran Cracked Wheat Usually used as additions to baked goods and some other dishes to enrich their nutritional content and to add flavor and interest. Cracked Wheat Whole wheat grains that have been cut into smaller pieces.

Grains Types of Grains Wheat Wheatberries Bulgur Wheatberries are the whole grain minus the hulls. Bulgur Type of cracked wheat that has been partially cooked or parched. It is usually available in coarse, medium, and fine granulations.

Grains Types of Grains Wheat Green Wheat Couscous Wheat that is harvested while immature and then dried. Couscous Is not actually a grain. It is made from semolina wheat and is sort of a granular pasta.

Grains Types of Grains Other Grains Wild Rice Farro Spelt Kamut Not actually rice but rather the seed of an unrelated grass native to the northern United States and Canada. Farro Spelt Kamut Flaxseed Buckwheat Quinoa Barley Triticale Oats Amaranth Millet

Grains Types of Grains Top row: Egyptian green wheat, hulled wheatberries Bottom row: couscous, kasha, farro

Grains Types of Grains Top row: quinoa, triticale, pearl barley. Bottom row: blue cornmeal, pozole, bulgur wheat.

Storing and Handling Grains Store raw grains at room temperature in a dark, dry place and in a tightly sealed container to keep out moisture and insects. Whole grains are more perishable because the fat content of the germ can become rancid. Whole grains may need to be picked over like dried beans to remove foreign matter such as tiny stones or bits of soil. Rice, our most commonly cooked grain, should be rinsed in cold water before boiling or steaming to remove excess starch.

Grains Cooking Grains Simmering Methods The exact amount of liquid needed varies considerably, depending on these factors: The type of grain, its age, and its moisture content. Tightness or looseness of the cover (degree of moisture loss during cooking). Desired moistness of the finished product. It is better to add too much liquid than too little.

Grains Cooking Grains Simmering Methods Pasta Method The Pilaf Method It is so called because, like pasta, the item is cooked in a large quantity of water and drained. The Pilaf Method The pilaf method is equivalent to braising. The grain is first sautéed in fat and then cooked in liquid. The fat helps keep the grains separate and adds flavor.

Grains Cooking Grains Simmering Methods Risotto method The word risotto comes from the Italian word riso, meaning “rice.” After sautéing the rice, add a small amount of hot stock or other liquid and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this procedure until the rice is cooked but still firm.