To put it simply, organic beans and pulses, like other organic foods, are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and are therefore, free from any harmful elements that may otherwise make their way into our bodies.
But that’s very basic information. How does this translate specifically to that one ingredient common to every meal in every region in India—pulses?
For a country that has a large number of vegetarians, beans and pulses form an important component of our meals.
Some or other form of whole or split bean or daal makes its way to at least one meal of the day, if not in the form of a daal itself, in the form of sprouts or powdered and used as a flour.
This varied and rich source of protein often gets consumed in toxic forms that we are not even aware of.
A simple example of an organic farming technique that does a world of good to the quality of pulses is crop rotation.
Common farming methods include the use of herbicides to manage the growth of weeds and while this quickly arrest the problem, it also causes harm t the crop itself.
Organic farming, on the other hand, uses cop rotation (planting a series of different crops in the same area according to the season in order to preserve and regenerate soil nutrients) along with simple methods such as mulching (covering the soil with a layer of grass or other organic material) to avoid the growing of weeds.
Since no chemicals are involved in this method, the bean crop is unharmed and gets the advantage of the maximum nutrients from the soil.
Chemical fertilizers are replaced with compost and natural manure, making the cultivation of the pulses virtually chemical-free.
As a result, organically grown beans are easier to cook (faster, softer) and therefore, easier on digestion as well.
Since there is virtually no contact with any toxins from chemical fertilizers or pesticides, it is only natural that organically grown pulses have a tendency to preserve a greater amount of nutrients and for a longer period as well.
Which is probably why a simple bowl of daal or saambaar made from organically grown pulses will taste much more satisfying and comforting than any other!
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