Question

Khushi wanted to eat rice and kidney bean (rajmah). She requested her mother to cook the same for lunch tomorrow. At night her mother took a cup of kidney bean and put them in a container having some water. She kept the container covered overnight. Next morning, she cooked rice and kidney beans for lunch. Khushi inquired her mother the following questions:
(a) Why did she soak kidney beans in water overnight?
(b) Name the scientific phenomenon involved in above process.
(c) Name at least one more food item that is cooked in this way.

Answer 1

(a) Kidney beans are quiet hard and cooking them in that stage requires more time and energy (fuel). On the other hand, soaking the kidney beans overnight, causes them to absorb water and swell up. These soaked kidney beans cook fast and do not require much fuel as well.

(b) The scientific phenomenon involved in the above process is osmosis.

(c) Grams or Choley/Chaney are also cooked in the same way.