We move into February valorising our pulses. Taking into account the importance of pulses in a sustainable food system and sustainable farming, the UN declared 2016 as the year of pulses. In 2019, it was decided that February 10th of every year would be designated as the day of pulses. This is to create awareness and to promote this amazing source of nutrition and answer to malnutrition.
In Bio Basics, as curators of organically grown, naturally processed traditional rice we recognize that pulses are a must to our traditional Indian rice diets. Not just because they are affordable, heart healthy, protein rich & fiber filled… But because pulses as a rotation crop are integral to healthy paddy ecosystems. This is particularly so as the valuable nitrogen for the rice paddies are created by the rotation crop of edible and inedible leguminous plants. As we approach world pulses day, most of our paddy farmers are sowing pulses on their paddy lands that will grow out with residual moisture. Paddy & pulses- a perfect combination!
So this February we go through many things pulses. We carry a diverse range of pulses from the ever-popular moong growing in Tamil Nadu to the ubiquitous Tur to the Rice beans (Navrangi) popular in Uttarakhand and the various black pulses grown in Karnataka. The black, the green, the orange, the brown, the white, the beige to colours in between…
So this month of love and valorising pulses, let's share our pulse journey, favourite dishes, crops, cooking methods and give a shout-out to rare ones that we normally don't encounter.
At Bio Basics we carry about 20 different pulses organic, unpolished, traditionally processed & from local farmer groups! We would love to have you try each one of them. Let us know the ones you love, the ones you are trying for the first time or the ones that don't excite you so much ....maybe we can exchange notes on how best we can adopt as many of them in our lives. Join us on our social media & share your journey with us! Let this powerful, delicious, sustainable source of plant protein that has been with us since antiquity thrives again in the fields and farms as well.
Due to our policies pulses cultivation in India has dropped precipitously and we import a large quantity of pulses. These imported seeds are stored for a long time using chemicals to prevent infestation and lose their taste and vigour. Go local, use pulses grown in India, go organic, eat pulses grown without chemicals and go diverse….
