Soaking Times Chart

Under-soaked beans cook unevenly (mushy outside, chalky inside) and under-soaked lentils take twice as long in the pressure cooker. Soaking also removes some of the oligosaccharides that cause gas. The times below are tested ranges - shorter for softer items like chia seeds (15 minutes) and longer for dense legumes like chickpeas (8-12 hours). Always discard the soaking water for beans and legumes before cooking.

Seeds

Food	Soak Time	Water Ratio	Overnight?
Chia Seeds	0.25-2 hrs	1 part chia seeds to 6 parts water	Yes
Sabja Seeds (Basil Seeds / Tukmaria)	0.25-1 hrs	1 part sabja seeds to 8 parts water	No
Gond Katira (Tragacanth Gum)	6-12 hrs	1 part gond katira to 10 parts water	Yes

Legumes & Beans

Food	Soak Time	Water Ratio	Overnight?
Chickpeas (Chole / Kabuli Chana)	8-12 hrs	1 part chickpeas to 3 parts water	Yes
Rajma (Kidney Beans)	8-12 hrs	1 part rajma to 3 parts water	Yes
Soya Chunks (Soy Nuggets / Meal Maker)	0.25-0.5 hrs	1 part soya chunks to 4 parts hot water	No
Black Beans (Kale Rajma)	8-12 hrs	1 part black beans to 3 parts water	Yes
Black-Eyed Peas (Lobia / Rongi)	4-8 hrs	1 part black-eyed peas to 3 parts water	Yes
Pinto Beans	8-12 hrs	1 part pinto beans to 3 parts water	Yes
Red Beans (Lal Rajma)	8-12 hrs	1 part red beans to 3 parts water	Yes
Dried Navy Beans	8-12 hrs	1 part navy beans to 3 parts water	Yes
Great Northern Beans	8-12 hrs	1 part beans to 3 parts water	Yes

Grains & Rice

Food	Soak Time	Water Ratio	Overnight?
Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls / Sago)	4-6 hrs	1 part sabudana to just enough water to cover (water should be fully absorbed)	No
Oats (Overnight Oats)	4-12 hrs	1 part oats to 1.5 parts liquid (milk, yogurt, or water)	Yes
Basmati Rice (Basmati Chawal)	0.5-2 hrs	1 part rice to 2 parts water	No
Brown Rice (Bhura Chawal)	2-8 hrs	1 part brown rice to 2.5 parts water	Yes

Lentils & Dal

Food	Soak Time	Water Ratio	Overnight?
Green Moong Dal (Sabut Moong / Whole Mung Beans)	4-8 hrs	1 part moong to 3 parts water	Yes
Lentils (Sabut Masoor / Whole Red Lentils)	2-6 hrs	1 part lentils to 3 parts water	Yes
Urad Dal (Whole Black Gram / Sabut Urad)	4-8 hrs	1 part urad dal to 3 parts water	Yes
Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram)	2-4 hrs	1 part chana dal to 3 parts water	Yes
Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas / Arhar Dal)	1-3 hrs	1 part toor dal to 3 parts water	No

Nuts

Food	Soak Time	Water Ratio	Overnight?
Almonds (Badam)	8-12 hrs	1 part almonds to 2 parts water	Yes
Walnuts (Akhrot)	4-8 hrs	1 part walnuts to 2 parts water	Yes
Cashews (Kaju)	2-4 hrs	1 part cashews to 2 parts water	No
Dried Figs (Anjeer)	4-12 hrs	1 part dried figs to 2 parts water or milk	Yes