Black soybeans (bhatt)

Caution: Soybeans are indigestible raw and must be cooked thoroughly before eating.

Black soybeans are a variety of soybean with a black seed coat; inside they are greenish or yellowish, and in the mountains of Uttarakhand they are one of the most important pulses, known as bhatt. They taste nuttier, earthier and slightly sweeter than yellow soybeans and stay firm even after long cooking instead of breaking down, so thick, creamy dishes are bound with ground beans or flour rather than by cooking them to mush. Before cooking they are usually soaked overnight or dry-roasted in a pan, which deepens their toasted flavour. You can find them in Asian grocery stores, often sold as Chinese or Japanese black soybeans, sometimes in health food or organic shops, and by mail order. Check that the label says soy, because Latin American black beans and black urad are something else, as are the fermented black beans of Chinese cooking.