All dry pulses except lentils, mung beans and split peas need to be soaked – this shortens the cooking time and makes them easier to digest.

Do pulses need to be soaked?

Dried pulses require a long soak in water, at least until they double in volume. Change the water a few times during the soaking. This is an essential phase before cooking, so that they can release any toxic or hard-to-digest substances. ... Don't use the soaking water to cook them; save it instead to water the garden.

Why pulses should be soaked?

Soaking helps soften them, thereby saving on cooking time. It also helps to remove some of the anti-nutritional factors present in pulses (these anti-nutritional factors, which do not allow the protein to be digested properly, are destroyed by soaking, cooking or sprouting).