Sunday, February 15
Cooking with Pulses – practical and tasty workshop FULL
Organized by Viveka Gardens Retreat Place
Date and time
Sunday | February 15 2026 | 7:30 am
About this event
It’s World Pulses Day on 11th February. Initiated by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation, part of the UN) it’s a celebration of beans and lentils as easily grown and nutritious food, and the world cultures that love them.
Arrive in time for a light lunch and we’ll be cooking, snacking and learning through the afternoon.
In the workshop:
+ the latest in pulse nutrition (and the protein synergistic effect with grains – or not!!)+ why pulses are good for the soil, the planet and your gut biometaste testing fresh cooked vs tinned+ the kinds of pulses and where they come from+ aromatics and their key role in digestibility+ how to cook pulses+ compassionate eating
We’ll make three dishes to practice with different spicings to apply to other dishes, a chutney and a something sweet.
Take a goody bag away with three key ingredients to re-create pulstatstic dishes for your family and friends.
Sunday 15th February 2025Arrival from 12.15 for 12.30 start – 5pm£75Viveka Gardens is keen to make wprkshops available to all – bursaries for those on benefit/low income Please contact to discussincludes four vegan, pulse-based dishes, hand out, goody-bag
Tasty, nutritious vegan food is part of the offer here at Viveka Gardens Retreat Place. Every week here at Viveka Gardens students share a pulse-based souper soulfood soup after classes. Summer retreats of rest and restoration are underpinned by grounding, home-cooked meals.
It’s so great that pulses – beans and lentils – are finally becoming accepted and celebrated in the UK. Today’s workshop is a fun and easy way to be more confident with cooking, eating and even growing them.
What to bring:
notebook and penapronhair tie/clip if you have long hairwarm layers and a coat to go outsideWe’ll be in the kitchen and dining room for the workshop, and a short trip to the over-wintering kitchen garden for a mini-tour and a bit of fresh air.
A bit more about me and pulses
I’ve been a bean keenie for more than 15 years, delighting in growing different varieties at my allotment and in community projects, and since before then understanding how to use dhals through cooking in ashrams. Not only are pulses really great for health, fantastic for soils and the environment, but they are also key in a compassionate diet.
In 2016 the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation, part of the UN) launched this global pulse awareness day, and we have so much to learn from cultures around the world about spicing to make delicious food that is easy to digest.
Languages
English
Event type
Education
Organizer
Viveka Gardens Retreat Place