Spicy Edamame
The best healthy snack in the world
When I see a certain starter on the menu in a restaurant, I order it faster than you can say “Edamame”. In my opinion, edamame are simply one of the best snacks in the world. Edamame comes from Japanese cuisine and means something like “beans on a branch”. These are green-harvested soybeans that are traditionally prepared in the pod, which, however, is not eaten. Instead, you pull the beans out of the pod with your teeth.
If you find edamame on the menu of a Japanese restaurant, it is usually served boiled and sprinkled with sea salt. They taste incredibly delicious. But I find them even more irresistible when I briefly toss them in a spicy marinade of ginger, garlic, chilli, soy sauce and maple syrup after cooking. Sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, they’re the ultimate snack or starter.
What’s not true of most other snacks is true of the tasty edamame: there are good health reasons to eat them. These are the main ones:
- Unlike most plant-based foods, edamame contain all essential amino acids and are therefore a wholesome plant-based protein.
- Their high proportion of dietary fiber feeds our good intestinal bacteria and thus supports our intestinal health.
- The green soybeans contain more vital nutrients than when fully ripe. For example, plenty of folic acid for healthy blood formation and vitamin K, which prevents dark circles under the eyes.
- The phytochemicals isoflavonoids are abundant in edamame. They lower the risk of various types of cancer such as breast and prostate cancer. They can also relieve typical menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.
Here you can get edamame
Most Asian shops sell frozen edamame. You can also get them in well-stocked supermarkets or in organic shops.
And now my question to you: have you ever eaten edamame? And are you as excited about them too? If not, only answer after you have tried this recipe ;–). I look forward to your comment under this post!
SPICY EDAMAME
Ingredients
- 350 g frozen edamame in pods (in their shell)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup grade A or C
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp ginger finely grated
- 1 dried chilli pepper finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil (the water should just cover the edamame later). As soon as the water boils, add salt and cook the edamame in it for about 4 minutes, then drain the water through a sieve.
- In the meantime, mix the marinade in a small bowl. Mix together the soy sauce, maple syrup, roasted sesame oil, finely grated ginger, chopped chilli pepper and salt.
- Heat a pan and roast the sesame seeds without oil and while stirring until they start to smell. Pour the sesame seeds into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the same pan. Briefly fry the garlic while stirring. Then add the marinade and edamame and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Pour edamame into a bowl and serve sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds.
