Apart from eating them directly from the pods, there are lots of other different ways that you can use edamame, such as tossing the beans into salads and stir-fries. This recipe is one of my favourite ways to use edamame.
Serves 2–3
Ingredients
– 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
– 200g edamame (out of the pod)
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– ½ teaspoon sesame oil
– ½ clove of garlic, crushed
– juice of 1 lemon
– 2 tablespoons water
– freshly ground salt and pepper to season
Method
1. Toss the sesame seeds into a roasting tray and place in a fan oven preheated to 150ºC for about 5 minutes.
2. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the hot sesame seeds until most of them are cracked and ground.
3. Cook the edamame, then drain. If still in the pods, remove by using your fingers to gently squeeze the beans out.
4. Place the cooked edamame beans, ground sesame seeds and the remaining ingredients in a blender and blitz until the texture is nice and creamy.
5. If you think the mixture is too dry, then add a little more olive oil or water.
Tip
Serve with pitta bread or raw vegetable sticks.
Fiona Uyema spent three years in Japan, where she learned about Japanese food. She has appeared on TV and featured in many publications, including the Irish Independent, The Irish Times, EasyFood magazine, FOOD&WINE and the RTÉ Guide. In her cookbook ‘Japanese Food Made Easy’ Fiona shares her love of Japanese cooking, known for its health benefits and carefully balanced flavours. Using local ingredients where possible, she demonstrates how easy it is to cook Japanese food at home without spending hours preparing complicated dishes.
