THE EDAMAME TRIVIA

26 May 2025 Dr. Kaviraj Khialani

WHOLESOME & VERSATILE

Edamame is a soybean that is young and green when picked. Because of this, edamame is soft and edible, not hard and dry like the mature soybeans used to make soy milk and tofu. The word edamame is Japanese for “Beans on a Branch.” It is most often found in East Asian cuisine and sold both in the pod and hulled. Although the pod itself is not edible, it adds flavour, making edamame in the pod an ideal snack. The hulled version is great for adding to rice dishes and salads. Edamame is inexpensive, with the cost of hulled being slightly higher.

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Edamame served in the pod is a popular appetizer at most Japanese food restaurants. It is a good choice for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone wanting to eat healthy, particularly since it is packed with low-fat soy protein. Edamame is sold both fresh and frozen; it can be served as an appetizer or snack and eaten straight from the pod, or the shelled soybeans can be incorporated into a recipe. When eating edamame still in the pod, the beans can be squeezed out of the pod directly into your mouth. The pods are usually salted, which adds to the flavour and experience of eating edamame. Edamame can be eaten hot or cold.

Edamame can be cooked in several ways, including boiling, steaming, microwaving, and pan-frying. To boil, add fresh, in-shell edamame to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the beans are tender. Boil frozen edamame for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the pods with cold water, if desire. to steam edamame, place an inch of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Place the edamame in a steaming basket, steaming tray, or colander above the boiling water. Cover the pot and steam for 5 to 10 minutes for fresh edamame and 3 to 8 minutes for frozen edamame, until tender. Rinse to cool down, if desired.

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My exposure with edamame beans has been a pleasant one and I have tried using it in indian recipes as well with a touch of spice and dash of herbs as well when it comes to continental fusion as well and my experiments turned out to be positive in various ways from including edamame in Chaats, desi salad forms, in a shorba, desi mix of paprika and rustic roasted peanut flavoured edamame mashed potatoes, fusion baked dishes with Indo-Chinese style eggplant and edamame bake with achari tofu and cheese sauce, edamame birishta pulao served with Tadkewala anari raita with curry leaf dust was yum too!

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Although edamame is the same soybean that makes tofu, it has a more taste than the bland bean curd. It is faintly reminiscent of peas and is buttery with a hint of sweetness and nuttiness. The texture is firmer than a pea, however soft, but with a bite. Frozen edamame is more readily available than fresh. Although most often sold in the pod, frozen edamame is also offered hulled. Bags of frozen shelled and unshelled edamame can be found in grocery stores in the freezer section. Though edamame is yet to get popular with us in our daily recipes and menus to a great extent, we need to create awareness and share ideas on how to use these beneficial & nutrient-rich ingredients to avail maximum benefits from their qualities.

Here are a few Health Benefits of Edamame:

1. Edamame helps lower cholesterol levels and assists in maintaining bone density.

2. Edamame is heart-healthy food and also aids in weight loss.

3. Edamame aids in improving the digestive system and also reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

4. Edamame is a great immunity-boosting ingredient and assists in healthy liver functioning.

5. Edamame is a great source of folate, it also helps in production of red blood cells in our body and allows us to access energy in foods.

6. Edamame is not only a good source of plant based protein but also has a good content of manganese as well which helps brain and nerve functioning well and also plays a role in the metabolism in our body.

Here are a few easy-to-adapt recipes using Edamame Beans:

Recipe-1] CHICKEN EDAMAME COMBO

Recipe-2] EASY EDAMAME TOSSED SALAD

Recipe-3] EDAMAME CASHEW FRIED RICE

Recipe-4] EDAMAME TOFU MUSHROOM TRIO

Recipe-5] EDAMAME ALMOND CREAM SOUP

Recipe-6] HERBED EDAMAME PEA DIP

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About the author

Dr. Kaviraj Khialani

Dr. Kaviraj Khialani, celebrity master chef is a Mumbai based food and hospitality consultant. He is specialised in over 33 plus international cuisines & is a two times national award winner for his excellence in his field of expertise. Chef Kaviraj has worked with some of the reputed hotel chains & airline companies in India & Overseas. He is a renowned academician, food designer & author- writer on food and culinary features, besides having been featured on Colors Television & Star plus he loves trying global fusion cooking promoting Indian food on an international platter for the diaspora.