Five Spice Edamame (五香毛豆)
A healthy dish that requires minimal effort, Chinese five spice edamame is perfect for munching as a snack or appetizer.
Servings: 4
Calories: 143kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb edamame aka fresh green soybeans in pods (no need to thaw if frozen)
- 1 tablespoon salt see note 1
- 1 star anise see note 2
- 1 piece Chinese cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 dried chilies or to taste
- 6 slice ginger
Instructions
Cook the edamame
- Use scissors to trim off the stem end of each edamame.
- In a saucepan, bring 3 cups (750 ml) of water to a full boil. Add the edamame and salt. Once the water comes back to a boil, turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 2 minutes, or a little longer if you prefer a softer texture of the beans.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the edamame to a large bowl of cold water. Keep the hot water in the saucepan for the next step.
Make the spiced water
- Put ginger, star anise, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, bay leaves, and dried chilies into the hot water. Let it simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Then leave it to cool down for 20 minutes.
Steep the edamame
- Drain the edamame from the cold water, then pour in the spiced water. Leave to soak for 4 hours or overnight. Fish them out and serve as a snack or the starter of a meal (see note 3).
Notes
1. This recipe produces a mild level of saltiness. Feel free to add more if you prefer a saltier taste.
2. It’s fine to skip one or two spices if unavailable. Fennel seeds, whole black/white pepper, cumin seeds, or cloves can be used as substitutes.
3. You can keep the steeping liquid (have all the spices removed) and reuse it again to cook more edamame. Add a little more salt and/or spices if necessary.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg
