This is a copycat of the spicy edamame you get at modern Japanese restaurants, a standard order for pre-dinner snacking. The final recipe to complete the fusion Japanese menu I shared earlier this week, just in time for the weekend!
Spicy edamame
No outing to a fusion Japanese restaurant happens without a bowl of edamame to start. While I wouldn’t turn down a bowl of regular plain salted edamame, if Spicy Edamame is on offer, I will pounce on it. Which should surprise no one, given my love of big, bold flavoured food!
But – I always cringe when I see the price. It’s usually over $10 for a small bowl while it costs just over $3 for a whole bag of frozen edamame and less than $1 to make the sauce!
So, here is my copycat of Spicy Edamame, the sort that you see on the menu of modern Asian restaurants. Serve it as a snack – it goes with everything: sake, wine, beer, cocktails!
For a traditional Japanese version, the plain salted variety, here is the recipe on my mother’s website, RecipeTin Japan.
Ingredients in spicy edamame
Here’s what you need to make this spicy edamame.
Frozen edamame
These days, frozen edamame is easily found in the frozen vegetable or Asian section of regular grocery stores. Look for packets that are not brined (ie pre salted) as it’s better to control salt levels yourself. Also, be sure to get edamame that is in the pods (rather than shelled ie soy beans removed from the pods) because the whole point of this dish is to suck the soy beans out of the sauce coated pods!
For more tips on selecting the best edamame and background information, see my mother’s traditional Japanese salted Edamame recipe here.
spicy garlic sauce for edamame
It took a few goes to get the balance of flavours right. I found that using a basic mix of soy + chilli paste + sesame oil was just a bit flat and boring. A touch of mirin and miso paste went a long way to solve this. But don’t worry, there are easy substitutes for both of these.
Sambal oelak – a chilli paste that is made from fresh chillies with a bit of salt and vinegar. It’s mildly spicy. Even though it’s not Japanese, I like to use this for spicy edamame for the colour and flavour it adds. Substitute with any chilli paste you have, or sriracha – just start with a bit and add more at the end to get the spiciness to the level you want.
Japanese soy is a little more delicate in flavour than Chinese soy but it’s fine to use any all-purpose or light soy soy sauce. Don’t use dark soy (too strong, it will ruin the dish) or sweet soy (too sweet). See here for more about different types of soy sauces.
Mirin – syrupy sweet Japanese cooking wine made from rice that adds depth of flavour into the sauce. Essential ingredients in Japanese cooking (literally used in every second dish). Find it in the Asian section of grocery stores or Asian stores. Substitute with: 2 teaspoons honey plus 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock, and simmer sauce for longer.
Grapeseed oil – This is a very flavourless oil which makes it an ideal choice when you want other flavours to shine through. Substitute with other natural flavoured oil – canola, rapeseed, vegetable or peanut oil.
Garlic – finely minced with a knife (not a crusher, it’s too wet and pasty to be sautéed)
Miso paste – Just 1/4 tsp provides flavour and salt into the sauce and also thickens it so the sauce clings to the edamame. Any type is fine – white, red, saikyo miso etc. Substitute: add an extra pinch of salt.
Non spicy version – See recipe notes for a Honey Soy kid-friendly alternative.
How to make spicy edamame
Cook the edamame from frozen in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. NOTE: Many packets will instruct to boil for 5 minutes. That’s not necessary as the edamame is already pre-cooked, and it also dulls the green colour. Also, some packets will include microwave or steaming directions which you can also use. I prefer to boil in lightly salted water for a little extra seasoning on the skin.
Drain well and shake the excess water off.
Sauce – Sauté the garlic gently in the oil until it is light golden. Then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for just 1 minute until syrupy.
Pour over the edamame then toss well to coat. Transfer into a serving bowl and serve!
Now, onto the most important matter – how to eat Spicy Edamame (seriously, for first timers, instruction is required!).
How to eat spicy edamame
How you eat spicy edamame matters!!! Because, uniquely, the part you eat is inside the pods (ie the soy beans) but the part that’s sauced is the outside (which is discarded).
And it’s deliberate! Because this is how to eat edamame:
Pick up a sauce slathered pod;
Use your front teeth to semi-bite / semi-suck the soy beans out of the pods while simultaneously sucking all the sauce off the skin of the pod;
You end up with a mouthful of the slippery soy beans and the tasty sauce;
Discard the sauce-less, empty pod; and
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Wash it down with a cold beer, warm sake, cold sake, a cocktail or your favourite glass of wine. There’s no better way to kick off a meal….or finish a Friday! – Nagi x
PS Edamame is rich in protein, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. And there’s not much oil in the sauce, making this dish a much better-for-you option that other snacking alternatives! So I like to think it offsets the wine.😈
Watch how to make it
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Spicy edamame
Ingredients
EDAMAME
- 300g/10oz frozen edamame in the pods (ie not shelled), preferably not brined (Note 1)
- 2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
SPICY GARLIC SAUCE
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other plain flavoured oil)
- 2 tsp garlic , finely minced
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek , adjust/omit to taste (Note 2)
- 2 tsp sesame oil , toasted
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (sub light soy or all-purpose soy, NOT dark soy – Note 3)
- 1 tbsp mirin (Note 4)
- 1/4 tsp miso paste (any type, not critical if you omit)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Instructions
- Spicy garlic sauce – Heat the oil in a small pan over medium low heat. Cook the garlic until very light golden, then add everything else. Stir, then simmer on low for 1 minute. Remove from stove.
- Edamame – Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the salt. Put the frozen edamame in the water. Bring it back up to the boil then cook for 2 minutes (Note 5 – ignore the packet times, they always say too long!). Drain well, shaking off excess water.
- Toss – Transfer edamame into a bowl, pour over sauce, toss. Transfer into a serving bowl – scrape out every drop of sauce! Serve warm or at room temperature.
- To eat, pick up a sauce-slathered pod. Bite the pod so the soybeans pop out into your mouth, and suck all the sauce off the skin. Discard the skin, repeat and repeat!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Today – filming Play School. He’s peaked!
He did me proud. Never barked when the cameras were rolling and when it came to his time to shine in front of the cameras, he nailed it in one take!!
And there I am, frantically learning my lines while getting a blow-out (Dozer was up next).
What a life Dozer leads!! Still can’t believe I picked him up for 50% off. Bargain of my life!
Delicious! Didn’t have the miso, but was fantastic without. Lots of savory and umami flavors. I could eat this alone for a meal, it was that satisfying. Thanks Nagi!
I had these tonight with left over corn fritters. This was my dinner! That sauce is soooo good it should be illegal. I will never buy chips again as a snack, will always have edamame in the freezer for a quick snack, absolutely worth the 10 mins it takes to make it!
I just discovered the Dozer button – how have I missed that?! So happy to hear he is doing well – looks like you guys had a fun day – and yum on the spicy edamame!!
You are so right abt needing instructions on how to eat. When I went to a Japanese restaurant and they served endamame, I didn’t realise you only ate the beans inside. Ate the who thing and found the shells VERY chewy. Returned several times to that restaurant and did the same thing, before watching other tables and realised what I was doing wrong. Oh, got extra fibre I guess…lol
You too? I thought it was only me .hahaha. So stringy and chewy. Good to know how to really eat them.
Doze might have been half off but he’s the best of the bunch!! Love seeing him and of course your recipes. I love Edamame so i will make this. You all take care, hugs to both of you.
Don’t really care for Endame, so won’t cook it. 🙁 I am a dog person/trainer and we all know the biggest shortcoming of dogs is that they just don’t live long enough! We would all recommend that it is time to get a puppy, so that Dozer can help with the training!
Love your recipes Nagi but could you please amend the kid friendly version of this amazing edamame dish. Many thanks
This is a five star for me. Have made it twice already and sent the recipe to friends and family too. You never disappoint Nagi.
Hugs to Dozer who is looking just spectacular.
Wonderful recipe and fabulous news that Dozer is doing well
Thank you Mandy! He’s doing so well, I’m so thankful 🙂 N x
I have to admit I opened the recipe to see the Dozer story first then went back to read the recipe.
Don’t worry about the recipe if you’re pressed for time! Dozer is the priority – hence why I had a Dozer button created especially 😂
I think adding a smoky black garlic oil would really elevate this to the next level! Can’t wait to try!
Sounds amazing!! I love black garlic, I haven’t tried the oil though! N x
Gogyo in surry hills has the most amazing smoky garlicky spicy edamame. If you can replicate that recipe I’ll name my next child after you haha!
You’re on!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dozer 🐾
is a natural 🎥
…
Another creative recipe.
Luv edamame, yum 😋
Domo Nagi
Dozer, you’re the best ,err I mean Nagi! You have done such an amazing thing raising Dozer. You hear of such sad story of animals not being raised the way they should be, if half of the people on this planet would raise their animals the way you have done for Dozer, they would be better off. Many hats off to you. I have followed you you for so many years and have cooked so many amazing recipes from your site, I know that is why I have been a better cook. All my love to you and Dozer. A big hug to you both, please tell Dozer it was from me!
My 3&5 yr old love Dover (and they love the dishes I make from you) You have made their day, when they find out he will be on Play School. What’s next he star’s in an episode of Bluey?
Another winner Nagi so easy, I even forgot to cook the garlic first and that didn’t matter. Used a whole packet of Edamame beans and every single one was gone. Will be so easy to adapt the dressing to slightly other ingredients i.e. I didn’t have some but like but did have a chilli based oil! Yum Yum Yum
Woweee!!!! I’m so glad this was enjoyed Narelle! N xx
Hi Naji, thank you for explaining how to eat Edamame beans from the pods. The first time they were served to us several years ago we thought we were supposed to be eating the pods as well, therefore they never got a look in on any of our meals. I love the beans and buy them podded, but now I know to buy them whole. Thank you for the great recipe also.
Hi Nagi another fantastic recipe I just have to buy the ingredients. Dozer blew it out the park on Play School, dozer is everyones pal beautiful boy
Awww he looks so good. Did you both have fun? I’m guessing that Play House is a version of Sesame Street here in the states?
How’s his breathing been? I am just so happy he is doing so well Nagi. All because of your fabulous care of him. Please give him a big hug and smooch from this old Vet Tech who loves him.
This is my very happy moment for today!
Well done 🎬 you two! Autographs and paw prints please 🐾 😎