Edamame and Green Onion Rice Pilaf

I first heard about Edamame beans from a colleague a couple of years ago. Until she mentioned about her love for Edamame, I had never heard about or seen fresh or frozen Soybeans (Edamame). When I lived in India, I used to make dishes with the dried soybeans, but was not aware that fresh beans are also available. So I looked up its nutrition facts online and found that Edamame would be a great addition to a vegetarian diet because of its high protein content. In addition, it is a good source of dietary fiber (32% daily value per serving), Vitamin C, Folate and Iron.

If you are not sure what Edamame is, look for it in the freezer section of your local grocery store. You will find both shelled and unshelled Edamame. I generally buy the frozen shelled Edamame, because I like to add it to most vegetable dishes and it is good to have it on hand. As long as you are careful not to overcook it, it adds a great crunch and texture to your dishes. You can also buy the unshelled Edamame - simply steam it in salt water and you can serve it as a snack or appetizer.

I have to confess, like my colleague, I have developed a taste for Edamame. And so I tried it in this rice pilaf dish with green onions and it tastes simply fabulous! The best part is that this dish is so quick and easy-to-make: just 15-20 minutes and your hot, fresh, yummy dinner is ready.

Here is what you need:
1 cup basmati rice
2 handfuls frozen Edamame
3 stalks green onion (remove stalk and snip fine: I used scissors to snip fine)
3/4 tsp salt
2 green cardamom
1/2" piece cinnamon
4-5 cloves
1 brown cardamom
1 small bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups water
Here is how you make this:
Wash and drain the basmati rice. Set aside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf) and brown lightly. Now add the Edamame beans and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the rice. Fry for a minute. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until nearly all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Now add the snipped green onion and stir lightly. Finish cooking until all the water is absorbed. Serve hot with any side dish. While eating, set the whole spices aside. They are added for flavoring and add a delicate taste to this pilaf.

I served the Edamame and Green Onion Rice Pilaf with a spicy Okra yogurt pachadi (sauce). Check back later for the Okra yogurt pachadi recipe.

Enjoy!