Edamame kiritanpo is an appetizer or snack that goes well with dry white wine, rose, or Japanese shochu! It’s the perfect easy-to-make authentic Japanese food recipe when you need a tasty appetizer for a dinner party or family meal. Because we are doing it with edamame, it’s also a healthy Japanese recipe that is completely vegetarian and can be used for potlucks and other parties where some people might not eat meat. The touches of grated ginger and miso give this simple snack some rich umami flavor too. So invite your friends over and get ready to enjoy!
What Is Kiritanpo?
Kiritanpo is a Japanese dish originating in the Akita prefecture. People created this dish to celebrate the season of rice harvest and therefore, of course, this recipe uses rice. This dish was originally for hunters and others who were mobile who needed a simple portable meal. Nowadays, there are many different varieties of kiritanpo recipes across Japan, and this is one of them. The most basic recipe simply uses fresh rice with water and a little bit of salt. But over the years many different varieties have evolved.
Kiritanpo in Japanese food culture is eaten both as a snack and as an addition to a nabe hot pot. Our traditional Japanese food recipe utilizes purely Japanese ingredients that are easy to find in Asian or health food stores. If you have the time and passion you can also make some of the ingredients, like miso paste, from scratch right in your home kitchen!
What Is Edamame?
Most people have seen bright green edamame beans either in a grocery store or Japanese restaurant, where they are commonly eaten as a starter or side dish. Basically, edamame are soybeans that have not fully matured. When soybeans are fully ripe and ready to be made into products like tofu, for example, they are brownish in color, but edamame are picked long before this time. For this recipe, you can use frozen edamame beans. However, remember that fresh ones usually have more flavor.
Japanese culture and traditions have long claimed that edamame beans are very healthy food. And now scientific studies are backing up this ancient wisdom and showing that edamame are rich in vitamins and minerals, high in protein, and may lower cholesterol and fight off several different types of cancer! Need another reason to eat them? Well, they are also super delicious!
Tips
- This is a great recipe if you have some leftover rice. The remaining steps are very quick and simple.
- It’s time-consuming to remove skins of edamame, but don’t skip this! If you skip this process, kiritanpo will be full of fibers that will interfere with the consistency of the dish. So take the time to remove them!
- You can serve edamame kiritanpo with soy sauce for dipping. You can add even more flavor to this dish.
Edamame Kiritanpo
Ingredients
- 4 lb Edamame (frozen or fresh)
- 2 lb Cooked White Rice
- 2 tsp Miso
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Cook (or thaw) the edamame in boiling water and drain. Remove edamame beans from the shells.
- Peel the thin skin of the beans and finely chop into small pieces using food processor. Mash the rice while it’s hot, and mix in the miso, ginger, and edamame.
- Place cooked rice in a bowl (while it’s warm) and mash them. Add miso, edamame, and grated ginger and mix well.
- Add flour in the rice mixture, and make bite sized circles, like the shape of slider patties.
- Pour vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry both sides until brown over medium heat.
