Anardana - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Anardana seeds are just the dried seeds of the pomegranate fruit. They are used to make Indian food sour. When pomegranate seeds dry, bits of the fruit's pulp stay on them. The seeds of a pomegranate are a little sticky and taste mildly sweet, fruity, and sour. Most of the time, these seeds are used in dishes with vegetables and beans. These seeds are used in some Moghlai dishes.

Anardana is a spice made from the dried seeds and pulp of some kinds of pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum) that are too sour to eat fresh. People think that the wild pomegranates, which are called daru and grow in the southern Himalayas, have the best seeds for making the sticky spice. However, the spice can also be made from cultivated pomegranates. But wild pomegranates are better because they are easy to grow and don't need much care until the fruits are ready to be picked. The small pomegranate fruits are only 2.5 inches (6.35 centimetres) across and have a hard rind on the outside. The seeds inside are dark red to pinkish-white. 

About Anardana:

Anardana is a popular spice made from the dried seeds of pomegranate fruit to give a sour-sweet taste to dishes. It is popularly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. The pomegranate seeds are dried along with their pulp, either by the method of the sun-drying or industrial dehydration. They are sold in whole or ground form. The origin of Anardana lies in Iran, then it was introduced in the central and southern regions of India from Iran during the first century AD. Now, it is cultivated throughout India, and most extensively in the Himalayan region of northern India. Wild pomegranates are basically used since they are too sour to eat when fresh. The seeds have a reddish-brown appearance with a sticky texture, for which it is sometimes called “pomegranate molasses.”

The name Anardana comes from the Persian words anar, which means "pomegranate," and dana (seeds). Most of the time, the spice is used in Indian and Pakistani dishes to make them sour. It is also sometimes used in Middle Eastern and Persian dishes instead of pomegranate syrup. Anardana is most often used to flavour vegetables and beans, but it can also be used to flavour meat. In India, meat is marinated in grenadine, which is reduced pomegranate juice. The enzymes in the grenadine make the meat more tender and give it a subtle flavour. People think that when used in the same way, the anardana spice has the same effect.

Anardana is made by drying the seeds and pulp of pomegranates together. Because it is very sticky and has a reddish-brown colour, it is sometimes called "pomegranate molasses." The pulp and seeds are spread out on roofs and left to dry in the sun for about two weeks. This is the traditional way to dry them. This method is still used, but it isn't thought to be very clean because the pulp often gets dirty and dusty. More and more people are using mechanical drying because it takes less time (5 to 48 hours in a food dehydrator) and makes a cleaner product.

5 Ways to Cook with Anardana Seeds

Everyone likes to start the day with a healthy meal. But, because they are so busy, they don't have time to make their own breakfast. They look for easy, healthy breakfast recipes that use pomegranate seeds. They can pay attention to the following things. That will make a good choice and make a breakfast recipe that is easy and healthy.

Here are the five best ways to add seeds to your everyday foods.

1. In Indian chutneys and curries, anardana seeds are used.

You can put pomegranate seeds that have been dried and coarsely ground into Indian curries and chutneys. The sour or sweet taste of these seeds gives the curry sauce a unique flavour and makes it thicker. Also, the addition of Anardana seeds will make more kids and young people want to eat traditional foods instead of unhealthy fast food.

2. Anardana seeds based salads

If you want to have a healthy breakfast every morning, you can eat pomegranate seeds, especially dried pomegranate seeds. With red pepper, onion, black pepper, and potatoes, you can make a chickpea salad. Now, add the anardana seeds to the salad to make it taste the best.

3. Anardana seeds in sweetbreads

Most of the time, raisins are used in sweet breads. You might want to make some interesting and tasty breads right now. Anardana seeds can be used in place of raisins in sweetbreads, muffins, and cookies. Don't forget to use dried pomegranates in place of the same amount of raisins.

4. Aloo Anardana

One of the most well-known Indian recipes is Aloo Anardana. Anardana seeds are used in this recipe to give the dish its unique flavour and improve the overall taste. When people eat healthy recipes every day, their physical and mental health can improve in a good way. But they need to learn more about how to use healthy foods like dried pomegranate seeds as ingredients in their dishes.

5. The fish and meat had Anardana seeds in them.

The anardana seeds need to be roasted in the oven and ground into a powder with a coffee grinder. Now, use this powder to season meat and fish. You can improve the sour or sweet taste of soup stocks or marinades by adding powdered anardana seeds.

Health benefits of anardana:

Anardana has polyphenolic antioxidants that stop the LDL (bad) cholesterol from getting oxidised. This keeps plaque from building up in the arteries, preventing atherosclerosis.

Anardana is full of fibre, both the kind that dissolves and the kind that doesn't. The body needs these fibres to stay healthy. Soluble fibre swells up in the gut and stops the body from taking in too much cholesterol and sugar. This helps keep the blood sugar level steady and lowers the amount of cholesterol in the body. On the other hand, insoluble fibre gets rid of toxins in the body and helps the digestive system work better.