Anardana is a spice used in Indian cooking to give a sour-sweet taste to dishes. It is made from the dried seeds of the pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum). The seeds are dried along with the pulp, either by sun-drying or other means of dehydration. They are then ground or sold in whole form. The sweet astringency of the dried seeds and flesh makes them a popular acidulant for Indian dishes. Anardana is an alternative to mango powder or amchur. Unlike Amchur, it has the advantage of imparting some sweetness. Tamarind is used for similar purposes.
The most prized pomegranate for making anardana is a variety called Daru, which grows wild in the lower Himalayas. Other regions for pomegranate for anadarna are the hills of Jammu, some parts of Chama, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, and the Punjab districts.
The fruits are picked around mid-October, the seeds and pulp are separated by hand, and allowed to dry for 10 to 15 days, turning a reddish-brown.
Anardana Uses
As a spice, anardana is used in small amounts for chutneys, some curries, stuffings, vegetables, lentils, and chickpeas, as an acidulant. Indians sometimes sprinkle anardana in yogurt raitas. It is also thought to be medicinal and soothing to the stomach, as well as good for the heart.
Anardana spice is sometimes used in Iran and other parts of the Middle East, but a syrup from fresh pomegranate seeds is more often used. Pomegranate, in general, is a much-esteemed fruit in India, as well as some parts of the Middle East. All parts of the fruit are used.
Other Names for Anardana
Andardana is the name used in Hindi and Hindustani, as well as Punjabi and Urdu. Other names are:
- Assamese – Dalim
- Bengali, Marathi – Dalimb
- Gujarati – Dalamb Dadam
- Kannada – Dalimbari
- Kashmiri – Daan
- Malayalam – Mathalam Pazham
- Oriya – Dalimba
- Sansrkit – Dadima
- Tamil – Mathalam Pazham
- Telugu – Dannima Pandu
