Anardana refers to the dried and ground seeds of the pomegranate. The name anardana is a Persian portmanteau. Anar translates to pomegranate and dana means seed. Anardana goes by different names depending on where in India you find it.
Most of the anardana that you are likely to find in the West is very tart and astringent. According to the celebrity food writer Madhur Jaffrey, anardana found in the West is harder and of inferior quality to that found in Pakistan or Punjab. She suggests using lemon juice instead.
Anardana also offers a fruity, sweet note. Its flavor is similar to that of dried cranberries.
Language |
Ingredient Name |
| Bangali | Dareem / Dalim-Gash / Dalim |
| Gujarati | Dadamna / Dalamb |
| Hindi | Anar / Anardana |
| Kannada | Dalimbo / Dalimbari / Daalimbae Hannu |
| Malayalam | Madhalanaranga / Maathalanarakam / Uriyan Pazham |
| Marathi | Dalimbache / Dalimb |
| Oriya | Dalimb / Dalima |
| Tamil | Maadhulai / Madhala Naranga / Mathalam Pazham |
| Telugu | Danimma Pandu / Dalimba |
Health Benefits of Pomegranate Seeds
You can get multiple essential nutrients from anardana, including:
- Vitamins: Anardana is a good source of vitamins C and K.
- Minerals: Anardana contains significant amounts of potassium and copper.
By adding anardana to your diet, you can get the following health benefits:
- Improved cognitive health: Higher levels of vitamin K have been associated with better episodic memory in older adults.
- High blood pressure: Studies have shown that vitamin C can help to relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Relaxing those blood vessels contributes to lower blood pressure.
Common Use
One of the many uses of anardana is as a source of acidity in dishes from India as well as from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Anardana is an alternative to other similar ingredients like amchur and tamarind.
Along with its benefits for flavor, anardana makes a good thickener and can act as a preservative. You can add anardana to curries or use it as part of a dry rub or marinade for meat. Other Indian applications include chutney. In the Middle East, anardana gets used in bread and pastries.
Ref: https://www.spiceography.com/anardana/
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