Pomegranate sauce (Narsharab): application and properties
Pomegranate sauce, called Narsharab, is the real pride of Azerbaijani cuisine.
The word is translated as “pomegranate wine,” although it contains no alcohol. Pomegranate fruits grew throughout Azerbaijan, so local residents decided to put the product to good use and began making an incredibly tasty dark red sauce with a thick consistency. The original Narsharab is prepared only from ripe wild pomegranates, squeezing the juice from peeled grains. The desired texture is achieved by thickening the resulting liquid in the sun and boiling it to evaporate excess moisture. The result is about 20% of the original volume. To enhance the taste, salt and spices such as pepper, coriander, bay leaf, as well as cinnamon and basil are added. The sauce from Turkey is no less original; its main differences from the Azerbaijani one are its thinner consistency and sour taste.
Homemade classic pomegranate sauce
Required Products:
• salt and other spices to your taste; • three kilograms of ripe pomegranates.
Cooking process:
1. First, free the grains from the skin and white veins. You should only have “ruby tears” left in their pure form, everything else can be thrown away. 2. Transfer them to some deep container and crush them with a spoon or masher to release the juice. 3. Then place it on the stove and heat until the grains turn white. At the same time, they need to be mixed all the time. 4. Pass the resulting mass through a sieve to separate the juice and pulp. 5. Return the container to the stove and cook the pure juice over low heat until thickened. After this, season the composition with spices and the sauce is ready.
Pomegranate sauce, called Narsharab, is the real pride of Azerbaijani cuisine. The word is translated as “pomegranate wine,” although it contains no alcohol. Pomegranate fruits grew throughout Azerbaijan, so local residents decided to put the product to good use and began making an incredibly tasty dark red sauce with a thick consistency.
The original Narsharab is prepared only from ripe wild pomegranates, squeezing the juice from peeled grains. The desired texture is achieved by thickening the resulting liquid in the sun and boiling it to evaporate excess moisture. The result is about 20% of the original volume. To enhance the taste, salt and spices such as pepper, coriander, bay leaf, as well as cinnamon and basil are added. The sauce from Turkey is no less original; its main differences from the Azerbaijani one are its thinner consistency and sour taste.
Composition and calorie content
Natural Narsharab is rich in substances and elements valuable for the body. Its calorie content is about 270 kcal per 100 g, which is explained by the high carbohydrate content - at least 67 g. Fats and proteins account for less than 1 g. The energy value may vary: it all depends on what ingredients the sauce is made from. Most often they use salt, a mixture of peppers, lemon juice and various aromatic seasonings.
The chemical composition of the pomegranate product is represented by the following elements:
- phytoncides, tannins,
- iron, potassium and magnesium,
- vitamins of group C, P, E,
- antioxidants,
- fruit acids (large amounts of citric and malic),
- anthocyanins.
The healthiest product is one made from natural juice with the addition of sugar, spices and without substances that enhance the taste or help it last longer. Only such Narsharab can contain the maximum of useful substances.
Beneficial features
Due to its ability to increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood, the product is recommended for use by people suffering from pathologies of the urinary system, hypertension and anemia. Narsharab is valuable for expectant mothers and women who are planning a pregnancy. Due to the large amount of potassium in the sauce, regular use helps normalize the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. In addition, there are other useful properties:
- increasing immunity;
- improving the absorption of iron in the body;
- normalization of metabolic processes;
- improving the condition of the skin, reducing the visibility of age spots;
- strengthening the nervous system;
- replenishing the lack of vitamins and organic acids;
- prevention of the formation of malignant tumors.
Valuable sauce made from ripe wild pomegranates has tonic, anthelmintic, and antibacterial properties. It is recommended during a diet, as it not only speeds up metabolism, but also removes everything unnecessary from the body.
Benefits of pomegranate sauce
Pomegranate juice has the highest biological activity compared to other drinks based on berries and fruits. However, it is believed that the benefits of pomegranate sauce are significantly greater than those of a home-made product. It contains a lot of substances beneficial to the human body, in particular vitamins and minerals. Due to the large amount of potassium, consuming pomegranate sauce has a positive effect not only on the heart, but also on the cardiovascular system as a whole.
In addition, the benefits of pomegranate sauce are due to its ability to increase hemoglobin levels in the blood. Due to this property, pomegranate juice and sauce are recommended for people who suffer from anemia, hypertension and diseases of the urinary system.
Use in cooking
Pomegranate juice sauce goes best with meat dishes. In Azerbaijan, the product is considered one of the symbols of national cuisine. It is also used as an excellent additive for fish. The wide distribution of Narsharab is explained by its unique taste and compatibility with a large list of products. Due to its ability to soften tough meat fibers in a short time, boiled sweet and sour juice acts as an excellent marinade for pork, chicken, lamb, beef or turkey. You can prepare meat for grilling over charcoal just a couple of hours after soaking.
Narsharab goes well not only with fish or meat. You can get amazing aroma and pleasant sourness in vegetable stew if you season the dish a little with it. It goes great with bean dishes. During a diet, it is tasty and healthy to replace the “vinegar + soy sauce” dressing for vegetable salads with saturated Narsharab in small quantities. Residents of Azerbaijan enjoy the delicacy by simply dipping a slice of bread into a bowl of thick pomegranate juice.
Middle Eastern addition to dishes and a fruity extravaganza of taste
This unusual variation of “gravy” has a simple recipe; even novice cooks can cope with preparing exquisite decorations for dishes. The combination of pomegranate sauce with vegetable salad is considered especially gastronomically successful.
Products used:
- 120 ml pomegranate juice;
- 110 ml olive oil;
- 60 ml white wine vinegar;
- 8-11 g sugar;
- seeds from ½ pomegranate.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl, set aside to steep for 2-3 minutes. Do you want to diversify your routine dish, but don’t know what to do? Pomegranate sauce is eaten with vegetables, as well as rice, couscous, and bulgur. The product can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.
Contraindications and possible harm
There are several restrictions on the use of Narsharab:
- increased stomach acidity;
- chronic gastrointestinal pathologies;
- different forms of gastritis;
- stomach ulcer;
- problems with stool in the form of constipation.
Consuming pomegranate sauce in excessive quantities can lead to the development of pancreatic pathologies (inflammation). Due to the excessive amount of acids in the composition, deterioration of the condition of tooth enamel is possible. In addition, pregnant women who have been diagnosed with health problems are advised to consult with their doctor about the possibility of including Narsharab in the menu.
How to select and store
When choosing, you should not save: a cheap product will disappoint with its taste and will not bring benefits to the body. The composition should not contain preservatives, ingredients identical to natural ones, and additives that enhance the aroma. Some manufacturers indicate on the label that the product is premium. It is this sauce that has the most similarities with the original Narsharab. It is best to choose jars or plastic bottles with boiled pomegranate juice made in the homeland of the product.
Why do housewives need pomegranate sauce?
Some housewives may be confused when receiving such a gift. But in vain! Its main use is in cooking. This is an excellent marinade for any meat dishes and fish. This sauce is also added to various salads. The main thing here is not to overdo it, so as not to spoil the taste of, for example, a salad of fresh vegetables. For some people, if you ask where to use pomegranate sauce brought from sunny Turkey, the answer may be: add to cottage cheese casserole, drink with tea. Others do not like the sour taste for this use, but they only marinate kebab in it. Since there is no need to add more salt, pepper, or other spices and seasonings. In addition, it is a real storehouse of vitamins. Can't compare with sauces like mayonnaise or ketchup, which are likely to do more harm than good.
Do you know how some girls on a diet use pomegranate sauce from Turkey? Use for weight loss is its main purpose. After all, it will speed up metabolism and metabolism, and its calorie content is only 46 kcal. The most important thing, as already mentioned here, is not to overload the sauce. You need to clearly see the line between benefit and harm.
Useful properties and composition of pomegranate sauce
The sauce, like the juice, is very beneficial for human health. Prepared at home, it is even better, since in this case it retains all the original minerals and vitamins. Pomegranate sauce has a beneficial effect on the activity and condition of the cardiovascular system, as it contains a lot of potassium.
Its use is recommended for anemia, hypertension, as it increases hemoglobin in the blood, and for problems with the urinary system. Nasharabi sauce (as it is called in Turkey) has many useful substances in its composition, as well as useful functions. We have indicated several basic ones, because pomegranate sauce from Turkey, the use of which we will consider below, very often becomes an indispensable product, and a separate article can be written about this. We only point out that people with high stomach acidity should avoid using it.
Chicken in pomegranate sauce
And finally, we offer a recipe for preparing a very tasty and healthy dish.
Ingredients: six chicken thighs, an onion, one tablespoon and, of course, our pomegranate sauce from Turkey. Using it in this recipe is very simple. We coat each washed and dried thigh with it (with the addition of salt) and leave for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the onion into half rings. Turn on the oven and preheat to 180 degrees.
Some housewives may be confused when receiving such a gift. But in vain! Its main use is in cooking. This is an excellent marinade for any meat dishes and fish. This sauce is also added to various salads. The main thing here is not to overdo it, so as not to spoil the taste of, for example, a salad of fresh vegetables. For some people, if you ask where to use pomegranate sauce brought from sunny Turkey, the answer may be: add to cottage cheese casserole, drink with tea. Others do not like the sour taste for this use, but they only marinate kebab in it. Since there is no need to add more salt, pepper, or other spices and seasonings. In addition, it is a real storehouse of vitamins. Can't compare with sauces like mayonnaise or ketchup, which are likely to do more harm than good.
POMEGRANATE SAUCE FROM TURKEY
In Turkey, pomegranate sauce is especially popular; it is served with meat, seafood, chicken, and also as a dressing for fresh vegetable salads. And the kebab marinated in it is simply magnificent.
A distinctive feature of pomegranate sauce from Turkey is that only pomegranate is present in its preparation.
In order to get the ruby color of the sauce, you should choose fruits only with dark grains that have a sweet and sour taste. 150–200 grams of sauce will come out of 2.5 kilograms of pomegranates.
Peel the washed and dried fruits and squeeze out the juice using a juicer. The juice can also be squeezed out manually through a sieve (this will take time).
Pour the resulting juice into an enamel bowl and bring to a boil over medium heat; after bubbles appear, reduce the heat and continue to simmer until thick.
The gravy is ready, but decide for yourself how to use it, one thing is certain, it will suit almost all dishes.
Pomegranate sauce from Turkey - use in various vegetable and meat dishes
in DIETS 09/13/2018 0
Pomegranate sauce from Turkey - use in various dishes from vegetables and meat For those who brought pomegranate sauce from Turkey, it will be absolutely useful to know its use and all the nuances associated with it. The result of each action and the resulting dishes will be a pleasant surprise, and their taste will be remembered for a long time.
Pomegranate sauce from Turkey, the use of which covers a variety of sections of cooking, is widely used as an additive to cooked meat, fish, seafood, rice, or used as a component of multi-ingredient marinades and salad dressings.
How to choose pomegranate sauce in Turkey?
When choosing pomegranate sauce from Turkey, which one is better and tastier, you will be able to decide only after the first try of one type or another.
- All brands of the product contain boiled natural pomegranate juice.
- Each type differs in the degree of naturalness of the composition, the set of added spices, seasonings, various flavoring additives and preservatives, which should not be present at all in a high-quality product.
- To purchase the sauce, it is better to go to a specialized store or supermarket, but you can buy the product at the market somewhat cheaper.
- The label should say Nar Ekşisi, this option is as natural as possible. You can also find the inscription Nar ekşili sos, which indicates the contents of the bottle mixed with fructose-glucose syrup. Ev yapımı Nar Ekşisi – homemade pomegranate sauce.
Pomegranate sauce - recipe
You can make Turkish pomegranate sauce yourself, taking care to have ripe and juicy pomegranate fruits. The sweeter they are, the more perfect the result will be in taste and will delight you with sweet and sour pleasant notes. When peeling the fruits and separating the pomegranate seeds, you need to make sure that there are no white partitions left, which can impart unnecessary bitterness.
- grenades - as many as we have in stock.
Pomegranate sauce from Turkey – what do you eat it with?
It’s not enough to buy the supplement in Turkey or prepare it yourself. You also need to understand what pomegranate sauce goes with, where to add it and in what quantity.
Salad with pomegranate sauce
Having purchased or made your own pomegranate sauce from Turkey, using it in salads should be the first thing you try in your kitchen. Such an additive transforms any, even the most laconic dressing and the most trivial set of vegetables and gives the appetizer a pleasant sourness, piquantness and an unusual original taste.
- tomatoes – 1 pc.;
onion – 1 pc.;
Shish kebab with pomegranate sauce from Turkey
Many recipes with pomegranate sauce from Turkey involve marinating the food in it before cooking. Barbecue meat is no exception. This can be either pork or lamb, or beef, which, due to its specific properties, is not always soft, but this is not the case with the addition of pomegranate.
- meat – 1 kg;
sparkling water – 1 glass;
Beef with pomegranate sauce
Meat dishes with pomegranate sauce are always delicious. As an option, you can fry an appetizing, juicy and soft beef steak, having previously marinated it in a marinade with a similar additive. To serve, you can boil the remaining spicy marinade and pour it over the ruddy, juicy and incredibly aromatic meat.
- beef (steaks) – 4 pcs.;
oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
Pork with pomegranate sauce in the oven
Having pomegranate sauce from Turkey at your disposal, you can put it to good use by seasoning pork before baking in the oven. Especially tasty will be ribs, pork neck or shoulder in a whole piece, which will need to be pricked deeper around the entire perimeter and rubbed with a spicy marinade mixture.
- pork – 1 kg;
vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
Chicken with pomegranate sauce
Any meat with pomegranate sauce reveals its taste in a new way, and chicken is no exception. The bird can be stewed in a frying pan or in a saucepan, but chicken will be especially tasty after baking in the oven. Only onions are used here as an accompaniment, but if desired, you can take any vegetables and garlic.
- chicken thighs or fillets – 1 kg;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
Fish with pomegranate sauce - recipe
Fish with pomegranate sauce loses the characteristic taste of fish oil, which many do not like, and acquires a pleasant sourness and an unusual piquant aftertaste. Instead of basil, you can add other fresh herbs to the sauce of your choice: parsley or cilantro will perfectly complement the palette of tastes.
- fish fillet – 600 g;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
Cauliflower cutlets with pomegranate sauce
Recipes with pomegranate sauce may involve not only the joint preparation and heat treatment of components with the additive, but also serving the finished dish with it. Vegetable cutlets made from cauliflower with the addition of sweet peppers and carrots are especially tasty when topped with pomegranate sauce.
- cauliflower – 200 g;
sweet pepper – 200 g;
Shrimp with pomegranate sauce
Pomegranate sauce from Turkey will perfectly complement boiled or fried shrimp. If the sauce option is sweet, you can omit or reduce the amount of sugar. Instead of balsamic vinegar, you can use wine or apple cider vinegar. The shellfish are simply poured over the sauce or heated in it for a minute before serving.
- shrimp – 500 g;
vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
Asparagus with pomegranate sauce
Turkish pomegranate sauce, the use of which in cooking is endless, will make any dish as tasty as possible, and boiled asparagus is no exception. The sprouts of this valuable plant can also be fried, adding vegetable oil with a spoonful of butter. The classic sauce can be seasoned with basil, garlic and boiled.
- asparagus – 400 g;
olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
How to store pomegranate sauce from Turkey?
Turkish pomegranate sauce is highly valued by housewives for its unique ability to transform the mediocre taste properties of many products and dishes, giving them extraordinary piquancy and additional nutritional value. Owners of an excellent product have questions about its safety and correct conditions.
Meat dishes with pomegranate sauce are always delicious. As an option, you can fry an appetizing, juicy and soft beef steak, having previously marinated it in a marinade with a similar additive. To serve, you can boil the remaining spicy marinade and pour it over the ruddy, juicy and incredibly aromatic meat.
CHICKEN WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE
The ideal option for cooking chicken would be pomegranate sauce; it will easily cope with its task and the dish will be excellent, fried until golden brown, sweetish in taste, soft and piquant.
To prepare the dish you will need the following products:
- chicken;
- onion 2 pcs;
- garlic 1 clove;
- oil (vegetable) 3 tablespoons;
- pomegranate juice;
- basil;
- coriander;
- oregano (dry) 1 teaspoon;
- pepper;
- salt to taste.
Let's start preparing the dish. We prepare all the products, peel the garlic and onions, wash the chicken and dry it with a paper towel.
Squeeze the juice from the garlic (crush it in a mortar or crush it with a knife), add spices, oregano, pepper, and salt. Next, prepare a sauce from pomegranate juice, coriander and basil.
Place the pomegranate juice in an enamel bowl and evaporate it over low heat, add spices, basil and coriander three to four minutes before the end of cooking. The sauce should be thick.
Add the prepared sauce and vegetable oil to the spices and garlic. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour the resulting marinade over the chicken, cut into portions, adding sliced onion. Let it brew in a cool place for 30 minutes.
After waiting a certain time, the chicken can be fried or baked in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.
Don't forget to serve the dish with Narsharab pomegranate sauce.
In order to prepare pomegranate sauce for chicken, you need to prepare the following components:
- 0.15 ml pomegranate juice;
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano;
- basil, freshly ground black pepper, coriander (to taste);
- a pinch of table salt;
- 3 large l. vegetable oil;
- garlic clove.
Actions:
- First you need to extract the juice from the garlic. To do this, the clove must be peeled, crushed using a garlic clove and rubbed through calico or gauze.
- Mix the resulting liquid with oregano, add salt and pepper.
- Then the pomegranate juice needs to be poured into a saucepan and put on the stove, turning on minimal heating.
- Simmer, stirring, until thickened.
- A few minutes before it’s ready, add basil and coriander.
- The resulting mass should be cooled and mixed with garlic juice and vegetable oil.
Pomegranate sauce for chicken is ready.
How to choose pomegranate sauce in Turkey?
When choosing pomegranate sauce from Turkey, which one is better and tastier, you will be able to decide only after the first try of one type or another.
- All brands of the product contain boiled natural pomegranate juice.
- To purchase the sauce, it is better to go to a specialized store or supermarket, but you can buy the product at the market somewhat cheaper.
- The label should say Nar Ekşisi, this option is as natural as possible. You can also find the inscription Nar ekşili sos, which indicates the contents of the bottle mixed with fructose-glucose syrup. Ev yapımı Nar Ekşisi – homemade pomegranate sauce.
Each type differs in the degree of naturalness of the composition, the set of added spices, seasonings, various flavoring additives and preservatives, which should not be present at all in a high-quality product.
Pomegranate sauce - recipe
You can make Turkish pomegranate sauce yourself, taking care to have ripe and juicy pomegranate fruits. The sweeter they are, the more perfect the result will be in taste and will delight you with sweet and sour pleasant notes. When peeling the fruits and separating the pomegranate seeds, you need to make sure that there are no white partitions left, which can impart unnecessary bitterness.
Products:
- grenades - as many as we have in stock.
How to cook:
- Peel the pomegranate, separate the grains and mash them with a masher.
- Squeeze out the juice using gauze and pour into a suitable container.
- Boil the fresh juice for an hour and check the texture; it should eventually resemble liquid honey.
- Pour the sauce into a bottle and store in the refrigerator.
Pomegranate sauce from Turkey – what do you eat it with?
It’s not enough to buy the supplement in Turkey or prepare it yourself. You also need to understand what pomegranate sauce goes with, where to add it and in what quantity.
- Any dish of boiled, baked or fried meat, fish, or seafood will be tastier with this sauce.
- The additive is used to complement rice, boiled pasta, and dressings for all kinds of salads, effectively replacing lemon juice in them.
- More appetizing will be various hot dishes with pomegranate sauce from Turkey, where meat is combined with vegetables, grilled or stewed.
- Sauce from Turkey is successfully used for marinating meat.
- When using sauce in cooking, you should take into account the richness of its properties and add a little at a time so as not to drown out the taste of the basic ingredients of the dish.
Salad with pomegranate sauce
Having purchased or made your own pomegranate sauce from Turkey, using it in salads should be the first thing you try in your kitchen. Such an additive transforms any, even the most laconic dressing and the most trivial set of vegetables and gives the appetizer a pleasant sourness, piquantness and an unusual original taste.
Plum sauce
Products:
- tomatoes – 1 pc.;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- parsley – 1-2 sprigs;
- pomegranate sauce – 1-2 tbsp. spoons;
- olive oil – 1 teaspoon;
- salt and sumac - 1 pinch each.
How to cook:
- Cut the red onion into half rings and the tomatoes into slices.
- Add parsley.
- Mix butter, sauce, salt and sumac and pour over vegetables.
- Mix the salad with pomegranate sauce from Turkey and let it soak for an hour.
Shish kebab with pomegranate sauce from Turkey
Many recipes with pomegranate sauce from Turkey involve marinating the food in it before cooking. Barbecue meat is no exception. This can be either pork or lamb, or beef, which, due to its specific properties, is not always soft, but this is not the case with the addition of pomegranate.
Products:
- meat – 1 kg;
- sparkling water – 1 glass;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- pomegranate sauce – 5 tbsp. spoon;
- oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
- salt pepper.
How to cook:
- Slice the meat.
- Pomegranate sauce is mixed with oil, garlic, pepper, salt and water.
- Pour the marinade over the sliced meats and leave for at least a couple of hours.
- Shish kebab is fried with pomegranate sauce in the traditional way over coals on the grill.
Beef with pomegranate sauce
Meat dishes with pomegranate sauce are always delicious. As an option, you can fry an appetizing, juicy and soft beef steak, having previously marinated it in a marinade with a similar additive. To serve, you can boil the remaining spicy marinade and pour it over the ruddy, juicy and incredibly aromatic meat.
Products:
- beef (steaks) – 4 pcs.;
- oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- pomegranate sauce – 100-150 ml;
- brown sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon;
- balsamic vinegar – 2 teaspoons;
- salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro.
How to cook:
- Mix chopped herbs with oil, sauce, vinegar, adding garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Rub the mixture onto the steaks and leave for 4-8 hours.
- Wipe off the remaining marinade, place the meat on a grill pan and fry covered for 4-5 minutes or until the temperature inside the steak is 75 degrees.
- Serve the steak with pomegranate sauce and marinade, boiled for 5 minutes.
Pork in pomegranate sauce narsharab
Quickly fry on both sides over maximum heat, for a minute on each side, no more. It is important not to overdry. In addition, there are residual marinade on the surface of the meat, which over high heat will quickly turn into caramel and create a crust.
Rinse the meat well and let it dry, or speed up the process with paper towels. Rub the chicken with seasonings such as salt and pepper, you can use other spices that are combined with chicken.
Preparation
Mix pomegranate sauce with vegetable oil, and spread half of the resulting mixture onto the chicken. Then bake it for about 30 minutes at degrees.
After this time, take out the dish, coat it again with the sauce that remains, and put it in the oven for another half hour at the same temperature. Watch this video on YouTube We use it for marinating meat for barbecue. Of course, pomegranate sauce is very suitable for preparing a marinade for barbecue.
But before you dip pieces of meat into this sauce, you need to know how much it will be needed, and after what period of time you can start frying the kebab.
Ideally - about 15 - 20 hours. We put a little onion through a blender or grind it, and cut what’s left into rings.
Ingredients
Mix everything with pomegranate sauce. Add the selected seasonings there and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Cover the meat with the prepared dressing in portions and leave for 10 - 12 hours.
Chop the onion and mix with the meat. Combine the remaining ingredients from the list and pour them over the meat. Don't forget to add spices.