How to Choose Pomegranate Sauce in Turkey

Azerbaijani narsharab

In Azerbaijani cuisine, sauce accompanies all fish dishes. The gravy is prepared at home, but you can also find many varieties of it on store shelves. For the classic narsharab recipe we will need:

• pomegranate – 1 kg;
• cloves - 2 buds;
• sugar – 100 grams;
• water – 1 glass.

Preparation:

1. We remove the skin from the pomegranate; we need its seeds. From 1 kilogram you should get approximately 750 grams of grains.
2. Pour 1 glass of water into a saucepan, pour pomegranate seeds into it. Turn on medium heat and begin to heat our rubies, mercilessly crushing them with a masher. After the water boils, cook the chopped pomegranate for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth to remove grains. You should not use a sieve for straining; the mixture turns out viscous and does not flow well through a fine sieve. It is better to squeeze out all the juice by transferring the mixture into cheesecloth.
4. Add cloves and sugar to the squeezed juice. Place the pan on low heat again and simmer until thickened. We check the thickness by dropping the pomegranate sauce onto a saucer: if the drop does not spread, then the sauce is ready. Please note that there is no need to bring the mixture to the consistency of confiture.
5. Pour into bottles. We use it as needed.

We answer the question of how to store prepared pomegranate sauce: in the refrigerator for no more than 6-7 days.

Georgian pomegranate sauce

Finding out how they prepare and what they eat with pomegranate sauce in Georgia, we learned that they like to add it to salads and bake it with chicken. Unlike narsharab, pomegranate has a more multifaceted aroma. Garlic and cilantro give it a spicy kick. For cooking we need:

• pomegranate – 2 large fruits;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• walnuts (kernels) – 50 grams;
• hot pepper – 1 small pod;
• cilantro – 30 grams;
• water (boiled and cooled) – 100 ml;
• sugar – 1 teaspoon;
• salt – ½ teaspoon.

Preparation:

1. Mash the pomegranates without removing the peel. We make a cross cut at the base of the fruits and squeeze the juice out of them into a deep bowl.
2. Grind the walnut kernels in a mortar.
3. Finely chop the cilantro.
4. Peel the garlic clove and crush it in a crusher.
5. Finely chop the hot pepper.
6. Place all ingredients in a bowl, add water, mix, add salt, add sugar, mix again.

What can you eat with pomegranate sauce prepared according to this recipe? In addition to chicken and salads, the gravy can be combined with meat dishes and decorate a fish menu. Tart sourness, complemented by the spiciness of pepper and garlic, stimulates the appetite and adds a pleasant richness of flavor to the main dish. The sauce is perfect for barbecue; you can marinate tender pieces of meat in it or serve it separately.

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.

1. All brands of the product contain boiled natural pomegranate juice.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. Peel the pomegranate, separate the grains and mash them with a masher.
2. Squeeze out the juice using gauze and pour into a suitable container.
3. Boil the fresh juice for an hour and check the texture; it should eventually resemble liquid honey.
4. 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.

1. Any dish of boiled, baked or fried meat, fish, or seafood will be tastier with this sauce.
2. The additive is used to complement rice, boiled pasta, and dressings for all kinds of salads, effectively replacing lemon juice in them.
3. More appetizing will be various hot dishes with pomegranate sauce from Turkey, where meat is combined with vegetables, grilled or stewed.
4. Sauce from Turkey is successfully used for marinating meat.
5. 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.

• 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.

1. Cut the red onion into half rings and the tomatoes into slices.
2. Add parsley.
3. Mix butter, sauce, salt and sumac and pour over vegetables.
4. 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.

• meat – 1 kg;
• sparkling water – 1 glass;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• pomegranate sauce – 5 tbsp. spoon;
• oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• salt pepper.

1. Slice the meat.
2. Pomegranate sauce is mixed with oil, garlic, pepper, salt and water.
3. Pour the marinade over the sliced ​​meats and leave for at least a couple of hours.
4. 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.

• 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.

1. Mix chopped herbs with oil, sauce, vinegar, adding garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.
2. Rub the mixture onto the steaks and leave for 4-8 hours.
3. 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.
4. Serve the steak with pomegranate sauce and marinade, boiled for 5 minutes.

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;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• Provençal herbs – 1 teaspoon;
• pomegranate sauce – 50 ml;
• onions – 2-3 pcs.;
• carrots and bell peppers – 3 pcs.;
• salt, pepper, chili.

1. Mix pomegranate sauce, oil, salt, pepper, chili, herbs and garlic.
2. Rub the pork with the mixture and place it together with the onion in a mold, which is covered with foil and placed in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 50 minutes.
3. Remove the foil and place carrots and peppers on the sides.
4. Send the meat to bake for another 30 minutes, basting with juices.
5. Before serving, pork with pomegranate sauce and vegetables is sprinkled with herbs.

We recommend reading: What You Can Do With Figs That Have Spoiled

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;
• pomegranate sauce – 4 tbsp. spoons;
• onions – 2-3 pcs.;
• salt, spices.

1. The chicken is salted, peppered, seasoned with oil, and placed in a dish with foil.
2. Pour sauce over the bird, cover the top of the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.
3. Remove the top foil and leave the bird in the oven for another 15 minutes.

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;
• pomegranate sauce - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• basil – 0.5 bunch;
• cherry – 4 pcs.;
• salt, pepper, sesame - to taste.

1. Fish fillets are cut, salted, peppered, and fried in vegetable oil on both sides.
2. Add basil and cherry tomatoes cut in half to the fish, pour over pomegranate sauce, and leave to simmer for 2 minutes under the lid.
3. Place the delicious fish on a plate and sprinkle with pre-dried sesame seeds in a dry frying pan.

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;
• carrots – 120 g;
• onion – 50 g;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• rice flour – 120 g;
• pomegranate sauce – 4 tbsp. spoons;
• salt, dill, oil - to taste.

1. Boil the cabbage inflorescences for 6 minutes and drain in a colander.
2. Chopped peppers, onions, grated carrots are fried in oil.
3. Grind the cabbage and fry it using a blender.
4. Add salt, pepper, half the flour, mix.
5. Form cutlets, dip in flour, and fry on both sides.
6. Place the cutlets on a plate and pour pomegranate sauce over them.

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;
• butter and soy sauce - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• balsamic vinegar and lemon juice - 2 tbsp each. spoons;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• pomegranate sauce – 50 ml;
• granulated sugar - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• salt pepper.

1. Garlic is fried in a mixture of vegetable and butter.
2. Add pomegranate and soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and lemon juice, boil for 5 minutes.
3. Fry the shrimp in oil until cooked, add salt and pepper, and serve with the previously prepared spicy sauce.

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;
• pomegranate sauce – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• salt, spices, dried garlic - to taste.

1. Asparagus is fried in oil until tender or grilled, seasoned with salt, dried garlic and pepper.
2. When ready, place the sprouts on a plate and pour over the pomegranate sauce.

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.

1. The temperature conditions and shelf life of purchased sauce are usually indicated on the label and it is not difficult to familiarize yourself with it.
2. Homemade sauce, if made in compliance with all sterile rules and subsequently sealed, can be stored for a year.
3. If the seal of the package is broken, the shelf life is reduced to a month and must be kept in the refrigerator.
4. After opening, it is preferable to transfer the sauce purchased from a plastic container into a glass one, so storage will be more correct.

1. Mix pomegranate sauce, oil, salt, pepper, chili, herbs and garlic.
2. Rub the pork with the mixture and place it together with the onion in a mold, which is covered with foil and placed in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 50 minutes.
3. Remove the foil and place carrots and peppers on the sides.
4. Send the meat to bake for another 30 minutes, basting with juices.
5. Before serving, pork with pomegranate sauce and vegetables is sprinkled with herbs.

Turkish sauce

The simplest way to prepare pomegranate sauce is from Turkey, where only pomegranates are used for it. For the dish we need to take:

• pomegranates – 3 kg.

That's the whole set of products. Let's move on to cooking:

1. We remove all the fruits from the peel and separate them into grains.
2. Now you need to get juice from the grains. You can put them in a juicer, or mash them in a mortar. We collect all the resulting juice and squeeze it through cheesecloth.
3. Pour the juice into a saucepan and cook over low heat until thick. Once you are satisfied with the thickness of the liquid, the pomegranate sauce is ready.

You can bottle it and store it in the refrigerator.

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.

Calorie content of pomegranate sauce

If we prepare narsharab, then its calorie content is calculated for all the products that we add, and it turns out to be approximately 270 kcal per 100 grams of finished gravy. Please note that pomegranate sauce is very healthy, it contains many trace elements and minerals, but it also has a harmful side. The sauce should not be consumed if you have chronic gastrointestinal diseases (ulcers, gastritis) or during pregnancy.

The sauce, prepared in Turkish style, from fruits alone, contains few calories, only 75 kcal per 100 grams. For people watching their figure, pomegranate sauce with a calorie content of 75 kcal is ideal.

Benefits of pomegranate sauce narsharab

Pictured is pomegranate sauce narsharab

So, pomegranate sauce is not only tasty, but also healthy, thanks to the many biologically active substances included in its composition. The benefits of narsharab are manifested in the following beneficial effects:

1. Prevention of tumor diseases and early aging . Azerbaijani sauce is a real antioxidant; it also contains the main vitamins with an antioxidant effect - E and C, but in addition it also contains components such as polyphenols, known for their powerful counteraction to free radicals. This is very important if you are predisposed to tumor diseases, including malignant ones. Antioxidants fight back free radicals, thereby preventing cellular mutations and the development of severe diseases and early aging.
2. Improving brain function . Antioxidants also have an important effect on brain activity. It has been proven that they improve its activity and prevent the development of aging diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.
3. Anti-inflammatory effect . Narsharab also contains such important biological elements as flavonoids, these are plant components with a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Separately, it should be noted that the antioxidant anthocyanin has a beneficial effect on the immune system and not only resists the development of new inflammations, but also actively fights existing ones.
4. Beneficial effect on the organs of vision . The already mentioned anthocyanin has a good effect on visual acuity and moisturizes the retina; vitamin A, which is also found in the sauce, is also responsible for the same effect. That is, its regular use is a good prevention of ophthalmic diseases.
5. Normalization of blood pressure, positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system . Another antioxidant that should be noted separately is lycopene, it is this that provides the benefits of the sauce for the heart and blood vessels; the use of narsharab especially noticeably reduces blood pressure.
6. Stimulating the activity of the digestive system . The product also has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, but in this case there is a fine line between the benefits and harm of narsharab sauce. The sauce has a very good effect on a healthy intestine, but in the presence of one or another disease for which a therapeutic diet is prescribed, it can, on the contrary, cause harm.

Note! These and other beneficial effects can be obtained from the sauce only if it is made from natural ingredients, while certain spices added to narsharab can even enhance its beneficial effect on the body, but artificial components, on the contrary, will make it harmful.

Tips from the chef

Many housewives like to complicate the taste of gravy and make it original. By mixing pomegranate juice and a glass of dessert wine, you will get a pomegranate sauce with a strong masculine character.

By decorating the flavor bouquet of the gravy with basil or cilantro, you will get an amazing combination of sauce with meat dishes.

By the way, you shouldn’t throw away the pomegranate peels; after drying them and grinding them, you can use them as a folk remedy against digestive disorders. In addition, pomegranate contains a lot of iron and potassium, which is very beneficial for the human cardiovascular 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.