If you like Indian or South Asian cuisine, you will know that Anardana is an important addition to a variety of recipes. Anardana is basically the dried pomegranate seeds and adds a tarty flavor to the recipes. It’s widely used in India and the Middle East. However, it’s not easy to find anardana powder in western parts of the world, but if your recipe calls for it, we have some anardana powder substitutes.
Anardana Powder Substitutes
- Make The Anardana Powder Yourself
First of all, if you have a dehydrator, it’s recommended that you dehydrate the pomegranate seeds (if you don’t have a dehydrator, you will have to dry the seeds under sunlight for over fifteen days to help evaporate the moisture).In addition to using a dehydrator, you can also roast the seeds in the oven. Anyways, once the seeds are dried, you can crush them into powdered form and add them to the dish. If you’ve made more anardana powder than you require, it’s better to put it in an airtight container.
- Tamarind Powder
In case you don’t want to go through the hassle of dehydrating the pomegranate seeds, it’s best that you opt for tamarind powder. That’s because tamarind adds a similar tarty flavor to the recipes. In addition, it complements the Indian and South Asian recipes, ranging from meat to fish and vegetables. The tamarind powder adds strong acidic notes with hints of fruitiness. It might be hard to find tamarind powder, but you can also add tamarind paste.
The tamarind powder can replace anardana powder in vegetable curries as well. However, before you add tamarind powder to the food, it’s recommended that you add a bit of lemon juice to make sure it mixes well. As far as the substitution is concerned, it’s recommended that you opt for 25% lesser tamarind powder.
- Mango Powder
Mango powder is commonly known as amchur or amchoor. It’s basically dehydrated fruit and consists of powdered and dried unripe mangoes. It will add sour flavor and fruity notes to the recipe. As far as the application is concerned, it can be added to chutney and curries. The mango powder is made from green mangoes – the green mangoes are dried and ground to make the powder. It has a sour and tart flavor, which is why it complements the curries, fish, vegetables, and meats.
The best thing about mango powder is that it adds a balancing flavor to spicy and hot food – it is also a great meat tenderizer. The mango powder is easily available at specialty spice stores and Indian grocery stores (you can also order it online).
- Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is another great alternative for anardana powder, especially if you don’t mind the liquid texture in the recipe. The lemon juice is actually pretty easy to use since you can squeeze some lemons and add the juice to the recipe. However, it can add an overwhelming flavor to the dish, which is why you should start with less juice. Also, if you want to add lemon juice, you should wait till the end of the cooking process because lemon juice’s flavor tends to degrade if it’s cooked for too long.
- Citric Acid Powder
The citric acid powder is a perfect way of adding sour and tangy flavor to the recipe, like anardana powder. It is a souring agent and adds tartness to the recipe. It is recommended that you opt for the food-grade citric acid powder to make sure it adds sourness to the recipe without adding fruity notes. It is usually available in the baking section of grocery stores, particularly the Asian supermarkets or grocers.
- Loomi
Loomi is one of the most popular ingredients available in Persia and the Middle East. As the name suggests, it’s made from Persian lime, which is boiled in salt and dried. As a result, the lime achieves a black color, and when it’s processed, it results in a sour flavor with citrus and fruity undertones. All in all, it can be added to lamb, seafood, vegetable, and chicken recipes.
These are a few substitutes that you can try but always add them in moderation to ensure it doesn’t overwhelm the recipe’s flavor.