Pomegranate - or pomegranate - is a winter fruit rich in antioxidant phenols, important molecules to keep us healthy and young for longer .
Consumed mainly as fruit, in salads or desserts, pomegranate can be used to prepare numerous savory dishes.
We see 5 unusual vegan recipes with pomegranate, all to try.
Also read Pomegranate: the fruit of the eternal return >>
Anardana: the pomegranate in the form of spice
Anardana is a spice obtained from dried pomegranate grains . Dried beans can be used whole or ground and added to soups, chickpea hummus, vegetable stews and other savory dishes, to give a sour taste.
Ingredients
> Seeds of 1 or more pomegranates
Preparation
Dry the pomegranate seeds using the dryer for 6 hours at 60 ° C and for another 8 hours at 50 ° C. You can dry the pomegranate grains even in the oven ; alternatively, pierce the whole pomegranate fruit and leave the fruit hanging in the sun for about three weeks.
Once dried, you can use the whole beans or grind them in a spice mill and store them for several months in an airtight jar.
Vegan Fesenjan: stew with pumpkin and pomegranate
Fesenjan is a stew typical of Persian cuisine: it is prepared with chicken, pumpkin and pomegranate syrup and served with boiled rice.
In this vegan version the chicken is replaced by tempeh, a protein-based food made from fermented soy beans.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 320 g of basmati rice;
> 30 g of walnuts;
> 100 ml of pomegranate syrup;
> 1 onion;
> 1/2 small pumpkin;
> 400 g of tempeh;
> cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg;
> 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Preparation
Chop the walnuts in a food processor and toast them for a few minutes in a non-stick pan . In a saucepan, heat the oil and fry the onion cut into thin slices. Add the diced pumpkin and the tempeh cut into strips of about 5 centimeters; fry for a few minutes then cover with water or vegetable stock; bring to a boil then lower the heat and add the walnuts and pomegranate juice.
Cook for about twenty minutes until it reaches the desired density. Finally add the spices and serve with basmati rice previously cooked in water.
Lentil and pomegranate soup
Pomegranate juice and grains can be used to add color and flavor to the traditional lentil soup, to be consumed with rice or bread.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 1 onion
> 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
> 1 carrot
> 250 g of dried lentils
> grains of 1 large pomegranate
> 350 ml of pomegranate juice (3 or 4 pomegranates)
> 200 g of finely chopped chard
> cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
Preparation
In a pan heat the oil with the ground cumin and coriander ; add the onion cut into thin slices and the chopped carrot and fry for a few minutes; add the lentils and the chard leaves and after having sauté for a minute cover with water.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, add salt and cook for about half an hour over low heat and cover. Add the pomegranate juice and seeds and after a few minutes remove from heat, pepper and serve.
Carrots glazed with pomegranate
The glazed carrots are a bittersweet side dish with a particular taste, which can also be enjoyed by children.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 400 g of carrots;
> 50 ml of pomegranate syrup;
> 50 g of chopped hazelnuts;
> 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil;
> 2 tablespoons of pomegranate grains;
> thyme, salt, pepper.
Preparation
Peel the carrots, cut them into pieces of about four centimeters and arrange them in a baking dish with the oil, pepper and salt.
Cook the carrots in the oven at 200 ° C for fifteen minutes. Meanwhile prepare a glaze by mixing the honey and pomegranate syrup; add the chopped walnuts and dried pomegranate grains; add the icing and finish cooking in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with thyme.
Spicy pomegranate sauce
This spicy sauce based on pomegranate and mandarins is an alternative to guacamole to accompany tortillas during aperitifs and appetizers.
Ingredients for 4 people
> grains of 1 pomegranate;
> 4 mandarins;
> 1/2 red onion;
> 1/2 chili pepper;
> 1 file;
> coriander leaves;
> 1 pinch of cumin.
Preparation
Cut the onion into thin slices, chop the mandarin, the coriander leaves and the chilli pepper. Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for a night before eating.
How to prepare pomegranate juice and syrup
To simply extract the pomegranate seeds, cut the fruit in half and shell it in a bowl filled with water; after that, remove the membranes and drain the water.
To get the juice from the pomegranate fruit you can use the centrifuge, extractor or blender; in the last case, to divide the juice from the pulp, you can filter the juice with a narrow mesh strainer and place a weight on the pulp to extract as much juice as possible.
Pomegranate syrup is prepared with pomegranate juice and sugar (for 500 ml of juice 100-150 g of sugar are added). After mixing to dissolve the sugar, bring it to a boil over medium-low heat and leave it on the heat for about 45 minutes or until the juice has halved.
