Prising back the thick, glossy blush-red skin of the round pomegranate fruit reveals a treasure within: a mass of teardrop-shaped, translucent arils ranging in colour from crimson to pale pink, each encircling a tiny seed and held in place by a bitter-tasting white membrane.
Pomegranates are believed to be one of the first cultivated fruits, and records indicate that trees have grown in the southern Mediterranean region since the third millennium BC.
A staple in central Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, pomegranates are loved for their juicy, tangy flavour.
Health benefits
The medicinal credentials of pomegranates have long been admired – and with good reason. Dietitian Jordana Smith says this ingredient has earned its superfood stripes. “Pomegranate seeds are loaded with antioxidants and potentially boast a number of disease-fighting properties,” she says. “They contain polyphenols, which are believed to contribute towards preventing cancer, lowering blood pressure and improving heart health. “Thanks to their high level of anthocyanins, they also have anti-inflammatory benefits and are thought to help slow the onset of arthritis.”
Due to being low in calories and high in fibre, the fruit can also help with weight management and is a good source of vitamins A, C and E, as well as iron and folic acid. Claims have also been made about the advantages of eating pomegranates for anti-aging purposes, with studies showing that they encourage cell regeneration.
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Superfood focus:
■ Healthy properties give turmeric a golden touch
■ Plant the seeds of a better diet by spreading good chia
■ Superfood focus: Add algae to your diet and sea the difference
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How to use it
Most dishes can benefit from a sprinkling of pretty pomegranate jewels, both for flavour and visual appeal.
Trickle handfuls over fattoush or tabbouleh before serving, strew on top of shredded, slow-cooked lamb, stir into a bowl of morning porridge or muesli, drop the seeds into jugs of ice-filled water along with lemon slices, and use them to decorate desserts.
A simple salad made by combining pomegranate seeds, crispy-fried chickpeas, spinach, grilled halloumi, cherry tomatoes and toasted pistachio nuts takes just a few minutes to put together, yet looks and tastes gorgeous.
Sweet-tart pomegranate molasses is a wonderful ingredient to have in your cupboard. Made by boiling the sour juice extracted from pomegranate seeds down to a sticky syrup, the result is a deeply coloured, intensely- flavoured condiment that adds a layer of complexity to all manner of dishes.
In theory, you could make your own pomegranate molasses, but a single pomegranate doesn’t yield a vast amount of juice and the process is a time-consuming and ultimately expensive one. Luckily for us, pomegranate molasses is widely available in the UAE; look out for the bottles labelled “dibbs ruman”, as they tend not to contain added sugar.
Along with ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses is an essential ingredient in fesenjoon, the delicious and much-loved Iranian stew made with chicken or duck, and it is also required to make properly punchy, vibrant muhammara.
Meat marinated for a few hours in a simple mix of pomegranate molasses, garlic and olive oil takes on an extra taste dimension. Cook in a griddle pan, basting often with the marinade and serve topped with pomegranate seeds. A pomegranate molasses-based salad dressing is a very handy recipe to have in your repertoire: whisk together 5 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 2 tsp white grape vinegar.
Tips
This is a fruit that makes you work for your spoils. While the arils aren’t easily freed from their pithy casing, the effort is well worth it.
Methods for doing so vary: some advocate slicing the fruit in half and holding it cut side-down in the palm of one hand, while whacking the tough skin with the back of a spoon, so that the seeds tumble out.
Others suggest submerging the quartered fruit in a bowl of cold water and gently teasing the seeds from the pith. In theory, the seeds sink to the bottom, the pith rises to the surface and hands remain stain-free.
Or here’s an approach for those patient of mind: set about a pomegranate half with a toothpick and pluck off each seed individually.
Of course, if you want to make things easy for yourself, you can buy tubs of ready-prepared arils.
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