Narsharab sauce: recipe, use in cooking

Those who heard the word "Narsharab" for the first time, there are different associations. For some it resembles the name of a distant southern resort or the name of a fabulous shah. Someone will remember "Massaraksh!" - a favorite curse of the inhabitants of the "World Inside Out", invented by the Strugatsky brothers.

In fact, Narsharab is a wonderful sauce made from pomegranate seeds. It is worth it to try only once, and it will surely be remembered forever. The first acquaintance with its rich taste suggests the most complex technology and many ingredients, thanks to which it turned out a wonderful thick consistency and a rich bouquet. But the narsharab sauce, the recipe of which came to us from Central Asia, can be prepared independently. For this, it is not necessary to travel around the world in search of exotic products or to finish cooking courses. This article will help you understand all the subtleties and features.

Required Products

If this delicious sauce is given to try someone for the first time, it is likely to suspect anything, but not pomegranate juice. Someone in his taste seems to wine, to someone berry or fruit syrups. But apart from fresh and ripe pomegranates and a pinch of favorite spices, we will not need anything.

Buying grenades, carefully consider their quality. Excellent, if the seller will allow you to cut the skin to make sure that the grain inside the fruit is not unmelted and whitish, and poured ruby-red juice, ripe and fragrant.

Azerbaijan way of cooking

In Azerbaijan, narrzarab sauce, the recipe of which is passed by inheritance for many centuries, it is customary to cook at once with huge portions. On average, one tab leaves about 10 kg of pomegranate grains! Think about how much you need so much sauce. Perhaps you should start with a small portion? Perhaps, for the first time will be enough kilogram of fruit. From this amount you will get 200-250 grams of sauce, that is a full saucepan.

Put the pomegranate on the board, make 5 cuts on the fruit, as if you are going to divide the orange into slices. Then it will be easily divided into parts, and you can easily select all the grains, without losing in the process of a single drop of precious juice.

Fold all the grains in a saucepan, crush them with a wooden pestle so that they let the juice in. Put the container on a small fire and start boiling the sauce narsharab.

The recipe, common in Azerbaijan, implies the presence of a small amount of seasonings and salt. But do not add them at once!

Boiling will last a long time, from one to two hours. The signal about the completion of the process will be the emerged whitened bones. By that time, the whole pulp will completely separate and juice will completely come out of it. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve or gauze, put it on the fire again and wait for 2/3 of the original volume.

It was the turn of spices. You can add a little cinnamon, carnation, nutmeg, dried herbs to Narsharab. Try not to overdo it - this sauce is beautiful in itself.

Turkish narcharab

In Turkey, this sauce is simply adored. But they prepare it a little differently. Local chefs are convinced that the wonderful taste of pomegranate does not need any additions, so just boil the juice to a thick cream and do not even salt the resulting sauce. Try to follow suit.

By the way, this method can save considerable time. If you have the opportunity to purchase natural pomegranate juice, just respect it in 1/5 part. Note: nectar in tetrapack for this purpose will not work!

Storage

Narsharab sauce, the recipe of which does not contain any chemical preservatives, is well kept. To rid yourself of unnecessary excitement, insure yourself: pour the jars with boiling water or steam. Use hermetic utensils to store narsharab. Pomegranate sauce can be sent to the refrigerator, cellar or cellar.

Narsharab in cooking: sauce for meat and fish

How to use pomegranate sauce? The application in cooking is very wide. It goes well with meat, fish, poultry and game. In the homeland of this sauce it is served with lamb, veal, homemade bread. Nursharab with grilled vegetables is definitely worth a try.

It perfectly tolerates the heat treatment, the meat can be watered by it during baking. But most often this sauce is served already ready dishes, in the sauce bowl or watering directly on the plate.

Take a look at how an uncomplicated dish of baked meat, simply flavored with narsharab, looks appetizing.

This culinary masterpiece is able to even a bachelor who does not shine with culinary talents. It will certainly impress the chosen one or make a furor on the bachelor party.

Marinade

Many people know that pomegranate is a wonderful ingredient for marinade. It is enough to add a handful of crushed grains, and the meat will acquire a unique aroma and sour taste. Suitable for this purpose and sauce narsharab. The recipe for the marinade is a matter of taste, some like the vinegar base, some wine, some kefir. The controversy of lovers of the most different marinades does not subside, but hardly any of them would be against adding a pair of spoons of pomegranate sauce to your favorite recipe.

Benefits and contraindications

It should be remembered that delicious sauce narsharab, like pomegranate juice, is rich in acids. In a small amount they are useful, but to abuse this sauce is not even worth healthy. The more dangerous it is for those who have problems with high acidity. Everything is good in moderation.

Narsharab sauce contains many vitamins, microelements, amino acids, antioxidants. He deservedly is considered one of the most useful.