How to Make Anardana at Home

In Germany, around mid-May, the days start getting sunny. Temperatures rise, and rains become less frequent. This is a perfect time to make things that require drying in the sun. Pickles, Papads, etc., are common things that are made in India in summer when the days are hot. I try to keep up with the tradition in Germany and make the best of the sunny days.

Today, I share the recipe for Anardana, which is a must in my Indian kitchen.

Recently, I made a delicious Punjabi Mango Pickle. I kept it in the sun for seven consecutive days, after which it was ready to eat. I also tried sabudana papad and it was a success, thanks to 2-3 consecutive days of good sunlight.

Now, let’s get on with today’s recipe.

What is Anardana?

Anardana is a Hindi word that means Pomegranate seeds. While the fresh ones are also called Anardana, the general meaning when someone uses the word Anardana is – dry, dehydrated seeds & pulp of the pomegranate fruit. Anardana is used in many Indian recipes like stuffing in paranthas, gravies etc. It adds tartness to foods. It is also said to have health benefits, like improved cardiac health, better digestion etc.

How to make Anardana?

Typically, the anardana that we get in shops is made by commercial drying processes. However, it is pretty straightforward to make Anardana at home. I suggest making it in summer and choosing a day when ample sunlight (at least 8 hours) and temperature above 25 deg C is expected. Start the process before the sunlight hits your balcony/terrace, and finish it by the end of the day.

Let’s see the process in detail:

Ingredients to make Anardana: 

Pomegranates ( I took 2. You can take as many as you want)

Method to make Anardana:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C for 10 minutes.
  
• While the oven is heating, separate all the seeds from the pomegranate. Discard the rest.
  
  
  
• Spread them evenly on the baking tray/plate and bake them at 160 degrees C with the fan on for about 40 minutes. This will remove most of the moisture. This is how they will look.
  
  
  
• Now remove them from the oven and keep them out in the sun for about 8 hours so that they get entirely dehydrated.
  
  
  
• Once dried, transfer to a clean and dry airtight container.
  
  

I particularly love the taste of anardana in Aalu Parantha. You can check out its recipe here.

Here is the method to make Anardana in printable format:

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

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