Kandahari pomegranate juice
آب انار کندهاری (ab-e anar-e Kandahari): fresh-pressed juice of deep red Kandahar pomegranates
Kandahar's pomegranates, heavy fruits with dark ruby seeds and soft pips, are the pride of southern Afghanistan, and in October and November juice stalls in the city's bazaars press them to order in big iron hand presses. The juice is deep red, sweet with a clean sour finish and a faint tannic grip, drunk on its own in a tall glass, often with a pinch of salt. At home you can get almost the same thing with a citrus press or a blender. The bitterness that ruins many homemade glasses comes from crushing the white pith and hard pips, so blend the seeds only for a few seconds, or press the halves gently. Chef's tip: roll each whole pomegranate firmly on the worktop before cutting it, which bursts many of the seeds inside and makes juicing faster.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe pomegranatesabout 1.4 kg
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
- ice cubes (optional)to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Press 4 large ripe pomegranates one at a time firmly on the worktop with your palm and roll it for 30 seconds until it feels softer.
Step 2: Cut them in half across the middle. Either squeeze the halves gently on a large citrus press, or hold each half cut side down over a bowl and knock the back with a wooden spoon so the seeds fall out, then pick out any white pith.
Step 3: If you knocked out the seeds, pulse them in a blender for 3–4 seconds only, just until they are broken and juicy.
Step 4: Pour through a fine sieve, pressing lightly with a spoon, and discard the pips.
Step 5: Stir in 1 pinch salt if you like and serve straight away, over ice cubes or just cool. Drink it within a few hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kandahari pomegranate juice take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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