AI-generated image
Narsharab
Narşərab: tart Goychay pomegranate sauce for fish and kebabs
Goychay, in the plains of central Azerbaijan, holds a pomegranate festival every November, and narsharab is its most prized product: pomegranate juice boiled slowly in wide copper pans until it turns dark, glossy and sour-sweet, sometimes spiced with coriander, basil and cinnamon. It is poured over grilled fish, lamb kebabs and the Novruz plov, and a bottle sits in every Baku kitchen. A common mistake is boiling it too hard at the end, which scorches the sugars and makes it bitter. Chef's tip: stop when it coats the back of a spoon; it thickens a lot as it cools.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the narsharab
- 6 ¼ cups pomegranate juiceunsweetened, freshly squeezed if possible
- 2 tbsp sugaroptional
- 1 tsp coriander seedslightly crushed
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 1 pinch salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pour 6 ¼ cups pomegranate juice into a wide, heavy pan. Add 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, ½ tsp dried basil and 1 pinch salt in a tea infuser or muslin bag.
Step 2: Bring to the boil, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 1½ hours, stirring now and then, until reduced to about 250 ml.
90 minStep 3: Taste and add 2 tbsp sugar if it is very sharp. Simmer for 10 minutes more over a low heat, stirring often, until it coats the back of a spoon. Common mistake: a high heat now; it burns.
10 minStep 4: Remove the spices, cool and pour into a sterilised bottle. Keeps 3 months in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does narsharab take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Vegan nuoc cham
Nước chấm is the dipping sauce that goes with almost everything in Vietnam: spring rolls, bánh xèo, noodle salads and broken rice. Buddhist vegetarian cooks, all over the country, make it without fish sauce, using light soy sauce and a little coconut water for the deep, rounded taste. It should be thin, clear and pale amber, with flecks of garlic and chilli floating on top. Chef's tip: dissolve the sugar in the warm water first, then add the lime and soy, and stir in the garlic and chilli last, pounded with a pinch of sugar, so they float on the surface instead of sinking.
Vietnamese
Mint and onion chutney
Onions fried gently until soft and sweet, then blended with fresh mint, green chilli and lemon juice. It's a mellow, fresh-tasting chutney that is great with bhajias, samosas, kebabs and tikka, or spread in sandwiches.
Indian
Sour cream dip
A simple, tangy dip made with thick home-made cottage cheese (hung yogurt) or ready-made sour cream, seasoned with garlic, chilli, black pepper and vinegar. Serve it cold with crisps, nachos and jacket potatoes. The book's other dips use this as their 'sour cream'.