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Anar ba golpar

انار دان‌کرده با گلپر · Pomegranate seeds with golpar and salt for Yalda night

On Yalda night, the longest night of the year in late December, a bowl of jewel-red pomegranate seeds sits at the centre of the korsi in homes from Tehran to Shiraz, symbolising the dawn and the return of light. Many families sprinkle the seeds with golpar (ground Persian hogweed) and a little salt, which makes the sweet-sour fruit taste brighter and more savoury, almost like a salad. A common mistake is bashing the fruit too hard to free the seeds, which bursts them and leaves a puddle of juice. Chef's tip: seed the pomegranates under a bowl of water; the seeds sink, the white pith floats and the juice doesn't stain the kitchen.
Total time
15 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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What you'll need

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Method

0/3 done
  1. Step 1: Score the skin of each 3 large ripe pomegranates around its middle and pull it into halves. Hold each half cut-side down under a large bowl of water and break it apart with your fingers, rubbing the seeds free.

    10 min
  2. Step 2: Skim off the floating pith, drain the seeds in a sieve and pat them dry on kitchen paper.

    3 min
  3. Step 3: Tip into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the 1 tsp ground golpar (Persian hogweed) and ¼ tsp fine salt and toss gently just before serving.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
110 kcal
Protein
2 g
Carbs
24 g
Fat
1 g
Fibre
5 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

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Good to know

How long does anar ba golpar take?
About 15 minutes in total.
How many people does it serve?
4 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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