Every week we pull together some great Canadian recipes from Canadian food bloggers around the web featuring one main ingredient or dish. This week we're featuring recipes that use pomegranate molasses or pomegranate syrup.
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Pomegranate molasses is a curious ingredient that's widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi considers it a pantry staple and many of the bloggers we feature in this recipe collection refer to is as one of their favourite "secret ingredients" - and with good reason. This very simple ingredient is extremely versatile and very flavourful!
It's the main ingredient in Muhammara, a roasted red pepper and walnut dip that many of you are probably familiar with. You may have made it yourself or tried it at a party or potluck. (We have a few Muhammara recipes below for you to try).
But it can also be used in stews, sauces, dressings, cocktails, glazes, desserts - its sweet but tart flavour profile makes it very useful in the kitchen. You can learn all about Pomegranate Molasses in our One Curious Ingredient Profile (along with a recipe for how to make your own pomegranate molasses at home if you want to give it a try - it's quite easy!).
As often happens when we try an ingredient we're not familiar with, it can wind up sitting in our pantry for a long time because we're not too sure what else to do with it. Well, if you've got a bottle of pomegranate molasses tucked away and need some ideas we've got lots of delicious recipes for you to try.
Over 15 Pomegranate Molasses Recipes to Try
1. Pomegranate Chicken Thighs With Kale and Grain Salad
Pomegranate molasses is wonderful for glazing meats, just as Urban Cottage Life did in this Pomegranate Chicken Thighs with Kale and Grain Salad.
2. Pomegranate Molasses Shrikhand (Flavoured Yoghurt)
Pomegranate Molasses is an easy way to add quick flavour to desserts and Cooking Sutra did just that using it to flavour Shrikhand (flavoured yogurt), a very popular dessert in western India. It also makes something so simple look absolutely stunning and elegant!
3. Ashe Anar (Pomegranate Soup)
by CulturEatz
Ashe Anar is a pomegranate soup that's very popular in Iran and Iraq. CluturEatz made this hearty soup with lamb meatballs, split yellow peas and of course, pomegranate molasses. It has that sweet-tart flavour that is associated with pomegranate molasses. This will be a favourite!
4. Wheat Berry Salad with Pomegranate Roasted Vegetables
by Tastespace
Roasting vegetables is another tasty way to use pomegranate molasses. It adds so much flavour to the veg! You can use them as a side dish or you can top off a bowl or salad like Tastespace did with this Wheat Berry Salad with Pomegranate Roasted Vegetables.
5. Moroccan Cigars
What are Moroccan Cigars, you may ask? They're similar to a spring roll but filled with beautifully seasoned ground meat of your choice. Pomegranate molasses provides some extra tang to these fun "cigars" by Kravings Food Adventures. She has a great video on her site with some tips for filling the spring roll wrappers!
6. Pork Loin Roast with Pomegranate Wine and Black Garlic Sauce
The luscious sauce is the key to My Island Bistro Kitchen's Pork Loin Roast with Pomegranate, Red Wine and Black Garlic Sauce. Black garlic has a different flavour profile from traditional garlic which really takes the sauce to a different level!
7. Vegan Fattoush Salad
Pomegrante molasses is perfect to use in a dressing, especially on any salad that you'd like to give a Middle Eastern flavour profile to - like this Vegan Fattoush Salad from Plant Based Recipe, which is hearty enough to be a meal in itself.
8. Halloumi Salad
by Food Mamma
Halloumi and pomegrante molasses are a delightful pairing. This Halloumi Salad from Food Mamma is flavoured with sumac, mint and cumin seasoned yogurt and pomegranate molasses for a nice light lunch.
9. Persian Chicken Wraps
These Persian Chicken Wraps from Taste & Tipple are very easy to make and absolutely packed with flavour thanks to some Middle Eastern spices like Ras el Hanout (a multi-spice blend you can purchase at most Middle Eastern grocers, the ethnic section of your grocery store or even from Amazon) and sumac and, of course, pomegranate molasses!
10. Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Salmon is such an easy dinner and Primal Desire's Pomegrante Glazed Salmon is no exception. You'll be making the pomegranate molasses yourself which does take longer or, you can sub in commercially pre-made molasses for a quicker dish.
11. Roasted Eggplant Dip
This Roasted Eggplant Dip is not your average dip. West Coast Kitchen Garden has combined roasted eggplant, thick Greek yogurt, tahini and our favourite - pomegranate molasses of course! It's not only a healthy dip but it's so full of flavour! People will want to double dip!
12. Braised Lamb Shanks With Pomegranate and Chickpeas
by Crumb
Pomegranate molasses is the key ingredient in the rich, silky sauce for thee beautifully Braised Lamb Shanks from Crumb. That sweet tartness combined with mint and cilantro will add so much flavour to fall off the bone lamb!
13. The Best Ever Slow Cooker Beef Stew
by (T)Rue Story
As you've probably gathered by now, pomegranate molasses is a secret ingredient in a lot of meat dishes. It pairs up so well with it's intense flavour profile and adds a richness to the dish. A little can really go a long way. It really shines in slow cooked meat dishes like this Best Ever Slow Cooker Beef Stew from (T)Rue Story.
14. Pomegranate Molasses Sugar Cookies
by Urb'n'Spice
One of my most favourite cookie recipes ever was a pomegranate white chocolate chip cookie that involved painstakingly studding each cookie with fresh pomegranate arils before baking. So I never make them! These Pomegranate Molasses Sugar Cookies from Urb'n'Spice are a much simpler way to incorporate that wonderful pomegranate flavour!
Muhammara
One of the most traditional and common ways to use Pomegranate Molasses is in Muhammara. You may know it as Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip and even if you haven't made it yourself, you've probably had it at a party or potluck. We highly recommend trying it at home. Here are four different takes on this Syrian dip.
Click on the images to visit the recipes.
More Reading
- One Curious Ingredient: Everything You Need to Know About Pomegranate Molasses (and how to make it)
- Cranberry Pomegranate Rice Pudding
- Over 25 Pomegranate Recipe Ideas
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What a great compilation! So many great recipes to check out! This really shows how versatile pomegranate molasses can be.
Thank you for including my recipe together with so many other talented and innovative bloggers.
Great roundup of recipes using Pomegranate molasses! Thanks very much for including my blog post on Muhamarra..