Azerbaijan · Sauces and Dips
Narsharab
An Azerbaijani sauce of 100 percent pomegranate juice slowly reduced to a thick ruby syrup and seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon, coriander, and basil.
Ingredients
- pomegranate juice1000 ml
- cinnamon0.25 tsp
- ground coriander0.5 tsp
- dried basil0.5 tsp
- bay leaf1 pcs
- black pepper0.25 tsp
- salt0.5 tsp
Method
- 1Pour the 100 percent pomegranate juice into a wide saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- 2Reduce slowly, without a hard boil, until about 330 ml is left in the pan — roughly a third of what you started with. In a wide pan this takes about 45 to 55 minutes; in a narrow one, longer.
- 3Add the cinnamon, ground coriander, dried basil, bay leaf, black pepper, and salt, and simmer 5 minutes more; the finished sauce will be about 300 ml.
- 4Check the texture: the syrup should coat the back of a spoon. Pull it off the heat slightly looser than you want, as it thickens as it cools.
- 5Remove the bay leaf, or strain the sauce through a fine sieve for a smoother finish.
- 6Cool and bottle in sterilised jars; keep in the refrigerator. Serve with grilled meat and fish, as a marinade, or instead of vinegar in salads.