Anardana (noun.) Pomegranate seed powder (Hindi translation of pomegranate seeds is Anardana) has a tangy sweet-sour taste. It is added to curries, lentils and vegetable dishes to give it a tangy taste. It is a key ingredient in some of the most popular north Indian dishes like Chole and Tadka Dal. It is also added to soups, stews and used to flavour biryanis and kebabs. It can be used as a souring agent like lemon juice, tamarind (Imli), amchur (dry mango powder) and kokum.
It can be found in Iranian cuisine where it is added to sweet-tart snack or used to garnish. The dry seed powder can be used to prepare fresh juices. The ground or crushed version can be added to vegetables or fruit salads to get a unique flavour. The roasted variant is used in raita and sabzi recipes. It can be used to marinate fish and chicken dishes to get a unique taste.