Anardana Substitutes, Ranked by the Job the Sourness Is Doing

Anardana is pomegranate seed dried with its juicy pulp still attached.¹ Its job in a dish is sourness: a 2018 review describes it as an acidulant in many Asian cuisines and in curries,² and CooksInfo says it is used to add tartness.³ Food writer Susan Jung describes the flavor as deeper and stronger than fresh pomegranate, with an astringent note, and says it is used sparingly.⁴ Every substitute below supplies sourness. None supplies all of anardana’s dark, fruity character, so pick the one that suits the form the recipe needs: a dry powder, a sauce, a finishing sprinkle or whole seeds.

Quick answer

How the ratios on this page are labeled

Every ratio carries one of four labels.

• Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship, with the source named.
• Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio. We quote it as theirs.
• Disputed: named sources give different answers to the same swap. We show each one and do not average them.
• Method: we found no published ratio. We give a direction and a cautious starting point, and say so.

Every ratio on this page is Method. CooksInfo names lemon juice, tamarind and amchur as substitutes but gives no amounts,³ and we found no credible source that does. The starting points below are cautious opening amounts for tasting, not measured equivalents.

One reason to start low: anardana’s own sourness varies. Wild Himalayan pomegranate, the traditional raw material, has measured titratable acidity from 3.20 to 6.80 percent depending on the study and the trees sampled.¹² Two packs of anardana may not be equally sour, so a recipe’s amount is itself only a guide.

If you need dry sourness

In dry rubs, stuffings for flatbreads and dry chickpea dishes, the point is acidity without liquid.

1. Amchur (mango powder)

Amchur is unripe mango, peeled, sliced, dried and ground.⁵ Katzer attributes its sourness to citric acid and related compounds, and describes its taste as subtle and resin-like.⁶ It is a dried, powdered fruit acid like anardana, which is why it drops into the same dishes without changing their texture. Where it falls short: it has none of anardana’s dark color or deep fruitiness, and it is pale rather than red.

Katzer calls amchur much used in northern India, more often with vegetables than with meat, and common in tikka spice mixtures.⁶ It is also the ingredient that gives chaat masala its tangy taste, according to Tarla Dalal.⁷ Check the label: India’s standard for amchur rules out added salt and starch,⁵ but blends sold outside India are not bound by it.

Ratio (Method): We found no published ratio. Start with about half as much amchur as the anardana called for, taste, and add more.

2. Sumac

See below. It works in dry dishes too, and adds color.

If you need dark, fruity sourness in a sauce

In curries, braises and chutneys, a liquid souring agent is fine, and you can get closer to anardana’s depth.

1. Tamarind

Tamarind is a legume: Kew places Tamarindus indica in the Fabaceae.⁸ Its pulp is rich in tartaric acid and also contains other organic acids, and a 2016 study describes ripe tamarind’s appeal as its “acidic sweetness.”⁹ That mix of sour and sweet, and its dark brown color, is why it stands in well for anardana in a sauce. Katzer calls tamarind the other important sour ingredient in Indian cooking, alongside amchur, and notes that amchur is much weaker.⁶

Where it falls short: tamarind tastes of tamarind, not pomegranate, and it adds liquid. Its strength also varies. The 2016 study found pulp pH differed between tamarind genotypes, with the lowest pH in sour varieties,⁹ so taste a little of yours before measuring.

Ratio (Method): We found no published ratio, and none that compares paste, pulp and concentrate. Start with about half as much tamarind paste as the anardana called for, add it in the last stage of cooking, taste, and add more.

2. Pomegranate molasses

In our kitchen judgment, bottled pomegranate molasses is the closest flavor match of all, because it tastes of pomegranate. It is a thick syrup, so expect it to add sweetness and some liquid. We found no source that compares it with anardana.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio was found. Start with a small spoonful, stir it into the sauce near the end, and taste before adding more.

If you need a sour, red finish

Sumac

Sumac is the dried fruit of Rhus coriaria, ground to a dark red powder.¹⁰ Its sourness is attributed mainly to malic acid,¹⁰ and Katzer describes the taste as tart and sour with slightly astringent overtones.¹¹ The astringency is a shared trait with anardana, and the deep red color, which Katzer attributes to anthocyanin pigments in the fruit skin,¹¹ makes it the best match for appearance. A 2021 review notes it is added to salads or served with minced meat to give a lemony taste.¹⁰ It is a main ingredient of za’atar.¹¹

Where it falls short: sumac is lemony rather than dark and fruity, and Katzer notes the ground spice is often mixed with salt.¹¹ Check the label before you salt the dish.

Ratio (Method): We found no published ratio. Start with about half as much sumac as the anardana called for and add to taste. It is best sprinkled on at the end.

If the recipe wants whole seeds

Some recipes use whole anardana for crunch and bursts of sourness. No powder or paste replaces that. The only real substitute is anardana you make yourself.

Making anardana at home

Anardana is made by drying the seeds with their pulp. Traditionally they were spread on roofs and sun-dried for 10 to 15 days, according to CooksInfo,³ and a study in Jammu gives the same 10 to 15 days, until the seeds turn reddish brown.¹ Faster methods have been published, and they differ:

A home oven is not a cabinet dryer, so treat these as guides and check that the seeds are fully dry before storing them. For storage, a Himachal Pradesh study found anardana kept its quality better under refrigeration in vacuum-sealed laminated pouches.¹³

Expect homemade anardana to be less sour than the traditional product. The traditional raw material is the small wild pomegranate of the Himalayan foothills, which researchers credit with a higher acid content,¹³ not the large fruit sold in most supermarkets. Kew lists Punica granatum as native from northeastern Türkiye to western and northern Pakistan.¹⁴ Cultivated pomegranates can be used: one 2018 study screened promising cultivated lines for anardana.¹²

Ratio (Method): Use the recipe’s amount, then taste. If your fruit was sweet, you may need a little amchur or lemon to bring the sourness up.

If nothing else is on hand

Lemon juice

CooksInfo lists lemon juice as a substitute.³ It brings plain sourness and liquid, with no fruit depth or color.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio was found. Add a little at the end of cooking, taste, and add more. Do not use it in a dry rub or a stuffing that must stay dry.

What isn’t known

• No credible source we found publishes a ratio for any anardana substitute. Every amount on this page is a starting point for tasting.
• No measurement compares the sourness of anardana with amchur, tamarind, sumac or lemon. The acidity figures published for anardana and for amchur use different samples and methods and should not be compared directly.
• No source we read names the main acid in anardana, so we cannot say which substitute shares its acid profile.
• No published drying time or temperature for a home oven was found.

Related

• Anardana
• Mango powder (amchur) and mango powder substitutes
• Sumac, sumac substitutes and za’atar
• Chaat masala, kokum and loomi
• Too much tamarind? How to fix a too-sour dish

Footnotes

1. Bakshi et al., “Studies on variability in physico-chemical traits and multiplication of Daru (wild pomegranate) collections”, Indian Journal of Horticulture, 2014. journal.iahs.org.in · Peer-reviewed ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Sharma and Thakur, “Wild pomegranate (Punica granatum L.): A review on physical and chemical attributes of himalayan wild pomegranate fruit”, Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2018. phytojournal.com · Peer-reviewed ↩ ↩²

3. “Anardana”, CooksInfo. cooksinfo.com · Reference work ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. Susan Jung, “How to use dried pomegranate seeds, or anardana”, South China Morning Post, 2025. scmp.com · Publication ↩

5. IS 13242:1991, Amchur, Raw Mango (Mangifera indica Linn) Powder, Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards. law.resource.org · Standard ↩ ↩²

6. Gernot Katzer, “Mango”, Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages. gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com · Reference work ↩ ↩² ↩³

7. Tarla Dalal, “Chaat Masala”, TarlaDalal.com. cdn.tarladalal.com · Publication ↩

8. Tamarindus indica L., Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. powo.science.kew.org · Reference work ↩

9. Ayala-Silva et al., “Pomological and physicochemical characterization of Tamarindus indica (tamarind) grown in Florida”, Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico, 2016. revistas.upr.edu · Peer-reviewed ↩ ↩²

10. Alsamri et al., “Pharmacological and Antioxidant Activities of Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac)”, Antioxidants, 2021. mdpi.com · Peer-reviewed ↩ ↩² ↩³

11. Gernot Katzer, “Sumac (Rhus coriaria L.)”, Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages. gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com · Reference work ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

12. Kaute et al., “Evaluation of promising lines of pomegranate for preparation of anardana”, Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2018. phytojournal.com · Peer-reviewed ↩ ↩²

13. “Evaluation of Wild Pomegranate for the Development of Anardana in Himachal Pradesh”, doctoral thesis, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, 2018. krishikosh.egranth.ac.in · Peer-reviewed ↩ ↩²

14. Punica granatum L., Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. powo.science.kew.org · Reference work ↩