Thai Recipe Using Pomegranate Seeds

September 29, 2005 4:38 PM

So I'm cooking a big Thai meal this weekend. While shopping, I spied some nice looking pomegranates and thought that I'd figure out a way to incorporate the seeds into the meal. A google search, however, turns up mostly undesirable results - usually involving pom juice. My thinking is that the seeds could provide a nice sweet and sour compliment to something, but I'm stumped. Any ideas out there?
posted by jbradley to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

in a salad

or if you are serving sherbet or ice cream or something bland and custardy, the pomegranate seeds can be used as a garnish

however, i associate them with middle eastern cookery, were they are used in both sweet and savory dishes
posted by subatomiczoo at 5:00 PM on September 29, 2005

I don't think of pomegranates as being in Thai dishes, but this salad with pomegranate seeds and avocado seems tasty.
posted by jessamyn at 5:05 PM on September 29, 2005

I think they'd be great mixed into green papaya salad, or on top of a sweet rice & coconut milk dessert.
posted by cali at 5:23 PM on September 29, 2005

One bit of advice I can give you is do NOT juice pomegranates. The resultant juice is strong enough to give you permanent bitter beer face.

A quick search on FoodTV turns out 48 possible recipes to use, some are obviously not appropriate but you might be able to get some decent ideas.
posted by fenriq at 5:30 PM on September 29, 2005

I'm a big fan of pomegranates as a topping for cakes (combined with orange slices). I wouldn't cook with them, too strong of a flavor.
posted by oddman at 5:51 PM on September 29, 2005

I boil down and sweeten pomegranates to make sauces, but for that, you might as well use juice. I can't really imagine where I'd use them in a thai dish, though, except in a green mango salad. I do think pomegranate molasses would prove to be an interesting addition to pad thai sauce, but again, that's not really what you're going for.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:29 PM on September 29, 2005

pomegranate cocktails! pomegranate seeds, campari, orange juice and seltzer/tonic. yum.
posted by judith at 6:30 PM on September 29, 2005

how can you use pomegranates for a cake topping? Wouldn't that make it a little annoying with people having to spit out the seeds with every bite?

I love that pomegranate juice that they've been marketing the last couple of years.
posted by any major dude at 6:43 PM on September 29, 2005

how can you use pomegranates for a cake topping? Wouldn't that make it a little annoying with people having to spit out the seeds with every bite?

You don't have to spit out the seeds.
posted by duck at 7:06 PM on September 29, 2005

They are imbedded in the frosting (I think the cake used a cream cheese frosting, but don't hold me too that). They are very decorative and, along with the oranges, add a nice flavorful kick. As duck said, you don't have to spit them out. In fact, that is the only time I've had actual pom seeds and it never occurred to me to spit them out.

E-mail me, if you want more details on the recipe.
posted by oddman at 9:30 PM on September 29, 2005