Substitute for pomegranate?

I guess it's too late now but I've found frozen pomegranate seeds to be very similar to fresh ones. I'd think they'd work fine in any dish where they were going to be cooked a little; they were even pretty good just thrown in a salad!

you seem to want the seeds (arils). but if you need pomegranate syrup but can't find it, or don't want to spring for a whole bottle when making one recipe, you can get an approximation of the sweet-sour balance by mixing lemon juice with sweetener of choice (sugar, honey, agave syrup, etc)

Better late than never!: I approximated the tight, bright flavor by macerating some raspberries in reduced balsamic. I'm missing the crunch (A last minute toss of pine nuts?), but the flavor profile is present.

I am not familiar with the recipe you are trying to make, but I just came back from Trader Joe's where they have some already removed from the skin in a plastic container if you live close to one. Good luck!

I don't think there is a great substitute for pomegranate seeds. If you have preserved lemons on hand, dicing those up and scattering them on top might be a nice touch. The other idea I have is to buy pomegranate juice, reduce it on the stove over low heat until it's syrupy, and drizzle that on top. The to get a nice contrast of textures, you can sprinkle some pine nuts or toasted almonds on top. I happen to think Plenty is a book that allows for plenty of experimentation.