Hyderabadi Qubani Ka Meetha: Try This Sweet Apricot Dessert

If you love dishes steeped in history, stories and sweetness, look no further than Hyderabad’s Qubani Ka Meetha. This dessert is prized in the state and served for special occasions like weddings. The apricot itself came to India in 326 BC with the invasion of Alexander the Great, but Quabani as a https://www.slurrp.com/article/7-scrumptious-apricot-desserts-that-will-make-you-drool-1666469206318is a little more recent and came about during the Mughal era. 

Qubani, or Khubani is the Urdu word for apricot so Qubani Ka Meetha directly translates to apricot sweet. And that’s exactly what it is! Essentially just two ingredients, the dish highlights all the natural flavours of the fruit and utilises every part of it, including the seed. 

Also Read: 4 Hidden And Healthy Facts About Apricots

The slow cooking process is what makes magic happen and as they cook, the fruit reduces down to a jam-like consistency with no additional flavours. The sweet, floral flavours of the apricot are the star of the show and even though it's simple, this dish is highly coveted in Hyderabad and beyond.

Ingredients:

• 25 to 28 dried apricots (khubani)
• 1 to 1.5 cups strained water from the soaked apricots
• 2 to 3 teaspoon sugar as required (optional)
• Sliced almonds – optional

Method:

• Rinse the apricots well in fresh water.
• Then soak them overnight in 2 to 2.5 cups water or 4 to 5 hours in warm water.
• Remove the apricots the next day and keep the water aside as we will be using it later.
• Press the softened apricots with your fingers and remove the seeds. You can also chop them if you prefer. Keep the hard kernels aside and break the kernels with a pestle or nutcracker.
• Throw away the hard covering and keep the almond-like nuts aside.
• Add one cup of the strained water in the frying pan along with the chopped apricots.
• You can also just mash the apricots with your hands and then add them to the pan.
• Cook on a low flame for 22 to 25 minutes stirring occasionally. While cooking mash the apricots with a spoon.
• If the mixture looks dry, add some of the reserved strained water.
• Now add sugar according to taste and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more.
• Lastly, add the almond-like seeds of the apricots.
• Mix and stir and then serve qubani ka meetha hot or warm or cold