Wishing you a very happy and yummy 2014. Starting the year on a sweet note, I thought of posting a sweet recipe. Though I have got some recipes in mind and 1-2 recipes in draft, I thought of posting something which is close to my heart. I am not a sweet loving person, though I taste each and every sweet, there are quite few which I call them as my favourites.
After double ka meetha, this qubani ka meetha is my second favourite dessert. I came to know about this dessert through my ‘Hyderabadi Cousins’…..who always use to talk about this whenever I ask them about the menu of any wedding or any function. From them I got the idea how this is made but never got a chance to relish it….My first encounter with this dessert was in my wedding. This was one among the five desserts which were served on that day.
Being bride I could not have my fair share of this dessert.
Being bride I could not have my fair share of this dessert.
But later when I came to my mom’s place for the first time after marriage, the same dessert was made in welcome dinner….I had hearty share of this dessert and from the time this dessert was one of my favourite. Over the time I made changes to make this in a much simpler way. The result is the one which I am going to post today…Though the traditional recipe vary from what I am going to post today….but still in many houses this is the recipe which we make more often…..
This qubani ka meetha is star of many potlucks I attend. My friends even ask me to make this when we are meeting over for dinner or lunch. So such is the craze of this sweet and tangy dessert. Though serving suggestions vary, I love to serve this with thick plain vanilla custard or butterscotch ice cream…the butterscotch in the ice-cream add crunch to this dessert. Over to recipe…
Qubani ka Meetha
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ kg. Dried Apricots
- 1½ cups Sugar, adjust as per your taste
- ½ tbsp. Saffron strands
PREPARATION:
- Wash and soak dried apricots overnight in enough water. The ratio of dried apricots and water should be 1:3.
- By morning these dried apricots will puff into smooth balls. Transfer the contents to pressure cooker and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or until soft.
- When the dried apricots turn soft (you can check softness by pressing the dried apricots in between your fingers, the seed will come out easily) using a sieve separate water and cooked dried apricots. Reserve the
water. - Keeping the dried apricots in the sieve, using backside of a large spoon, gently mash the cooked dried apricots into the reserved water. Mash till you remain with seeds. *
- Now add seeds to warm water and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Break open the seeds using a pestle or nut cracker to remove kernels. Cut into half and serve on top as garnish.
- Meanwhile add sugar to the collected puree and transfer it on stovetop. Cook until you get thick sauce consistency. Add saffron strands and mix gently. Turn off the flame and leave to cool.
- Add love to make this dessert taste ‘Yummy’.
- Refrigerate in an air tight container to use when needed. You can store this puree in fridge up to a week.
TO MAKE THICK VANILLA CUSTARD:
Prepare custard as per the instructions on the packet. Make it little thick, the consistency should be like pudding.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- You can serve this with plain vanilla custard or thick cream or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I usually serve this with plain chilled thick vanilla custard or butterscotch ice cream.
- Just cut a slab of ice cream or scoop 1-2 scoops of ice cream in a serving bowl and pour in thick apricot sauce which we made above and garnish with chopped apricot kernels and pistachio. Serve immediately.
*NOTES:
Alternatively you can remove seeds from the cooked dried apricots by pressing with your fingers and puréeing the pulp in the mixer until smooth.
Rekha Radhakrishnan says
Happy new year to you and family. I wish I could grab them off the screen… They look yum 🙂
Rafeeda AR says
this looks so yummy… especially as topped on custard, too good…
Veena Theagarajan says
so yummy looking dessert.. Love the snaps.. this is new to me
Shweet Spicess says
Looks amazingly delicious 🙂
The Cooking Doctor says
i have fresh apricots in the fridge, will that work? Would love to try this and Happy New year to u and family Lubna!
Hamaree Rasoi says
Hi Lubna, Happy New Year to you and your family. I am sure that this dessert tastes as tangy and sweet as it looks so inviting.
Deepa
Shama Nagarajan says
yummy drooling dessert
Recipe world says
Wow, that sounds really yummy! Nice recipe and lovely clicks..
MSUSMA says
Mouth watering dessert
Sushma Madhuchandra says
very tempting! I would love to try this. Happy new year Lubna!
saffronstreaks says
Happy new year Lubna. very beautiful dessert to welcome this new year. I have posted this sometimes back. Will try it next time with custard. Amazingly delicious
Sukanya
Sandhya says
Hey Lubna,
I am from Hyderabad and I love double ka meetha and qubani ka meetha. They were always on my to-do list. But never tried them as I was afraid that I might lose the taste. Now that I have seen your blog, I bookmarked these recipes. Will let you know how they turn out.
Thanks,
Sandhya