Khubani ka meetha/Apricot Fool

Khubani/Qubani ka meetha is an authentic and very traditional Hyderabadi desert recipe. Made of dried apricots, it is served especially during weddings. Khubani/Qubani is an urdu word which means 'Apricot' and Meetha translates to 'Sweet'. This desert  involves boiling apricots with syrup until they assume the consistency of a thick soup or compote. The dessert is then topped with blanched almonds or apricot kernels, and is traditionally garnished with malai (thick cream from Buffalo milk), and also with custard or ice cream.This recipe was challenged to the SNC north group by Roha of Hyderabadi cuisine. 
I decided to try this classic desert with custard and name it an Apricot Fool.
A fool is one of the quickest, easiest, and most awesomely named desserts that we know. Dating as far as the sixteenth century, a Fool is a classic English dessert and is believed to earn the name from a French word 'fouler' which means 'to mash' or 'to press'. A fruit fool begins by making a puree from fresh, dried or frozen fruit. Traditionally a  fool is a delicious mixture of lightly sweetened and pureed fruit with sweet custard. Modern recipes skip the custard and use whipped cream.

  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (75-80 gms) dried Apricots/Khubani
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 1 clove
• 1 green cardamom
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp sugar (for making the custard)

Procedure:

Wash and soak dried apricots overnight. 

Remove and reserve the liquid for later use(It will have a lovely golden brown tinge)

De-seed and remove the apricot kernel.

Remove the nut inside the seed with the help of a nut cracker or with a pestle. You will find a small almond shaped nut inside which you may blanch in boiling water to remove the skin or keep some just as it is for decoration.

Take a non stick saucepan over medium heat, add the reserved liquid(used for soaking) and the apricots. Allow to boil.

Add clove and slightly crushed cardamom and let it simmer for 10-15 mins.

Add sugar and stir. Mash the apricots and cook till the mixture becomes thick and mushy. This is the apricot compote.

Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, make vanilla custard. Boil milk and add sugar. Take a small bowl and dissolve custard powder with a little cold milk/water. Add this to the boiling milk and stir well. Allow to Cool.

 

Assembling:

Take a bowl/glass and make desired layers of the apricot compote and vanilla custard. 

Garnish with some chopped apricot nut and whole nuts(with skin).

Note:

• Be careful while adding sugar as it may vary with the variety of apricots used or with individual taste.

• You may serve the Khubani/apricot compote with whipped cream, ice cream or even thick cream/malai.

• You may garnish with some almonds and pista.

 

 

 
Happy Khubani Fool Eating
Amrita