Qubani ka Meetha is a sinfully delicious dessert from Hyderabad, India. Usually served after a sumptuous meal, especially during festivals and weddings, Qubani ka Meetha is made of apricot, cooked in sugar and spices. It is a perfect blend of flavors – sweet, sour and lusciously creamy.
Qubani or Khubani is an Urdu word which means apricot and Meetha is anything sweet. It is topped with a scoop of ice cream or custard, just before serving. Hyderabadi desserts are popular all across India. Be it Double ka Meetha, Sheer Khurma or Kaddu ki Kheer, they have a special place in our hearts. Hyderabadi cuisine is inspired from Andhra cuisine and Nizam style of cooking. It is mostly spicy, but it also boasts of having a wide variety of vegetarian dishes even though it is heavily influenced by Muslim cuisine.
Let’s get on with a bit of History, shall we?
History of Qubani aka Apricots
We, Indians are familiar with apricots just because Alexander the Great had wanted to import it to Central Asia through India. The Mughal ruler Babar was head over heels in love with this fruit and thanks to this trade, he could obtain it here in India. Qubani ka Meetha remained a royal dessert for decades because only the rich had the money to import the fruit, lest make a dessert out of it.
How to Prepare Qubani ka Meetha at home
Qubani ka Meetha is usually prepared with dried apricots. It is soaked overnight, deseeded, and cooked in sugar and water until soft and mushy. It is then mashed and served with a layer of custard or ice cream. The seeds are used for garnishing. You can also prepare Qubani ka Meetha with fresh apricots like I did.
Why Dried Apricots
We are familiar with the dried version of Apricots because the fruit doesn’t last long. These are hence dried to be used later.
Qubani ka Meetha Health Benefits
Apricots are rich in dietary fiber, Vitamin C, and A. It is thus, good for your heart and blood. It breaks down fatty acids quick and helps in digestion. Apricots are said to be beneficial during pregnancy, for they are rich in calcium, iron and folic acid. It helps in reversing anemia. Avoid the kernels though as it increases the chances of birth defects.
Qubani ka Meetha Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Apricots , fresh or dried
- 1/3 cups of Sugar
- 1 cup of water to soak the apricots
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 scoop of ice cream or custard
Instructions
- Soak the apricots overnight.
- De-seed the apricots. Do not discard the seeds as it is used for garnishing.
- Boil the apricots in the same water it was soaked before. Add sugar to it.
- Cook till it is soft and mushy.
- Mash or grind coarsely.
- Top with a layer of custard or a scoop of ice cream.
- The seeds look like almonds, remove the skin and use it for garnishing.
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This seems like such an easy recipe, but I have never seen a fresh apricot till date! I’ll try making this with the dried ones.
It usually is a bit too sweet for my tastes, but I’ll adjust the sugar.
I always find Qubani ka Meetha a tad to sweet to eat. However I am going to try your recipe of it as looking at the awesome pics I think it should turn out great!:)
This looks yum and I have never heard of it but I like the name. Will try for sure.
Wow never heard of this.. And what an interesting history to it. Frankly something that looks so exotic and sounds exotic too, must be a toughie to make at home, .. Maybe I am wrong.. the receipe seems easy. Would look out for dried apricots in my next visit to the supermarket.
Looks like a yummy sweet. I have never tried it. Will now make it at home to get a taste. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve heard of this. Don’t think I’ve ever tasted it though. Will get some apricots and try it out!