Qhoobani ka Meetha - Apricot Capote
The richest and most exotic of desserts, its sweetness is overwhelming. Traditionally both a Deccan Indian and Middle Eastern dessert, it is very popular among the connoisseur of good food. The apricot capote made from the exotic dry fruit is topped by either vanilla custard or whipped cream or even ice cream. This is similar to desserts made in the western countries where fruit is stewed or cooked in syrup and cinnamon and served warm with ice cream.
Author: Admin
Cuisine: American
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8
Prep time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- 1 lb qhoobani/apricots
- 1⁄2 lb sugar
- 900 ml water
- 1 t lemon juice
- 2 1⁄2 T custard powder
- 1 T sugar to taste
- 2 c milk
Instructions
- Soak the qhoobani or dried apricots overnight in 900 ml of water in a large pot. The qhoobani need to be soaked for at least couple of hrs in warm water if it hasn’t been done overnight. The qhoobani soaks water and gets fat and fleshy. The fleshy apricots can easily be deseeded and the seed/stone kept aside.
- The apricots or qhoobani’s which have been deseeded can now be cooked on low flame. The water left in the pot from overnight soaking will slowly get further absorbed into the apricots. The qhoobani or apricots need to be cooked till soft.
- For the next step, there are various styles and consistencies for the texture of apricot capote or Qhoobani meetha. One can either mash with a spoon or masher and keep the fruit in slightly chunky texture; or one can hand blend it to a thick pureed texture.
- To the mashed or pureed apricot, add the sugar. You can reduce or add more than the given amount according to the sweetness of the apricot itself. The sweetness of the fruit differs according to the type of apricots you are using. Stir and let the fruit get stewed together with the sugar on slow flame. Add little water if required. At this point 1 tsp lemon juice can be added to the fruit capote or meetha, this is an optional element. Cook for a good consistency.
- The seeds or stones of this apricot can be shelled by giving it a small hit with a pestle. The shell cracks open to reveal a small almond. These almonds need to be soaked in a cup of warm water which will help blanch or de-skin the little almond.
- The cooked and stewed fruit can be garnished with the baby almonds of the apricots and topped with a vanilla custard or whipped cream. Vanilla Ice cream is also an option.
Instructions : Custard
- To make vanilla custard, boil some milk in a pot. Simultaneously dissolve 3 tblsp of custard powder in ½ cup milk and add to the boiling milk. This is to avoid the lumps from forming when added to boiling milk. Add sugar and let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes till the custard gets cooked.
- Only when the custard is cool use it to top it on the apricot capote or qhoobani ka meetha.
Serving Size
Serving size: 8
