Khubaani Ka Meetha - Apricot Pudding

Khubani ka Meetha is a very popular sweet dish of Hyderabad. Khubani is the Hindi term for Apricots and Meetha means sweet. So in English, Khubani ka Meetha translates to apricot sweet or sweet dish made from apricots. Although the name gives you an impression that the preparation must involve some hard earned moves but trust me its as easy as pouring tea... Well almost ! The best part is that there is no oil/ghee/butter included in making this dessert. It is made with apricots only which are really good for health being a good source of fiber  vitamins, iron and many other essential nutrients.

I made this last weekend and realized after tasting that I am missing something into it. Did some research and found out  that its usually eaten with a lot of  nuts and Malayi on top of it. Now, where the hell would I get Malayi here in this cold breezy land, I thought !. And I didnt have patience to get through the whole process of boiling milk and then waiting for Malayi to rise on top. So, as a cheat I just used some freshly whipped cream.. It worked good enough but still a spread of Malayi would be better, I suggest.. Ohh and for those you doesn't know what Malayi is - its just the layer that comes on top after milk is reached to a boiling point and then cooled off. Very common in Indian Households.. 

I got to make this because of the SNC Challenge given by Divya .. All thanks to Roha from Hyderabadi Cuisine for hosting this month challenge and give me opportunity to try this amazingly simple and healthy dessert... I would like to  try this with more variations next time, may be with Ice-Creams of Khoya as I read in some of the recipes online. 

For more info on SNC Challenge, visit this page at You too can cook 

What you need?

• 1 Cup Dried Apricots 
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Chopped Nuts
• 2 Crushed Green Cardamom( Elaichi) 
• 1 tsp Lemon juice.
• 2 tbsp Milk
• 1 cup Whipped Cream OR Ice-cream  OR Malayi 

How to make?

• Rinse the apricots well and soak them overnight in enough water.
• Remove the apricots the next day and keep the water aside, this will be used in while cooking the halwa.
• Deseed the apricots and keep the hard kernels aside. Break them, throw away the hard covering and keep the almond like nuts aside. They look like very small almonds and taste similar.
• Add one cup of the strained water in the pan along with the apricots and cook on a low flame for 22-25 minutes stirring occasionally. You can also just mash the apricots with your hands and then add them to the pan or you can use a potato masher while its cooking since they will get more tender during the time.
• Check after 15 minutes and if the mixture looks dry, add 2 tbsp milk. Now add sugar and Cardamom Powder and cook for 5-6 minutes more.. Add Lemon juice and turn off.
• Throw in the almond like seeds of the apricots, and some other chopped nuts if preferred.
• Stir well and its ready now. The consistency is neither too dry nor too liquid. Serve Khubani ka Meetha, warm or chilled, plain or with some whipped cream.. 

My Notes:

• Apricots are naturally sweet, hence the amount of sugar can be decreased in this dessert as well. 
• Blending it to a smooth paste is an option. You can serve it pulpy as well if you like it that way.
• If you plan not to blend it to a smooth puree, it will be a good idea to roughly chop the soaked apricots before cooking them.
• I also read a recipe where Khoya was used in the making, I didnt have it so couldn't try but am sure the result would be tastier and richer than mine. 

Linking this to Roha's Hyderabadi Cuisine & Divya's space...