The alluring apricot

Pushpesh Pant

The classic dessert from Hyderabad is khubani ka meetha, an irresistible temptation. Served with clotted cream, it is a most sinful indulgence. We have always wondered how the apricot, a child of the hills, did travel to Deccan and won such a loyal following. But let us not get distracted.

What we bring to you this week is a sweet dish prepared with apricots that doesn't burden the conscience heavily. It pairs the cooked fruit with mildly sweet kheer, full of goodness of milk. Served chilled and garnished with — what else — some more apricots it seems to fit the bill perfectly for summers. It sure puts in shade 'confusion' creations like kiwi phirnee and its other fruity cousins. Not that we love phirnee less but we prefer it unadulterated! It's lighter-than-air charm is lost when any fruit is forced in the tiny shikora. The delicate aroma of clay, too, can't survive the sweetness of mango or exotic notes of any imported fruit. Khubani ki kheer is refreshingly different. For us the real beauty is that this kheer eschews rice totally and allows the fruit to steal the show.

Method

Soak jardalu overnight. Remove stones. Chop coarsest and boil in the water these were soaked for 15 minutes. Cool and purée in mixer or mash with the back of ladle. Add sugar and simmer for about five minutes. Keep aside. Chop already pitted Turkish apricots. Put milk to boil in a thick-bottomed pan and boil uncovered stirring regularly till it is reduced to half its original volume. Allow to cool. Stir in the puréed jardalu. Garnish with chopped Turkish apricot pieces. Be careful not to mix stewed jardalu or Turkish apricots before the thickened milk is well chilled otherwise it will curdle. You may like to top up the stuff with fresh apricot halves. These are in season. 

Ingredients

Dried apricots (jardalu) 250 g

Turkish dried apricots (yellow ones) 100g 

Milk 2 litres

Sugar 1/2 cup