Khubani Ka Meetha & Anar Ka Gola

Apricot Purée & Pomegranate Sorbet

SERVES 4

Qubani or khubani is Urdu for apricot. Khubani ka meetha is a Kashmiri dessert that numbs your senses with its nectar-like sweetness. On any special day, you’ll find Kashmiri women busy stirring woks full of a deep burgundy substance, which is the sweetened apricot pulp.

Khubani ka meetha has now become a popular dish in Hyderabadi cuisine too. Traditionally served with almonds and cream, it also tastes great with ice cream. I, however, discovered that it tastes absolutely blissful with freshly made pomegranate sorbet, whose sweet, fresh lightness complements the creamier and heavier khubani perfectly.

INGREDIENTS

Pomegranate sorbet

2 cups fresh pomegranate juice

3 cups sugar

¼ cup lime juice

½ tsp lime zest

Khubani

24 apricots, soaked in water overnight

½ cup sugar

⅓ cup heavy cream, whipped till soft peaks appear

METHOD

Pomegranate sorbet In a mixing bowl, combine pomegranate juice with sugar and whisk till sugar dissolves. Stir in lime juice and zest. Pour mixture in a metal bowl and freeze till hard. Remove, break into pieces and pass through a food processor till ice is just crushed. Return to the freezer and refreeze.

Khubani ka meetha Drain apricots. Remove seeds, crack them open and reserve the almonds. Purée apricot flesh in a blender. In a pan, combine puréed apricots with sugar and cook over low heat, stirring continuously till sugar dissolves and mixture turns into a thick syrup. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

To serve Crush the sorbet once more. Spoon khubani ka meetha on one side of a bowl. Put a scoop of pomegranate sorbet next to it. Drizzle with cream and sprinkle with reserved almonds. Serve immediately.