Dried Apricots

Apricots, khubani or qubani in Hindi and Urdu, grow in the high valleys of Ladakh, Hunza and Afghanistan, where they are dried in the sun on rooftops each summer. Traditional Hunza apricots are small, brown and very sweet with the stone left in; seedless dried apricots are larger, softer and brighter in colour, and much easier to cook with. Both have a lovely balance of sweet and sharp.

Qubani ka meetha, the dessert served at Hyderabadi weddings, is dried apricots soaked, stoned and simmered with sugar until thick and jammy, then served chilled with cream or custard and topped with the almond-like apricot kernels. Dried apricots also go into Parsi and Mughlai meat dishes, such as jardaloo sali boti, lamb cooked with apricots, and into tagines, stuffings and pilafs. In baking, they are chopped into flapjacks, fruit cakes and granola, and they make a good lunchbox snack.

If apricots have dried out, soak them in warm water or tea for twenty minutes to plump them before cooking. Keep opened packs sealed tightly in the fridge. They sit under dried fruit with dates and raisins, and pair well with almonds in desserts and custard powder for qubani with custard.