Apricot Nectar with Rose Water (Qamar al-Din)
What I enjoy most about traveling is trying new cuisines. On my recent trip to Dubai, I dined at an iftar buffet. The lavish spread included several culinary delicacies from the Levant. Amongst the juices on offer was Qamar al-Din, a sweet apricot nectar flavored with floral notes of rose water. The drink is believed to have originated in Syria and is widely consumed in the Middle East during the holy month of Ramadan. Traditionally, this drink is prepared by rehydrating dried apricot fruit leather. Since apricot leather is not available in my neck of the woods, I used semi-dried Turkish apricots as the base. This fruity, aromatic apricot juice is delicious, cooling and refreshing. The addition of rose water is optional; feel free to substitute it with orange blossom water or omit it altogether.
Recipe
Apricot Nectar with Rose Water
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
1 cup (200 gms) semi-dried Turkish apricots
4 1/4 cups (1 liter) filtered water, divided
6 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
3 tsp rose water or orange blossom water (optional)
1 tsp shelled pine nuts
1 tsp shelled pistachios
Ice cubes, to serve
Method
Rinse the apricots and soak them in 3 cups of filtered water for at least 4 hours.
Soak the pine nuts and pistachios in 1/4 cup of water for 30 minutes. Remove the outer covering from the pistachios (it should peel off easily) and set the nuts aside for later.
Transfer the apricots along with the water to a large saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and cook for about 8 minutes or until the apricots turn soft and start to disintegrate. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Transfer the apricot mixture to a blender. Add the rose water, if using, and blend until completely smooth. Strain the apricot nectar through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any fibers or large chunks.
Mix in a cup of cold water. Taste and add more sugar, if you like. Add plenty of ice cubes along with the soaked nuts. Stir well and enjoy!
