Fruits · Dried fruit
Aloo bukhara (dried sour plums)
Small dried sour plums that add a sweet-tart tang to Sindhi and Dhakai biryanis, kormas and chutneys.
Also called: alu bukhara, aloo bukhara, bukhara plums, dried sour plums, alubokhara
Around the world: आलूबुख़ारा (hi) · آلو بخارا (ur) · আলুবোখারা (bn) · آلو بخارا (fa)
A kind of plum
What it is
Dried plums from a small, tart variety associated with Bukhara in Central Asia, sold with or without stones in South Asian and Persian shops. They are smaller, darker and much sourer than prunes, and soften when cooked into a curry or rice.
How it’s used
- Layered in Sindhi and Dhakai biryani
- Simmered into kormas and qormas
- Cooked into sweet-sour chutneys
Characteristics
- Taste
- Tart and fruity with some sweetness.
- Texture
- Chewy dried; soft when cooked.
- Sold as
- dried, whole
- Cooking uses
- Commonly cooked
- Common in
- Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Iranian, Afghan
Storage
Cool, dry and dark. Keep in an airtight jar for several months.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 2.18 g
- Carbohydrate
- 63.88 g
- Fat
- 0.38 g
- Fibre
- 7.1 g
- Sugars
- 38.13 g
USDA FoodData Central: Plums, dried (prunes), uncooked (a close stand-in).
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Prunes — Add a squeeze of lemon or a little tamarind for sourness.
Related ingredients
Recipes with aloo bukhara (dried sour plums)
Dhakai kacchi biryani
Bangladeshi · 6 h 35 min · 750 kcal
Sindhi biryani
Pakistani · 2 h 15 min · 798 kcal
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