Aloo Bukhara (Dried Plums): Biryani, Chutney and Buying Guide
Most people ruin their aloo bukhara before it ever reaches the biryani pot, by buying the glossy, sticky ones that look best on the shop counter. This guide to aloo bukhara (dried plums) covers choosing, soaking, and using them in biryani, chutney and a few dishes you may not have tried.
Quick facts
- What it is: a small sour-sweet plum, dried whole, usually with the stone left in
- Taste: tart first, then fruity sweetness, with a faint smoky note in sun-dried batches
- Everyday amount: 4 to 6 in a family biryani; 2 to 3 as a snack
- Keeps: 6 to 9 months airtight in a cool cupboard, longer in the fridge
- Watch for: added sugar syrup, heavy sulphite treatment, mould at the stone end
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What aloo bukhara actually is (and isn’t)
The name confuses people. “Aloo” here has nothing to do with potatoes. It comes from an old word for plum, and Bukhara is the Central Asian city the fruit’s trade was tied to. What you get in a Pakistani pansar shop is a dried, dark reddish-brown plum, wrinkled, about the size of a large grape, with a hard stone inside.
It is related to the Western prune but it’s not the same thing. Supermarket prunes are big, soft, very sweet and nearly black. Aloo bukhara is smaller, firmer and much more sour. That sourness is the whole point in cooking. Swap one for the other and your biryani turns oddly jammy.
There’s also a fresh aloo bukhara, a red summer plum sold on thelas in June and July. Different use, same family. This article is about the dried kind.
Buying: the glossy trap and other problems
Walk past the prettiest heap. Very shiny, sticky aloo bukhara has often been tossed in sugar syrup or glucose to add weight and shine. It tastes flatter, clumps in the jar, and draws ants and mould in Karachi humidity. Good ones have a matt, slightly dusty skin and feel leathery, not wet.
Signs of a good batch
- Deep maroon to brown colour, fairly even across the bag
- Firm but bendable when pressed; not rock hard, not squishy
- Sour, clean smell with no hint of alcohol or vinegar
- No white fuzz or grey bloom near the stalk end
Sulphited kinds
Some dried fruits are treated with sulphur dioxide or sulphite salts to hold a brighter colour. Imported or unusually bright orange-red plums are the likeliest to be treated. For most people this is harmless. For people with sulphite sensitivity, including some with asthma, it can set off wheezing, flushing or hives. If that describes someone at your table, read the pack for “sulphur dioxide”, “E220” to “E228” or “contains sulphites”, or buy loose, dull-coloured, sun-dried stock from a shop you trust.
A quick home check for sugar coating: rinse three plums in warm water and rub. If the water turns cloudy and sticky and the plums lose their shine, they were coated.
Soaking and preparing dried plums
You don’t always need to soak. In a biryani with plenty of steam, they soften on their own. For chutneys, raitas and snacking, a short soak makes them easier to pit and blend.
- Put the plums in a bowl and rinse twice in plain water, rubbing gently to lift dust.
- Cover with 3 times their volume of warm (not boiling) water, about 50 to 60°C.
- Soak 30 minutes for biryani, 2 hours for chutney, or overnight in the fridge for eating plain.
- Squeeze each plum lightly; the stone slips out. Keep the soaking water. It’s tart and fruity and goes straight into the chutney.
- Use soaked plums within 24 hours, refrigerated.
Always count the stones out. A stone left in chutney is a cracked tooth waiting to happen, and a real choking hazard for children.
Aloo bukhara in biryani, qorma and pulao
In Sindhi and Karachi-style biryani, aloo bukhara is the little sour surprise between layers of rice. It cuts through the ghee and the richness of the meat.
| Dish | How many | When to add |
|---|---|---|
| Biryani, 1 kg rice | 5 to 6 | Into the meat masala for the last 10 minutes |
| Mutton qorma, 1 kg meat | 3 to 4 | With the yogurt |
| Chicken pulao, 500 g rice | 3 | On top before dum |
| Shami kabab mix, 500 g | 2, pitted, finely chopped | In the mixture |
Leave them whole in biryani so guests can find and move them aside if they want. Tell children to look for the stone.
Aloo bukhara chutney
This is the chutney that turns up next to samosas at iftar and next to pulao at weddings. Deep red, glossy, sweet-sour, with a warm hit of spice.
- Soak 150 g aloo bukhara for 2 hours in 400 ml warm water. Pit them and keep the water.
- In a heavy pan, combine the plums, soaking water, 80 to 100 g sugar or grated gur, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder.
- Simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes, mashing with a spoon, until it coats the back of the spoon.
- Add 1/2 tsp roasted and crushed zeera, 1/4 tsp kala namak and a pinch of saunf powder. Cook 2 more minutes.
- Blend smooth if you like, or leave it rustic. It thickens as it cools.
- Fill a clean, dry glass jar. Keeps 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge. Makes about 300 ml.
For a no-cook version, blend soaked pitted plums with a little of their water, 1 tsp sugar, salt, chilli and a squeeze of lime. Eat within 2 days. If you like tamarind chutneys too, the imli pulp guide shows how to make the base that blends well with this one.
Worth trying
Chop 2 soaked aloo bukhara into a bowl of plain dahi with salt and roasted zeera. It’s a sour-sweet raita that sits beautifully next to a chilli-heavy aloo methi.
Traditional use and what to make of it
Unani physicians describe aloo bukhara as cold and moist in temperament. Hakeems used it in summer drinks for people who felt “heat” in the body, thirst and a dry mouth, and it was soaked and eaten by those prone to hard stools. In many homes an elder would put two or three in water overnight during Ramzan in summer and drink the water at sehri.
The part of that tradition you can actually lean on is simple. Dried plums, like prunes, are known to loosen stools in many people, partly because of their fibre and natural sugar alcohols. So a few may help if you’re a bit sluggish, and too many can send you running. If constipation is a regular problem, the qabz guide goes through fluids, fibre and red flags properly.
Myth: aloo bukhara “cools the blood”. Reality: it’s a sour dried fruit that tastes refreshing in summer. That’s a pleasant thing on its own. It doesn’t need a medical story.
Storage in hot, humid weather
Moisture is the enemy. Sugar-coated plums spoil fastest.
- Glass jar, lid screwed tight, filled nearly to the top
- Kept away from the stove and the sunny window
- In monsoon, move the jar to the fridge
- Always a dry spoon; never wet fingers
Throw out any batch that smells boozy or sour-fermented, or shows fuzzy white or green spots. Don’t cut the mouldy bits off and keep the rest.
Diabetes: aloo bukhara is concentrated fruit sugar, and chutney adds more. Count a biryani’s plums as part of your meal, go easy on the chutney, and check with your diabetes team how dried fruit fits your plan. Sulphite sensitivity or asthma: avoid bright, treated plums. Children under 5: always pit and chop; whole plums with stones can choke. Kidney disease on a potassium limit: dried fruits are potassium-rich, so ask your renal dietitian. Pregnancy and breastfeeding: normal food amounts are fine; if they upset your stomach, cut back. Loose stools lasting more than 2 days, blood in stool, or signs of dehydration need a doctor, not more fruit.
Quick answers on aloo bukhara
Is aloo bukhara the same as a prune?
Close relatives, but not the same. Prunes are bigger, softer, sweeter and nearly black. Aloo bukhara is smaller, firmer and much more sour, and that sourness is exactly why it works in biryani and chutney. Swap in prunes and the biryani turns jammy.
Is aloo bukhara good for constipation (qabz)?
A few can help if you’re a bit sluggish. Like prunes, dried plums tend to loosen stools thanks to their fibre and natural sugar alcohols. Too many can send you running, though. If qabz is a regular problem, look at fluids and fibre overall and see a doctor for blood in the stool.
How many aloo bukhara can I eat in a day?
Two or three as a snack is a sensible everyday amount. Much more than that can loosen stools and adds a fair amount of sugar. In a family biryani, 4 to 6 are shared across the whole pot.
Do I need to remove the stone before adding aloo bukhara to biryani?
No, most cooks leave them whole so guests can find them and move them aside. Just warn everyone, children especially, to look out for the stone. For chutney, always pit them and count the stones out.
How many aloo bukhara go in biryani?
About 5 to 6 for a biryani made with 1 kg rice, added to the meat masala for the last 10 minutes. A 1 kg mutton qorma takes 3 to 4 with the yogurt, and a 500 g rice pulao about 3 on top before dum.
Can diabetics eat aloo bukhara?
In small amounts, counted as part of the meal. It’s concentrated fruit sugar, and aloo bukhara chutney adds more on top. Go easy on the chutney and ask your diabetes team how dried fruit fits your plan.
Is aloo bukhara safe in pregnancy?
In normal food amounts, it is. A couple may help a little with pregnancy constipation, but too many can upset your stomach. If you have gestational diabetes, count the sugar, especially from chutney.
Can children eat aloo bukhara?
Yes, pitted and chopped, in small amounts. Never give whole plums with stones to children under 5, because the stone is a real choking hazard. Older children still need reminding to watch for stones in biryani.
Should I soak aloo bukhara before cooking?
Not always. In a steamy biryani they soften on their own. For chutney, raita or snacking, soak them in warm water: 30 minutes for biryani, 2 hours for chutney, or overnight in the fridge for eating plain. Keep the tart soaking water for the chutney.
Why is my aloo bukhara sticky?
It was probably coated in sugar syrup or glucose, or it has soaked up moisture. Rinse three in warm water and rub; cloudy, sticky water means a coating. Store it in the fridge from then on, and throw it out if it smells boozy or fermented.
How do I choose good aloo bukhara at the shop?
Skip the glossy heap. Good ones have a matt, slightly dusty skin, deep maroon to brown colour, and feel leathery and bendable, neither rock hard nor squishy. The smell should be clean and sour, with no white fuzz near the stalk end.
Does aloo bukhara contain sulphites?
Some does, especially bright orange-red or imported plums. That’s harmless for most people but can trigger wheezing, flushing or hives in those with sulphite sensitivity, including some asthmatics. Check the pack for “sulphur dioxide” or E220 to E228, or buy dull, sun-dried stock.
How long does aloo bukhara chutney last?
Cooked chutney keeps 2 to 3 weeks in a clean, dry glass jar in the fridge. The no-cook blended version should be eaten within 2 days. Use a dry spoon each time so it doesn’t spoil early.
Is aloo bukhara okay for kidney patients?
Dried fruit is potassium-rich, and aloo bukhara is no exception. If you’ve been put on a potassium limit for kidney disease, check with your renal dietitian before snacking on them; even the plums tucked into a biryani count towards the day.
Is aloo bukhara hot or cold in nature?
In Unani tradition it’s described as cold and moist, which is why it went into summer drinks and sehri water in Ramzan. That’s a traditional view. What holds up plainly is that it’s a sour, refreshing dried fruit.
For more pantry staples explained properly, browse Desi Remedies, or read about their sweeter cousins, kishmish and munakka.