Aam Ka Murabba | Mango Murabba (Indian Mango Preserve)

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Aam Ka Murabba or Mango Murabba is simply a sweet and tangy, fragrant raw mango preserve. You could also term it as an Indian jam or preserve. This is one of the ways that you can preserve the green ‘king of fruits,’ and enjoy it even after the season is over. The flavor of cardamom and saffron in this murabba make it even more delicious. It is vegan and gluten-free as well.

aam ka murabba kept in a glass jar on a green board.

What is a Murabba

Primarily an Arabic word, ‘murabba’ is nothing but a sweet preserve made with berries or fruits, spices and sugar.

It can also be categorized under candied fruits and is a popular way of preservation in the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and South Caucasus.

Murabba, also known to possess medicinal properties, can be prepared both in a dry and wet way. Thus, in India, it is believed to have a variety of uses as folk and traditional medicine.

Some of the fruits that can be turned into a murabba include Indian gooseberry (amla), mango (like this Mango Murabba), winter melon, apple, plum, apricot and quince.

About Mango Murabba

I have no shame in calling myself a mango maniac, and I feel sad for all those people who are unable to savor this gorgeous fruit due to some or the other reason. They are really missing out on a luscious, sweet natural gift from Mother Nature.

So, all for my love for mangoes, this is one more recipe that is close to my heart. This Aam Ka Murabba is a traditional North Indian preparation made with unripe sour green mangoes.

Apart from the fruit, there is just one more ingredient that goes in the recipe, that is sugar. Both these are cooked till a jamish consistency is achieved and you get a finger-licking sweet and sour preparation. Flavorings include cardamom and saffron.

Here’s a suggestion: Make a small batch of murabba as grating a lot of mangoes could be a tiring and tedious task.

You get about 450 grams of Aam Ka Murabba from 2 large mangoes. Store the murabba at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To make more, doubling the recipe is good.  

Aam Ka Murabba is a super condiment with Chapati, Thepla, Aloo Paratha, Khichdi, Dal Fry with steamed rice or any comforting North Indian meal. You can also savor the deliciousness of this preserve as a dessert after your meals.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Aam Ka Murabba

Prepare Mangoes

1. Rinse and wipe dry the raw unripe mangoes. Then, peel them.

peeled raw mangoes on a plate.

2. Grate or shred the mangoes. I used 2 large raw mangoes and got about 1.25 tightly packed cups of shredded mangoes.

grated raw mangoes in a bowl.

3. Powder 4 to 5 green cardamoms and 1 to 2 cloves in a mortar-pestle. Set aside. Discard the cardamom husks.

powdered green cardamoms and cloves.

Making Aam Ka Murabba

4. In a pan, take the grated or shredded mangoes along with 1.5 cups sugar. The addition of sugar depends upon the sourness of the mangoes and your taste.

I added 1.5 cups of sugar. You can also add jaggery powder instead of sugar. I used raw sugar. Jaggery will obviously be a healthier option.

grated raw mangoes and sugar added in a pan.

5. Switch on the heat. Stir the mango-sugar mixture very well.

stirring the mango-sugar mixture well.

6. On low heat or sim, cook the mango mixture. Initially, the sugar will melt and consistency will be watery.

cooking the raw mango mixture in the pan.

7. Stir often so that the sugar does not crystallize and keep on simmering the mixture.

cooking the raw mango mixture in the pan.

8. When the sugar syrup starts to cook, you will see the mixture bubbling.

bubbling raw mango mixture.

9. Keep on stirring and cooking.

cooking raw mango mixture.

10. The mixture will begin to thicken.

raw mango mixture thickening.

11. When the sugar in the mixture reaches 2 thread consistency, switch off the heat. If you cook more, then murabba gets a thick, sticky and hard consistency.

You can also choose to cook till 1 string consistency. The consistency should be jam-like and look translucent. There should also be a slight crunch in the mangoes.

cooked raw mango mixture.

12. Add the powdered cardamom and cloves mixture and a few strands of saffron (crushed). On cooling, the consistency thickens more.

Omit the saffron if you do not have it.

powdered cardamom and cloves mixture and saffron added to the cooked raw mango mixture.

13. Mix very well and cool the mixture completely.

coked raw mango mixture on a plate.

14. Once cooled, spoon Aam Ka Murabba in a clean sterilized glass jar or bottle. Stays good for more than 3 months in the refrigerator and about 15 to 20 days at room temperature.

cooked aam ka murabba spooned in a glass jar.

15. Serve Aam Ka Murabba as a side condiment with a North Indian meal or you can also have it with paratha or roti.

aam ka murabba in a glass jar with a wooden spoon.

Murabba, Achar & Chutney

The terms murabba, achar and chutney might be a little confusing, and sometimes interchangeable too. This is mainly because of the commercial labels that tend to use one in place of the other, most of the times.

However, culinarily, all these three are distinct terminologies. The only common thing about these three is that all of them are methods of preserving fruits and vegetables.

Murabba

Since this post is dedicated to a murabba, I’ll begin with it. As already mentioned here earlier, a murabba is typically a preserve. The base is primarily a fruit or berry. The method is simple – chopped, grated or shredded fruits are cooked with sugar or kept in the sun, to get a consistency resembling jam. Additional flavors like saffron, cardamom or other spices can be used.

A similar variant to the Aam Ka Murabba is the extremely popular Aam Chunda, a special from Gujarati cuisine. The difference is that the chunda is spiced with the red chili powder and the murabba is not. Usually, I end up preparing both simultaneously.

Achar

An achar or Pickle is typically both veggies and fruits, which are mixed with salt and spices, drowned in oil and sun-dried to mature, or cooked. Pickling can also be done in brine (solution of salt and water) or vinegar solution. In addition to the Punjabi style Mango Pickle, I have this Lemon Pickle and Amla Pickle, which are absolute favorites.

Chutney

A Chutney typically can be considered as a relish or spread. It can be made with fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, curd, etc. and may be wet or dry. The wet chutneys may or may not be tempered and the dry chutneys can be prepared fresh with every meal. This Bengali style sweet and sour Mango Chutney is for keeps.

More Green Raw Mango Recipes To Try!

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aam ka murabba in a glass jar.

Aam Ka Murabba | Mango Murabba | Indian Mango Preserve

Aam Ka Murabba or Mango Murabba is a sweet and tangy, fragrant raw mango preserve. You could also term it as an Indian Mango Jam or Indian Mango Preserve. The recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
4.89 from 18 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Cuisine North Indian
Course Side Dish
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 450 grams
Units

Ingredients

  • 2 mangoes unripe, green and large – 400 grams or 250 grams grated or shredded mangoes or 1.25 cups tightly packed grated mangoes
  • 1.5 cups raw sugar – 300 to 350 grams, can use white sugar or jaggery, add as required
  • 4 to 5 green cardamoms – crushed finely in a mortar-pestle
  • 1 to 2 cloves – crushed finely in a mortar-pestle
  • 12 to 15 saffron strands – crushed, optional

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Rinse and wipe dry the mangoes. Then, peel them.
  • Grate or shred the mangoes.
  • Powder cardamoms and cloves in a mortar-pestle. Keep aside.

Making aam ka murabba

  • In a pan, take the grated or shredded mangoes and sugar. Addition of sugar depends upon the tartness of the mangoes and your taste.
  • Switch on the heat. Stir the mango-sugar mixture very well.
  • On low heat, cook the mango-sugar mixture. Initially the sugar will melt and consistency will be watery.
  • Stir often so that the sugar does not crystallize and keep on simmering the mixture.
  • Keep on stirring and cooking till you get a 2 thread consistency. Turn off the heat. If you cook more then the murabba gets a thick, sticky and hard consistency.
    You can also cook until you get a 1 string consistency.
  • Add the powdered cardamom and clove mixture and saffron (crushed). Mix very well.
  • Cool it completely and then spoon in a clean sterilized glass jar or bottle.
  • Serve Aam Ka Murabba or Mango Murabba as a side condiment with a North Indian meal or with roti or paratha.

Notes

  • To get the authentic taste of aam ka murabba, use unripe green and firm mangoes. The mangoes should be sour or tart. 
  • You can omit adding any of the spices if you like or add your choice of spices. 
  • Cook the mango and sugar mixture on a low heat stirring at intervals until it reaches 1 to 2 string consistency. More than 2 thread consistency will make the mango murabba chewy or dense.
  • Note that the approximate nutrition info is for about 1 tablespoon of aam ka murabba.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Aam Ka Murabba | Mango Murabba | Indian Mango Preserve
Amount Per Serving
Calories 70 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 1mg0%
Potassium 42mg1%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 213IU4%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 5mg1%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 9µg2%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 3mg1%
Phosphorus 4mg0%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Aam ka Murabba recipe post from the archives first published in June 2015 has been updated and republished on April 2023.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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36 Comments

  1. Hi dasanna
    Can we add more sugar syrup to it if it gets over…If yes any particular method?

    1. hi kiran, yes, you can. make a 2 string sugar syrup and add. mix very well. hope this helps.

  2. if we add citric acid ( nimma vuppu) as preservative will it be good for more than the time mentioned by you..?5 stars

  3. hi mam your blog is toooo good.very helpful for beginners. As you use simple language wuth complete discription. u really rock. thanks a ton. take care

  4. very nice..dassana can you please share jam recipes like mixed fruit,apple etc and how to store it for a year or something

  5. Hi.. I tried it just now. N my 4 yr son luvd it… Actually i used to face alot of prblm for his tiffin bcuz he doesnt eats everything on his own and fast food is strictly a NO in his school. So everyday i had to try something innovative early morning but now he himself said “mumma i ll take this tomorrow in my tiffin with paratha” n m so happy… I made jus of 3 mangoes today.. Will make more later. Thankyou sooo much.. Big hug… :-))5 stars

    1. so sweet 🙂 thanks for this lovely comment. its good that the school has a policy of no fast food. its a trouble initially for moms, but in the long run its better to inculcate healthy eating habits in children. you can make the murabba even from 1 to 2 kg mangoes and store it. it does not get spoiled. the only issue is grating raw mangoes, but if you can get a helping hand, then it is easy. if you are using regular white sugar, then i would suggest to make with jaggery. jaggery is a better option than sugar.

      1. Yes i will make it using jaggery now.. N thankfully today the tiffin came empty… :-)) such a pleasure it was.. He calls it mango jam.. I love it when he appreciates anythn i make… Cuz he is very choosy when it comes to food…so a big thankyou once agn.

    1. just mix the sugar and grated mangoes. also add the spices. spoon this mixture in a ceramic or glass jar. tie the mouth of the jar with a muslin. keep in the sunlight for 6 to 8 or even more days till the consistency of the sugar syrup changes and the mixture becomes thick. do stir the mixture in a gap of two to three days.

  6. Thanks for aam murabba recipe.I tried that.but it becomes thick.so what can I do to make that murabba thin?it taste good4 stars

    1. Welcome Dr.Namrata. You can not do anything now. because if you add water then murabba will get spoiled.

  7. hi dassana,
    im a frequent visitor of ur site. I’v tried many recipes of urs like Dal Makhani, Hyderabad style capsicum, banana cake, tutti frutti cake, ginger bread and the list goes on.. ur recipes r easy to cook n all d ingredients r easily available. u r doing a gr8 job. keep it up and keep sharing nice recipes. 🙂5 stars

  8. Nice n easy recipes
    PL. tell when we are making ice cream at home then.while freezing ice is made on mixture. In which utensil I have to put mixture or cover.l faced this problem every time.pl tell about the easy and home made recipes from ingredients which are easily availabe

    1. thanks. for freezing ice cream you can easily use a steel bowl/dabba or even a freezer safe glass bowl. just make sure that the lid is tightly covered. if there is no lid, then cover the bowl with a aluminium foil. many recipes on the website are with easily available indian ingredients.