Murshidabad Morabba — Heritage Fruit Preserve

Name: Murshidabad Morabba — Heritage Fruit Preserve
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients: 500 g amla (indian gooseberry); 500 g Sugar; 300 ml Water; 4 piece green cardamom; 0.5 g saffron strands; 15 ml Lime juice; 2 g alum powder (phitkari)

A syrupy, whole-fruit preserve of amla or bael cooked slowly in sugar syrup, a fading Nawabi-era Murshidabad tradition once served to guests as a sign of hospitality.

🇮🇳India· West Bengal

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 75 min
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 140 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 7 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Heavy pot
•Sterilised glass jar

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 140 kcal
fat: 0 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 0 g
calories: 140 kcal

Instructions

1
Prick the amla (Indian gooseberries) all over with a fork or skewer. This helps them soak up syrup.
2
Boil the amla in water for 8–10 minutes until slightly soft. Drain and set them aside.
3
In a heavy pot, dissolve the sugar in the measured water. Bring it to a boil to make a syrup.
4
Add the boiled amla to the syrup. Simmer gently on low heat for 25–30 minutes until translucent.
5
Add crushed cardamom, saffron and lime juice. Simmer until the syrup stretches into a single thread between your fingers.
6
Turn off the heat. Let the amla rest in the syrup overnight so they absorb all the sweetness.
7
The next day, gently warm the morabba (fruit preserve). Pour it with its syrup into a sterilised glass jar.
8
Store the jar in a cool, dry place. Always use a clean, dry spoon to serve.

Chef's tips

Prick the fruit well so it absorbs the syrup evenly. Resting the preserve overnight before storing gives the best flavour and texture.

Ingredient substitutions

amla → bael fruit, following the same method with slight timing adjustments

Storage

Store in a sterilised, airtight jar in a cool place for up to 2 months, or refrigerate for longer shelf life.

Reheating

No reheating needed; serve at room temperature.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Not pricking the fruit enough, which leaves the centres hard and dry.
•Storing the preserve before the syrup thickens properly, which can cause it to spoil.