Gajar ka Murabba, made with fresh carrots, is surprisingly very easy to make but is full of benefits and tastes amazing!

Of all the preserves like that of apple or gooseberry (amla), carrot and mango preserves are my favorite.

Earlier I used to eat store-bought murabba but after marriage, it is only homemade. My mother-in-law used to make excellent preserves. Unlike readymade, homemade is much lighter with a controlled amount of sugar. You can't eat the store-bought ones without rinsing them with water as they are too much sweet. But homemade? You won't believe but we even drink the syrup in which murabba is cooked. This is because it is very lightly sweet and is also watery as the sugar syrup is not cooked to a 2 or 3 thread consistency.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts also, my father-in-law used to have this preserve after his meals regularly. The carrot preserve in winters and the mango preserve in summers.

Benefits

• Carrot murabba/Preserve is not only delicious but is a medicine in itself.
• Yes, it is an excellent tonic for the eyes and is often recommended for the treatment of eye diseases including improving vision.
• It is also good for fighting fatigue and general weakness.
• Cancer prevention and anti-aging properties are some of its other benefits.
• For more benefits of carrot murabba read here.

 

How To Make

• More than the recipe making preserve involves a series of steps. You need to follow these steps and the delicious murabba is ready.
• First of all, after washing and peeling red juicy carrots, remove the inner yellowish-white thick portion.
• Pricking after peeling is another important step in making murabba. The more you prick the better it is. It is through these holes that the fruit absorbs sugar syrup and turns sweet. So, do not neglect this.
• The next step is to cut these into desired shape and size. I usually cut lengthwise.
• Then boil these. For this, boil water in an open pan. When the water starts boiling, drop in the chopped carrots. Wait for the boil. When it boils again then turn off the flame and cover the vessel. After 5 to 10 minutes, when the carrots get tender, remove and put these in a strainer so that all excess water is drained out.
• When the carrots get cooled and all water is drained out, then these are put in the vessel. Put sugar. Toss it lightly. You don't have to mix it. Cover it and leave it for few hours, preferably overnight.
• In the morning (or after 5 to 6 hours), you will see that the carrots are floating in a syrup as the sugar dissolves by then and also carrots leave their juices.
• Normally carrots and sugar are taken in equal quantity but we take less than that.
• For this recipe, I bought 1 kg carrots. After peeling, removing the crown and the inner white portion, chopped carrots weighed 750 g. But instead of using 750 g I used 500 g sugar and that was sufficient.
• Now put this vessel on the gas stove and boil it on a medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes till the syrup becomes a little thick. You may add one or two cloves and a little green cardamom powder for flavoring. Though I prefer without any of these only.
• When cool completely, fill it in a glass container and serve it whenever feels like.

Step By Step Recipe

• Wash the carrots, pat them dry and peel them.
• Remove the thick white portion inside the carrots.   You may use a potato peeler for removing this.

 

• Using a fork, prick all over the carrots.

 

• Cut carrots lengthwise.

 

• Boil approximately 4 Cups of water.
• When the water starts boiling, add carrots.

• When boil comes again, switch off the flame and cover the vessel.
• Carrots will become tender in that warm water only.

• After about 5 minutes put the carrots in a colander, draining away all water. Do not throw this water. It is very nutritious. Use it for kneading flour or making veggies/soups etc.

• After 10 to 15 minutes, put boiled carrots in a big vessel. Add sugar. Mix roughly.
• Cover and leave it overnight or at least for 4 to 5 hours.

 

• After few hours or in the morning when sugar dissolves it will look like this.

• Cook it on medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

• Switch off the fame and add cloves, cardamom powder, and lemon juice.
• When cools down, store it in an airtight container.

FAQs

Q) Why do we remove the yellowish-white portion from carrots?

It is removed as it is too hard and does not get cooked easily. Later it tastes bitter and hard, hence remove it.

Q) What is the shelf life of this Murabba?

• This preserve remains good for 3 to 4 months. However, as a general rule stir sometimes in between if preserving for so long.
• The more you cook the sugar syrup the longer it lasts. However, I cook it very little as normally it gets over in few days only. But if you want to have a longer shelf life of this preserve then cook till the sugar syrup reaches 1 thread consistency.

Q) How should I prick nicely?

To prick them nicely use a fork. We use the fork as with one stroke only we get 3 to 4 pricks. However, you can do it with a knife also. I prick carrots before cutting and boiling as once cut it is difficult to hold and prick small pieces of carrots and also there are chances of breaking carrots as they become tender after boiling.

 

Related Recipes 

• Raw Mango Preserve
• Amla Beet Mouth Freshener 
•  Alloo Matar Ka Achaar

 

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I hope you have liked this Gajar ka Murabba recipe and will surely try it out for your loved ones. I will be happy if you share your creations on Instagram and tag me #samirasrecipediary there.

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