Muraba-E-Kadu (Pumpkin Jam)
Muraba-E-Kadu is Persian pumpkin jam simmered with orange, sugar and cardamom until the cubes turn translucent and the syrup sheets off a spoon. It is less citrus-bitter than marmalade and more aromatic from cardamom. Serve with buttered toast, clotted cream, or alongside Iranian breakfast cheese and flatbread.
At a glance
Time: about 2 hours · Makes ~1.2 kg jam · Difficulty: easy · ≈ 55 kcal per tablespoon
Muraba-E-Kadu is Persian pumpkin jam simmered with orange, sugar and cardamom until the cubes turn translucent and the syrup sheets off a spoon. It is less citrus-bitter than marmalade and more aromatic from cardamom. Serve with buttered toast, clotted cream, or alongside Iranian breakfast cheese and flatbread.
Tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 kg Pumpkin
- 1 kg Orange
- 750g Sugar
- 60g Cardamom
Steps
- 1. Remove the skin of the pumpkin. Also remove the inner seeds.
- 2. Cut the flesh into 2cm cubes.
- 3. Take the zest off the oranges, with as little pith as possible, and cut into matchstick-sized strips.
- 4. Extract the juice from the oranges. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and reserve.
- 5. Place the pumpkin, orange juice, orange strips, sugar and whole cardamom pod seeds in a large pan, mix well and leave to marinate for about 10 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally.
- 6. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has thickened and become syrupy. This can take about an hour or a little bit longer.
- Leave to cool then place in clean, dry jars. Enjoy!
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Time and temperature
Simmer: gentle bubble 60–90 min · pumpkin cubes ~2 cm · done when translucent and syrup at soft-thread stage
Nutrition
55 kcal · Protein 0.2 g · Fat 0.1 g · Carbs 14 g
1 tablespoon (~20 g) (estimate)
Substitutes
- Pumpkin → butternut or kabocha
- Orange → lemon for a sharper set
- Cardamom → a pinch of saffron for a different Persian profile
- White sugar → part demerara (darker color)
Storage
Hot-fill into sterilized jars; refrigerate after opening up to 3–4 weeks. For longer pantry storage, use a proper water-bath canning process.
FAQ
- Do I need pectin for Muraba-E-Kadu?
- Usually no. Pumpkin and orange peel provide enough body when the syrup is cooked to a light gel.
- How thick should Persian pumpkin jam be?
- A spoonful should fall in a slow sheet, not as watery drips. It thickens more as it cools.
- Can I reduce the sugar?
- Somewhat, but sugar preserves the jam and keeps the cubes glossy. Below about 50% sugar by weight, refrigerate and use within 1–2 weeks.
- Why is my jam bitter?
- Too much white pith from the orange. Use zest and juice, and trim thick pith before simmering.