MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Saakharamba (Raw Mango Sugar Jam)

Saakharamba

Summers all over India are synonymous with Mango (Aam/ Aamba) season. A large varieties of dishes are made with raw/ripe mangoes like juices (Panna/Panhe), squashes, chutneys, pickles, jams, jellies, desserts and many more. Sakharamba is a jam made of raw mango (Kairi) and sugar.

My grandmother religiously made Sakharamba nearly every summer and it was like a ritual with her, all the summer preparations of papads, mango jams etc. As we visited my grandparents’ place for summer vacation, all of my grandmother’s treats awaited us in the form of huge glass jars lined up with Murambas ( Murabbas), jams and jellies of all kinds- mainly those of raw mangoes. All of these used to be so tempting and inviting, full of love and affection, unforgettable times and tastes that linger to this date.

My grandfather took great pride in his garden which he tended to in the most loving way and had some mango trees in there, so home grown mangoes were brought to good use.

Sakharamaba is a good accompaniment with any meal and is liked by children, as well as adults. It is sweet so it is a sure favourite of the children. In earlier times, as families were big, it used to be made in large quantities and was prepared to be stored and used for a year till the next summer. I make in small quantities to be consumed fresh.

Generally, Rajapuri variety is used for Sakharamba, but, you can use any good variety of raw mango. The general proportion is one part of mango and two parts of sugar, sugar itself acts as the preservative. Some households make a sun dried recipe. I am giving a recipe involving cooking.

Ingredients

Raw Mango – Half cup (Peeled and grated)

Sugar – 1 cup

Water – 1/4 cup

Cardamom – 2 nos

Saffron – 6-8 strands (optional)

Method

Pressure cook the grated raw mango lightly for about 5-6 minutes. Mix together sugar, water and pressure cooked raw mango on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes till the mixture boils and bubbles well. Cool the mixture and add crushed cardamom and saffron strands. Store in a clean sterilized glass jar/bottle. This can be refrigerated for about a month. Saakharamba tastes good with roti or just as a sweet accompaniment with any meal.