Rosh Hashanah is the holiday that marks a Jewish New Year and it is associated with honey and various sweet foods symbolizing a sweet and positive beginning. Keeping this sweet concept in mind, the Tunisian Jewish tradition features a few other dishes symbolizing additional blessings for the New Year. In all these symbolic dishes the ingredients’ names are used to create a “play on words” to compliment the wishes for the New Year.
In the next posts I will introduce you to some of the BEST traditional opening dishes on the Rosh Hashanah Tunisian table. Ma’jun Kra is one of them. This one of a kind pumpkin jam has such a unique flavor and aroma.
The “play on words” in Ma’jun Kra:
“Kra” means pumpkin (butternut squash and other squashes are also called “Kra”) in Tunisian, but in Hebrew “Kra” has a double meaning: one is “to read” and the other is “to tear up”. Rosh Hashanah is also the time when we are measured by our actions, good and bad. In this blessing we ask that the harsh verdict will be torn up and our good deeds will be read more favorably.
יהִי רָצֹון מִלְפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֵינּו ואלֹהֵי אֲבֹותֵינּו שְּתִקְרַע רֹע גְזר דִינֵנּו, ויקָרְאּו לְפָנֶיךָ מַעֲשֵינּו הַטֹובִים
* My Savta (grandma) used to alternate pumpkin and butternut squash in this dish (they both are referred to as “Kra”). If you prefer one over the other, give it a try. The taste is slightly different and surprising.
You will need:
1½ lb. (roughly 4+ cups) Pumpkin or Butternut Squash
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Paste
½ tsp. Cinnamon
1 drop Rose Extract
1 drop of Citrus (‘Zahar’) Extract (optional)
Let’s do this!
Start with the pumpkin…
This is when my grapefruit spoon comes in handy…
Clean it and peel it then cut the pumpkin into 1 inch sized pieces.
Try to cut the pieces evenly as much as possible.
Put the pumpkin cubes and sugar in the pot and start cooking on medium heat.
This is going to take a little while and the name of the game is “constant stir”. So pick your favorite spatula, you guys are about to spend the next 45 minutes together 🙂 When I’m making Ma’jun Kra, I usually pick a time when I am in the kitchen anyway for some other cooking tasks… it is relatively easy to multitask with this one, since all it really needs is a stir or two every so often.
The first mix allows the sugar to coat all the pumpkin cubes evenly.
The sugar starts to melt and slowly turns to liquid. Stay on medium-low heat and continue stirring as the sugar start to bubble. This constant stir is not only for your daily muscle workout; it is actually going to assure that great “jammy” texture by helping the sugars cook correctly.
After about 20 minutes of cooking the pumpkin cubes in the liquid sugar, they start to melt a bit themselves…
Slowly but surely the “water” of the sugar starts to evaporate and the mixture gets the texture of a jam. It’s like watching a little magic trick…
Remember, the spatula is still your best friend, so keep mixing.
At this point most of the pumpkin cubes have melted into the jam, but you can still see some small pieces of the pumpkin – this is perfectly fine.
Check out this AMAZING bright color!
Congrats! The mixture has a thick consistency and it is officially a jam now 🙂
Turn the heat off, add vanilla paste and mix well. Add the cinnamon and mix it in. and finely add ONE drop of rose extract.
Be careful rose extract is very powerful, adding even one more drop makes everything tastes like perfume or lotion…
Let the jam cool down at room temperature. Transfer the Ma’jun Kra to a sterile jar and store in the refrigerator. I love spreading this pumpkin jam on a warm piece of toast; it also super yummy with tangy goat/sheep soft cheese.
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Quick Recipe:
Ma’jun Kra Pumpkin Jam-
Cut the Pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.
Put the Pumpkin cubes and Sugar in a pot.
Cook on medium-low heat for about 45 minutes with constant stir.
When jam has reduced add Vanilla Paste, Cinnamon and Rose Extract.
Mix well and let the jam cool in room temperature.
Transfer to a sterile glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
One of our favorite ways to have pumpkin! Beautiful pictures Ms. Huppit.
Thank you Mark! I have to wait a whole year to have this dish…Can you believe it! 🙂
I’ve just come across your fabulous blog and in particular this recipe – we were at a restaurant in Tzfat last week and ate this amazing pumpkin jam – so happy to have found your recipe and I’ll definitely be making it for Succot.
Thank you Jackie for your warm comments. This dish is so special for me, it reminds me of the time we spent with my Savta (especially around the high holidays). I LOVE this jam! it has such a unique flavor. I am so happy to hear that will be making it for the holiday. I hope it will bring back fun and yummy memories 🙂
Shalom Huppit! Is vanilla paste different than vanilla extract? If so, where is it sold? I have never come across it. Thanks❤️
Shalom to you my friend,
Yes, the two products are slightly different.In most extracts the vanilla flavor is retrieved by alcohol vs. vanilla paste where the vanilla flavor is retrieved mostly by sugar and the black little dots of the beans are also part of the paste. Generally both products are fine to use (just make sure it is high quality vanilla) they are used is the same amounts in the recipe. I like the flavor of the vanilla better in the paste and I usually choose to use vanilla paste over extract when I try to avoid the alcohol flavor and when visually I want to show off the black little vanilla bean dots 🙂 -usually in non-baked recipes such as creams, jams, ice creams…
I like “Nielsen-Massey” Madagascar vanilla paste. I get it at “Wegman” but also have seen it at “Whole Foods” “The Fresh Market” and I am sure you can order it as well.
Let me know if you have any further
Xo
Huppit
We tried your recipe this is year for Rosh Hashanah and it was replay a-mazing! thank you!
I Love hearing it! Thank you so much for your comment! Wishing you and the family a very Sweet and Meaningful New Year filled with many blessings and yummy dishes 🙂 – Shana Tova U’Metuka!
Anyone ever try this in an instant pot?
Hi Nadine!
Even though I haven’t had the chance to try it in an instant pot, I’m so happy we got to talk about it over fb…and even more happy you got to try it yourself and had much success using the ip! Thank you for sharing your experience and Way to go! Enjoy this special jam and have an AMAZING sweet New Year!
Can you use canned pumpkin (not pie filling)?
Hi Noreen,
I haven’t tried using the canned pumpkin myself. The process of creating jam (and especially reaching jam texture) requires the fresh fruit and sugar cooking together. I am assuming the canned pumpkin already has been through some kind of cooking process that can change the texture of your jam, so I do not recommend using in this recipe. If you would like to convert the dish to a version of pumpkin puree it might work.
Good luck and please keep me posted
Shana Tova
Huppit
So excited to try this recipe! How long does it store in the fridge for? Trying to plan how far in advance I can make it with it still being yummy and fresh! Also, is rose extract different than rose water?
Hi Erin,
I’m so excited you’d be making it for the holiday! it is such a unique flavor of Rosh Hashanah.
The high percentage of sugar makes it a jam and allows it to store for a relatively long time. If your jar is sterilized and you keep it clean, using a one time clean utensil to get it out of the jar, it can store for 1-2 months. There are ways to extend the shelf life of this jam (even up to a year or two!), like processing it in a hot water bath for canning (you may check instructions online since they differ a bit from one place to another). In any case, in our home, I usually make it a few days to a week before the Rosh Hashanah and we enjoy it up to Sukkot/Simchat Torah (so about a month).
I hope this is helpful
Wishing you Shana Tova U’Metuka
Thank you! Made it today and it’s amazing!! How did I go this long without it?!!
Erin,
It warms my heart to know you love this special, special dish!
I am so happy you got to make it and enjoy it and I hope you continue to enjoy it…
Wishing you a Happy and Sweet New Year!
Hello. This looks lovely. We have an abundance of pumpkins this year (aka an abundance of opportunities to try this out). What does Zahar mean? Is it a brand? Would lemon extract do ?
Dear Louise,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so excited you’d be trying this recipe! This jam tastes is so unique and it is one of my favorite… “Zahar” or “Zaher” refers to orange blossom extract/water- it is a Tunisian/middle easter ingredient. Usually comes in a middle sized bottle as Zahar water or a small bottle as Zahar extract. In stores it is right next to rose water/ rose extract. “Zahar” is very specific with its flavor and concentration. If you cannot find orange blossom in stores, you can find it on Amazon (just type orange blossom) – if you purchase extract (more concentrated) add one drop like in the recipe, if you purchase orange blossom water (less concentrated) you may add one tea spoon in this recipe. Also know that you may skip using “Zahar” in this recipe all together and the jam will work find and still have a very unique taste with all the other ingredients coming together. In regards to replacing it with lemon extract… in my mind, it doesn’t resemble the same taste and aroma of the Zahar so I wouldn’t recommend that… Good luck and please let me know how it all turned out!
Best,
Huppit
Hi Huppit, is there a tunisian dish which is a bit similar to “Tanzia”? i came across a page on facebook the other day, and it was mentioned that it”s called “Hlou”‘, made of apricot or pumpkin? if you know, please write down a recipe anytime you can, thanks!
Sorry! i meant, would you please make a post when it possible on Afooda page, thank you!
Hi Zohar,
Thank you for your message! Yes, “Hlou” is yet another traditional Tunisian dish, made usually on Rosh Hashana. “Hlou” literally means “sweet” and the traditional dish is made by frying pumpkin pieces in oil, sugar and honey (some add cinnamon) and very similar to “Tanzia” preparation. Some families use this dish instead of the “Ma’ajun Kra” for the holiday blessing (mentioned here in the post). This dish is very special and so delicious! Although it was not made often in our family, it is a great idea to make a post about it and write a recipe. I think an addition of apricots can compliment all flavors and be amazing in this dish! Thank you for your question and for inspiring me to create a post about it!