Wash, peel, cut the mangoes into large slices and prick all over with a fork. Or cut them into fancy shapes and do not prick. Tie the slices loosely in a piece of muslin, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes in 1 1/4 pint of boiling water.

Remove and dry them on a piece of cloth. Add sugar and citric acid to the water in which mango slices were boiled. Cook to one-thread consistency (remove the scum from the surface of the syrup). Add mango slices, simmer till the syrup thickens and the slices become tender and slightly translucent. Leave for 12 hours.

Remove the slices from the syrup if they are sufficiently tender. Tie the crushed cardamom seeds in a piece of muslin and add this to the syrup. Boil till it again acquires one-thread consistency.

Remove the muslin containing the cardamom seeds, squeeze out the juice and discard the seeds. Add mango slices and peeled halves of blanced almonds and cook for a few minutes more. Remove from the heat and cool.

Add ruh kewra or essence and pour into hot clean glass jars, previously cleaned with boiling hot water. Fill just short of overflowing, put a disc of 2 to 3 layers of greaseproof or waxed paper over the mouth of the jar and cover with a screw-cap.