Kesar elaichi gulkand: saffron and cardamom gulkand
Kesar elaichi gulkand (kesar ilaichi gulkand) is rose gulkand with saffron and green cardamom. How it differs from plain gulkand and how to eat it.
The short answer
Kesar elaichi gulkand is gulkand, a preserve of rose petals and sugar or mishri, with kesar (saffron) and elaichi (green cardamom) added. It tastes of rose first, then warm cardamom and a honeyed saffron note, and is eaten the same way as plain gulkand: a spoonful after meals, in milk, in paan or in desserts.
What is in it
Our Kesar Elaichi Gulkand (470 g) has four ingredients: rose petals, mishri, elaichi and kesar. No added colour, no added essence, no preservative. Saffron and cardamom are two of the spices most often paired with rose in Indian sweets, from kheer to shrikhand, so the combination is a familiar one.
How it differs from plain gulkand
Plain Rose Gulkand is just rose petals and mishri, and tastes simply of the flower. Kesar elaichi gulkand is rounder and more festive: the cardamom gives it a fresh, slightly cooling lift and the saffron adds warmth and a golden note. Choose plain if you want the rose on its own or are using gulkand in paan; choose kesar elaichi if you like it as a dessert in itself or with milk. Many households keep both. What is gulkand?
How to eat kesar elaichi gulkand
• After meals: a teaspoon on its own, as a sweet to finish lunch or dinner.
• With milk: a teaspoon or two stirred into a glass of warm or cold milk; the saffron makes it especially good warm.
• In paan: as the sweet layer in a homemade meetha paan. Paan, explained
• In desserts: folded through shrikhand or thick curd, spooned over vanilla ice cream or kulfi, or blended into a gulkand milkshake.
A note on sugar
Like all gulkand, it is mostly sugar, so a teaspoon or two is a serving. In Ayurveda and household tradition gulkand is regarded as cooling; that is a tradition, not a health claim. People with diabetes or who are pregnant should ask their doctor before making it a habit.
Storing it
Keep the jar in a cool, dark place with the lid tight. It does not need the fridge or freezer. Always use a clean, dry spoon: water in the jar is what spoils a preserve. Sugar crystals forming over time are normal. Storing preservative-free preparations
Buying it
Order Kesar Elaichi Gulkand online and see the product page for today’s price. Delivery is a flat ₹39 anywhere in India, and Udaipur customers can collect from our Bedla shop. Shop all rose products
Buy from the Haldighati valley
- Rose Gulkand — Sun-cured Damask rose petal preserve. 470 g, ₹449.
- Kesar Elaichi Gulkand — Rose gulkand with saffron and green cardamom. 470 g, ₹549.