Delicious sweet Manoharam, a Tamilnadu specialty, is prepared in various ways, but the most renowned version comes from Tirunelveli. The process involves creating thick Thengoyal sticks, immersing them in rich jaggery syrup, allowing them to cool, and then housing them in the Paruppu Thengai Koodu—a customary ritual in many functions and festivals, symbolizing divinity. Across regions, different fillings grace the Paruppu Thengai Koodu, with the Manoharam variety being the most popular.

Manoharam 😋😋 holds a special place as our family favorite, and I've prepared a sizable batch to share with my daughter. Embracing the authentic Tirunelveli style, it promises a delightful treat for the taste buds.

Ingredients:

2 cups besan flour sieved well

2 tbsp rice flour

4 tbsp hot oil

Pinch of salt

2 cups jaggery

Pinch of cardamom powder or

Pinch of ginger powder

2 tbsp sugar

Method

1. Sieve besan flour to remove lumps , add in rice flour , salt and add hot oil , crumble dry mix well so that oil coats the flour evenly .

2. Then make a dough a little sticky ( not too firm and tight ) .

3. Heat oil in a wide kadai.

4. Use big holes plate of the Murukku press as these Manoharam sticks are typically pressed little thicker .

5. Oil must be hot when you press directly into oil and no need to shape these .

6. Just press dough as straight as possible so that they cook well , deep fry and remove when they are about 80 % done as they have to be refried again , finish the full batch of dough by pressing into hot oil , drain and keep aside .

7. After the first lot is done , when slightly warm break into smaller pieces and refry till done fully .

8. Drain and keep aside to cool completely .

9. Keep it spread in a wide plate ready for mixing with hot jaggery syrup .

10. Next prepare the jaggery syrup after filtering it of impurities if any , add cardamom powder or ginger powder .

11. while it is boiling add 2 tbsp sugar this ensures that you get non sticky manoharam after it is mixed with jaggery syrup .

12. Test syrup consistency , drop in water to check , it must be rolled into a small non sticky ball ( thakkali Padam ) .

13. Switch off the stove , add 1 tbsp ghee to the syrup , pour the hot syrup over the laid out cool manoharam sticks directly , take two spatulas and turn the prepared manoharam with both hands just like salad mixing to ensure even coating in jaggery syrup without wasting time , pour syrup only as much as Is needed , as you keep mixing you will notice the manoharam sticks cooling fast and separating easily . As sugar has been added, the manohram will not stick and clump up , they will seperate easily .

14. Enjoy sweet crunchy Manoharam Thirunelveli style

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