Manoharam
South Indian
Intermediate
DessertDiwali 2026: Swap The Usual Indian Diwali Sweets For This Crunchy South Indian Manoharam
Manoharam
50 mins
Cooking Time
Intermediate
Difficulty
13
Ingredients
Vegan
Diet
If you're looking for some traditional regional sweets to add to your festive table for Diwali 2026, South Indian Manoharam is definitely worth a try. This dessert combines the crispness of fried murukku with the rich sweetness of caramel, thanks to its coating of fragrant jaggery syrup. Its unique texture and few ingredients make it a perfect complement to a handmade holiday meal.
The crunch of the rice-flour spirals and the sweetness of the sticky jaggery coating give Manoharam its distinctive flavour. The murukku is made using rice flour as its foundation, and it gets its distinctive crunch and taste from urad dal flour.
Manoharam is a tasty way to discover festive food in South India, and it's perfect for those looking for alternatives to traditional namak para and chakli for Diwali snacks. The murukku has to be prepared and fried first, then coated with jaggery syrup of the correct consistency and allowed to cool before being stored. Pair Manoharam with a cup of masala chai or filter coffee, or serve it as an accompaniment to other delectable handmade Diwali snacks.
Ingredients
UNITSIngredients
1 cuprice flour (For the murukku)
¼ cupurad dal flour
1 tbsp sesame seeds
¼ tspcumin seeds
1 pinchasafoetida (hing)
to tasteSalt
1 tbspoil
as neededWater
for deep-fryingOil
¾ cupgrated jaggery (For the jaggery syrup)
¼ cupwater
¼ tspcardamom powder
1 tsp grated coconut (optional)