Manoharam - ICC August

This is the first time I ever heard about manoharam and first time tasting it too.
As I have not been in India for a long time during my childhood years, I am not privy to traditional sweets like this. So I am happy to learn new items and that too traditional dishes are soo enjoyable.
As I started making this, my Mom started telling me how this resembles Bandar Ladoo. Though Bandar Ladoo has a longer process as the murukus are again ground into powder before mixing with the jaggery and made in ladoos. They are also said to be very delectable!  Tho I don't remember eating one!!...too bad right....
These did come out really delectable and yummy!!
So here is the recipe for Manoharam for ICC, hosted by Srivalli and recipe by Lataji from Flavours and Tastes.
I followed the recipe just like it was given to us, only added fresh grated coconut in the end which was given as optional, as I had some grated coconut left in the refrigerator.
It is a little time consuming recipe, if you are going to make the rice flour the same day. Instead, make it a day ahead and it works just fine.
Other tweek I made was roasting the moong daal before making it into fine powder, it was not required in the recipe given. This also can be done a day ahead.

Making of rice flour

Making of Moong daal flour:

Dry roast Moong daal on low flame till they start turning brown. Remove and let them cool down. Grind into powder, then sieve to get the real fine powder.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice flour
1 cup Moong Daal flour
salt to taste
some water
2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter + extra ghee to form the ladoos
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut

Jaggery - Measurement should be taken after making the muruku in pieces. I had about 6 cups of broken muruku, I used 1 1/2 cup jaggery.
Measurement: 4 cups of murukus to 1 heaped cup of crumbled jaggery

Oil for frying

Equipment: Murukku press with three holes disc

Method:

Mix the rice flour, daal flour and salt. Combine with ghee to incorporate it into the flour.

Add water to knead it into dough. The dough should be soft enough to pass through the muruku press.

Heat oil enough so that you can make your murukus. Now make the murukus and cook till brown. Remove on a napkin to drain the excess oil.

Make the murukus into small pieces when cooled.
Measure the amount of broken muruku you have and then take a measure of jaggery according to the rule given above.
Add some water to the jaggery in a big wide pan and melt it. Here in US, you usually don't have to sieve it for scum.
Put on medium heat and let it boil away to get to the consistency required.

Required Consistency: When it thickens, we can form a ball from the jaggery on the back of the spoon. OR Drop a few drops into a cup of water. Lift it to make a ball, pick it up and hit it back into the water and you should hear a sound.

When the jaggery gets to that consistency, immediately add the coconut and broken pieces and mix well.
When this has cooled down a bit, it should be still warm or you cannot shape the balls, put a drop of ghee on your hand and shape into balls of required size.
Serve cold and Enjoy!!!! They do taste yummy when they are warm too :))

Tips: If you have already added the muruku and it still wont form balls, put it back on low heat and mix till it hardens some more.

If you think its hot and cannot handle, use a plastic sheet, rub a drop of ghee, put required amount in center and shape into a ball.

If it still wont form balls, put into flat dish and flatten it out. Cut out into pieces after cooled.

Store in an air tight container.