The time has come to initiate the uninitiated into the world of Tirunelveli Halwa. Tirunelveli is situated in southern Tamil Nadu close to Tuticorin & Kovilpatti and its name has become synonymous with the Halwa you get here.
The halwa has been in Tirunelveli for about 300 years & in that time, its fame has spread far and wide. So much, that anyone passing through Tirunelveli is bound to buy atleast a packet of halwa.
The halwa is brown in colour & is just barely translucent. It has a very sticky texture & is high up in the list of messy food. But the taste more than makes up for it. The halwa is made from wheat & sugar. It is soaked in ghee & looks as well as feels oily. The best part about this halwa is that it melts in your mouth. So it can be enjoyed even by people without teeth. However it is very fattening & too much will put inches around your waist line. It tastes best when it is hot. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat it when it has cooled down.
The halwa is available all over Tirunelveli,but a profusion of shops near the Railway station & the Nellaiappar Temple bring fame to the city. The most famous of these is the Iruttukadai (Dark Shop). Another contender is Shanti Sweets. Iruttukadai gets its name from the fact that there are no electric lights in the shop & no sign board. Business in the evenings is carried out in candle-light as it has been so, since the time the shop started.
The popularity of the halwa is evident from the fact that these shops are packed at all times of the day. I guess, people from Tirunelveli never seem to have enough of the Famous Tirunelveli Halwa.
Have a taste, and I bet you won’t too.
PS:A few people have asked me for the address of the halwa stalls. I’m adding the address on popular demand
1.Tirunelveli Iruttukadai Halwa
No 1/1-A, Madurai Road,
(Near Old bus Stand),
Tirunelveli Junction,
Tirunelveli-627001
Ph: 0462-2323330
2. Shanti Sweets
3,Central Bus Stand Buildings,
Madurai Road,
Tirunelveli-627001
Edit: The original IruttuKadai is near the Nellaiappar Kovil as pointed out by Mr.Hari Singh in the comments section. Anyone will be able to show you the way to the shop from the temple. I do not know Mr. Hari Singh personally & cannot guarantee his contact number is correct.
Cheers.
please let me know the full postal address of the shop who supplies Iruttukadai Halva in Tirunelveli as I am interested to get the same to my place by courier immediately.
Thanks.
hi sir
i just seen your message..we are the owner of halwa shop….our shop is located in tirunelveli- town.itz near to nellaiapper temple..and pothys..come and get the taste of halwa…
contact:hari singh
cell : 9025 222 224
hey pls tel me the recipe hari…………am in us.going to try.
Hi Moorthy,
I’m not sure of the postal address of Iruttakadai.And I’m not sure if they will courier halwa to you. The shop is quite close to Tirunelveli Railway station. There is also another chain called Shanti Sweets which is also quite famous. I suppose the name Iruttukadai will be enough to get your letter to them. The shop is very famous in Tirunelveli.
Thanks for the details given. The hotel manager where we stayed in Tirynelveli got our order filled in 1kg and 1/2 kg blocks. Neatly packed for our travel. It was delicious.
hi madam,
irrudukatii halwa is not in junction ok…itz in town near to nellaiapper temple and pothys………………….
contact:hari singh
cell : 9025 222 224
9944 75 45 65
My key board is whacky! Sorry about the spelling. I meant to type Tirunelveli.
I am also in Tirunelveli. GO!!! Tirunelveli. Nellai is the best place in the world.
TASTE EETTA WHEAT HALWA ONCE
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Hi All, Iruttukadai is diagonally opposite the main entrance to Kantimathi-Nellayappar temple; and opposite the huge Ther-giant wheeled cart used in Car festival once a year-when the idols of deities are taken around the temple in the car streets.
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I am also from Tirunelveli Dist(Mukkudal)Iruttukadai halwa is the best taste in India.It is the pride and tradition of Tirunelveli.So we are proud about it.
Yes, it is one of the best I’ve tasted.
Hi Taste master,
Good to go through your post. I am a native of Tirunelveli but infortunately I have heard only about the Iruttu Kadai but never visited it. I live in Muscat, Oman and I am going to Tirunelveli in June’11. Will surely visit this shop and revert with my feedback on this shop.
Hari singh, the claimed owner of this shop, I will try to meet you also.
Any body visiting Tirunelveli should also try the Milk Halwa made by Shanthi sweets. The shop next to the Junction bus station with a dark blue board in the original shop. There are many duplicate shanthi sweets too in Tirunelveli. If you taste the Milk halwa made by the original shanthi sweets, you will never forget it all your life.
It is available only at 7.00 p.m. and I always make advance payment and book it so that I can get it. Other wise,it is sold off in few minutes.
I am sure you will try this delicacy the next time you visit Tirunelveli…