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Undu walalu
උඳු වලලු (undu walalu): crisp fried urad dal rings soaked in kithul treacle, the honey-sweet Avurudu bangles (plus 4 hours soaking)
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the rings
- 9 oz urad dal (split, skinned)soaked 4 hours in cold water
- 2 tbsp white rice flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
For the treacle syrup
- 1 ¾ cups kithul treacle
- 3 pods green cardamomcrushed
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz urad dal (split, skinned) well and grind it in a blender with only 2–3 tbsp water, scraping down often, to a thick, smooth paste.
Step 2: Beat in 2 tbsp white rice flour and 1 pinch salt with a spoon or your hand for about 5 minutes until the paste is light and a blob floats in water.
5 minStep 3: Warm 1 ¾ cups kithul treacle with 3 pods green cardamom in a wide pan over a low heat for 5 minutes, then keep it warm.
5 minStep 4: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Spoon the paste into a piping bag with a 5 mm nozzle and pipe double rings, about 7 cm across, onto squares of baking paper.
Step 5: Lower the rings into the oil 3–4 at a time on their paper, remove the paper with tongs, and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden brown.
25 minStep 6: Drain for a few seconds, then drop the hot rings into the warm treacle and leave to soak for 10 minutes, turning once.
Step 7: Lift onto a plate and serve at room temperature; they keep for 3–4 days in a covered box.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does undu walalu take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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