AI-generated image
Watalappan
Watalappan: steamed kithul jaggery and coconut custard with cardamom, nutmeg and cashews
Watalappan came to Sri Lanka with the island's Malay and Muslim communities, and no Eid table in Colombo, Beruwala or Kandy is complete without it; it now turns up at weddings and birthdays across every community. Thick coconut milk and eggs are sweetened with kithul jaggery, the dark palm sugar from the fishtail palm, and spiced with cardamom, nutmeg and a little clove, then steamed until it sets into a wobbly, honeycombed custard the colour of toffee. Cashews scattered on top add crunch. Dark muscovado sugar works if you can't find kithul jaggery. The common mistake is steaming it on a fierce boil, which makes it full of large holes and watery; a steady, gentle simmer gives a smooth set with the fine honeycomb that's prized. Chef's tip: strain the mixture through a sieve before steaming to remove any stringy egg and jaggery grit.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz kithul jaggery or dark palm sugar and ¼ cup water in a small pan over a low heat and stir until the jaggery has melted completely, 3–4 minutes. Leave to cool until just warm.
4 minStep 2: In a large bowl, whisk 5 eggs gently with a fork; you want them well mixed but not frothy, because foam gives a pitted top.
Step 3: Whisk in the cooled jaggery syrup, then 1 ¾ cups thick coconut milk, ¾ tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, 1 pinch ground cloves and 1 pinch salt. Strain through a fine sieve into a 1-litre heatproof dish or 6 ramekins.
Step 4: Cover tightly with foil. Set the dish on a rack in a large pan with simmering water coming a third of the way up its sides, cover the pan and steam over a medium-low heat.
5 minStep 5: After 20 minutes, scatter 1 ⅜ oz cashew nuts over the top (they'll sit on the half-set surface) and re-cover. Steam for 20–25 minutes more, until the edges are firm and the centre wobbles only slightly like a set jelly; a knife pushed into the middle comes out clean.
40 minStep 6: Lift out, leave to cool, then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve cold in spoonfuls; it keeps 3 days in the fridge.
180 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does watalappan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of kithul jaggery or dark palm sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
Chocolate sauce
A thick, glossy chocolate sauce made from store-cupboard cocoa and milk, ready in under 10 minutes. Pour it hot over vanilla ice cream, or let it cool and spread it on cakes and puddings.