My fool-proof recipe for Sri Lankan Watalappam that I’ve been making for years. I’ve tried this with many substitutes as well when I can’t find the authentic ingredients, but this recipe has never failed me. So if you’re looking for the perfect watalappam recipe, whether you’ve made it before or not, you, my friend, are at the right place.
If you’re not familiar with Sri Lankan Watalappam, it’s sort of a sweet aromatic pudding that is extremely popular in Sri Lanka. Though it has some key characteristics that we are looking for.
Key characteristics of Sri Lankan Watalappam
01. Watalappam should be made with Kithul Jaggery.
Kithul jaggery, unlike any other jaggery, has a very unique flavor. If I were to describe it, I’d say it’s a sweet, slightly fermented flavor with an earthy, smoky undertone. I’ve tasted many different sweets, jaggery, and sugars, and it’s nothing like it. Therefore, if you want the most authentic Watalappam, you need the best-quality jaggery. Which, unfortunately, is very hard to find. I’ll address this later, so keep reading.
02. Watalappam should have a porous texture.
Watalappam, unlike flan or caramel pudding, should have small holes that are filled with sweet syrup. This is achieved by steaming the watalappam or cooking it at a relatively high heat. When you make flan, you expect it to be creamy and have a smooth, silky texture. So you bake in a waterbath. This allows the flan to cook in a lower controlled heat. When you make watalappam, you cook it by steaming, which means at a relatively high heat and quicker than flan. This makes the eggs coagulate and makes little holes or tunnels.
Whisking the eggs also helps with having those holes, but you should not whisk the eggs too much until they’re foamy. In my experience, those foam and bubbles come to the top and float on top as you cook the watalappam and then turn into a kind of foamy spongy layer, not a custardy layer which we are looking for. So make sure not to overbeat your mixture.
03. Watalappam should have the aroma and flavor of spices.
This is another must. Watalappam should have the aroma and flavor of spices, especially Cardamom or/and Nutmeg. I personally like the flavor of cardamom, so I only use cardamom. You can use nutmeg instead of cardamom or a mixture of both. Do not use too much, though, as the spice flavor can overpower.
Kithul Jaggery and its substitutes
The best quality kithul jaggery is actually softer in texture and melts in your mouth. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find pure Kithul Jaggery, even in Sri Lanka. Most Kithul jaggery has sugar mixed into it, so they don’t have the exact same melting texture, aroma, and flavor.
It’s fantastic if you can find pure Kithul Jaggery, but even if you can’t, you can still make an amazing watalappam with grocery store Kithul Jaggery. Dark brown sugar is also a very good substitute if you can’t find Kithul Jaggery.
Some people also use white sugar as a substitute. In that case, you need to caramel about 1/4 cup of sugar to get the right color. Sometimes you find pale color jaggery from the market. You can use the same technique of adding a bit of caramelized sugar to get the dark color we are looking for in Sri Lankan Watalappam.
Just keep in mind, sugar is sweeter than jaggery. When substituting jaggery with sugar (dark brown or white), ensure you use 450g of sugar for every 500g of jaggery. If you like it less sweet, use 400g of sugar for 500g of jaggery.
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Sri Lankan Watalappam
Description
My fool-proof recipe for Sri Lankan Watalappam that I've been making for years. It's so delicious, has the perfect texture and aroma.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix Jaggery and Coconut milk in a bowl/jug until all the jaggery is dissolved. If it's hard to mix, microwave the mixture for 30 - 45 seconds until the coconut milk is warm(you can also heat it in a saucepan). This makes it easier to dissolve jaggery. When mixed, set it aside to cool down.
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Take out the black seeds inside the cardamom pods. Grind the seeds using a mortar and pestle until they become a powder. Keep it aside.
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In a separate large bowl, whisk all the eggs until the mixture is homogenous (whisk for about 3- 4 minutes)
I use a hand whisk for this. No need to beat the egg mixture using an electic beater. This makes it too frothy. The yolks and whites should be mixed very well. -
To the eggs, add the jaggery-coconut milk mixture (make sure the jaggery mixture is not too warm, otherwise it can curdle the eggs), cardamom powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix well until the jaggery mixture and eggs are thoroughly combined and homogeneous.Â
For mixing you can use the same whisk you use to whisk the eggs. -
Sieve the mixture into a baking dish that can fit inside your steamer. Do not fill the mixture to the brim as it rises during steaming (I use a 1.5L baking dish)Â
a stainless steel bowl should also work for this. -
Cover the dish with a foil and steam for 40 - 50 minutes or until it's cooked all the way through. (To test, when you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean)
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When the watalappam is done cooking, add the cashews on top. Chill for a few hours before serving.Â
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