Dessert · Sri Lankan
Watalappan
Sri Lanka's steamed jaggery and coconut custard, spiced with clove, cardamom and nutmeg.
Watalappan is the dessert of Sri Lankan celebration meals: dark, dense, faintly smoky from the jaggery, and spiced rather than sweetened into blandness. It is a custard, so it wants gentle steam and no rushing.
Ingredients
- 200 g kithul or palm jaggery, grated
- 400 ml thick coconut milk
- 4 large eggs
- 3 whole cloves, finely ground
- 4 green cardamom pods, seeds only, ground
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts, chopped (to serve)
Method
- Melt the grated jaggery with 3 tablespoons of water over low heat until it forms a smooth syrup. Cool to lukewarm — if it is hot it will scramble the eggs.
- Whisk the eggs lightly, just enough to combine. Do not aerate them; you want a dense set, not a soufflé.
- Stir the coconut milk into the cooled jaggery syrup, then whisk in the eggs, ground spices and salt.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof dish. This is the step that gives it a silky texture.
- Cover tightly with foil and steam over gently simmering water for 40 to 45 minutes, until just set with a slight wobble at the centre.
- Cool, then chill. Scatter with toasted cashews before serving.
Tip. Grind the cloves yourself just before using. Three whole cloves ground fresh give more aroma and less bitterness than a larger amount of pre-ground clove.
More in the recipe collection, or read about the spices themselves.
All recipes