Sri Lankan Watalappan (Coconut Jaggery Custard)

About This Recipe

Sri Lankan Watalappan is a real, traditional Sri Lankan dish, known as Coconut Jaggery Custard. A dense, richly spiced steamed custard sweetened with jaggery palm sugar and coconut milk, a beloved Sri Lankan celebration dessert.\n\nWatalappan reflects Sri Lanka's Malay Muslim community's culinary heritage, traditionally served at festive occasions like Eid celebrations, its deep caramel color and flavor coming from slow-melted jaggery palm sugar.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Sri Lankan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 300 gjaggery (palm sugar)(grated or chopped)
• 150 mlwater
• 6eggs
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 1 tspground cardamom
• 0.5 tspground nutmeg
• 1cinnamon stick
• 50 gcashews(chopped, to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Melt the jaggery

   Simmer jaggery with water and the cinnamon stick over low heat until fully dissolved into a smooth syrup; remove the cinnamon stick and let cool slightly.

2. 2

   Whisk the eggs

   Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until smooth.

3. 3

   Combine

   Gradually whisk the cooled jaggery syrup and coconut milk into the eggs, along with cardamom and nutmeg, until fully combined.

4. 4

   Strain

   Strain the mixture through a fine sieve for the smoothest texture.

5. 5

   Steam

   Pour into a heatproof dish, cover with foil, and steam over simmering water for 45 to 60 minutes until set but still slightly wobbly in the center.

6. 6

   Cool and serve

   Let cool completely, then chill before serving, garnished with chopped cashews.

Variations

• •

  Some households add a few drops of rose water for extra fragrance.

• •

  A version topped with toasted coconut flakes instead of cashews is also common.

• •

  Adjust the jaggery quantity slightly for a less intensely sweet version.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions