Honestly speaking, wattalapam is my FAVORITE dessert of all time. Not favorite Sri Lankan dessert, not favorite pudding, but FAVORITE DESSERT OF ALL TIME.
What is wattalapam, you ask?
It is a rich, delightful pudding that’s made with eggs, kithul jaggery, coconut milk, whole spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg) and sometimes pandan leaf or vanilla pods.
It’s usually steamed, and then chilled (preferably overnight) before serving. Some people like to eat it warm, but I personally love to have it chilled.
It has a lovely brown color – to be honest, I first thought that it was chocolate pudding, but this tastes way better than any chocolate dessert I’ve ever had.
I’ve had white wattalapam once, but sadly wasn’t able to get a recipe for it. The few recipes I did find online didn’t have a Sri Lankan flavor, so after a little experimenting, I’ve nailed it!
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup condensed milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups thick coconut milk (or coconut cream)
- 4 cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
- 2 sticks cinnamon (1 inch pieces)
- Cardamom powder
- 4 tsp cornflour
- 1 drop almond essence
- 1 tsp rose essence
In a heavy bottomed pan, add the sugar, water and whole spices, and keep the flame on medium. Stir occasionally until all the sugar has melted, and then let the syrup come to a boil.
Once it boils, turn the flame to low, and let the syrup reduce a little (you will also notice that it has changed color slightly).
When it’s reduced and a little thicker, add the condensed milk, bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Mix in the coconut milk/cream, both the rose and almond essence, and then let it cool.
Mix the eggs lightly, then strain into a large bowl (this ensures a smoother pudding).
In a cup, add the cornflour, and a little of the cooled milk mixture to make a cornflour slurry. Add the slurry to the eggs, mix well, then add the milk mixture, strain again (to remove the whole spices) and start to whisk the eggs.
Keep whisking the egg mixture until it is frothy at the top and lighter in color.
Pour the egg mixture into an ovenproof dish, tightly cover with foil, make two slits on the top, and steam on low for 30-40 minutes.
To check if the wattalapam is done, gently shake the dish. The pudding should jiggle like soft jelly but not be liquid. The top corners should have a few bubbles and be slightly risen.
Cover again with foil, let cool to room temperature, and then chill in the fridge overnight.
Serve cold, garnished with pistachios and rose petals.
Notes:
- Please keep in mind that the color of this wattalapam depends on the color of the egg yolks.
The eggs I get in Sri Lanka usually have light yellow yolks, but here in the U.A.E. they’re mostly a warm orange color. - If you want to flip the wattalapam onto a platter or tray, then make sure you lightly grease the pan with butter, and then pour the mixture in. Once the pudding has been chilled, take it out and carefully run a butter knife through the sides, and then gently flip it onto a platter.
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