BEST! Watalappan (Sri Lankan Coconut Custard)

Learn to make Watalappan (Sri Lankan Coconut Custard or Coconut Custard Pudding)! Watalappan or Watalappam is a traditional Sri Lankan dessert typically served on special occasions and celebrations.

Watalappan
(Sri Lankan Coconut Custard)

I’ll show you how to make ‘Watalappan’ easily at home from scratch. Here you’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step pictures, helpful info plus top tips. I hope you will try the recipe and enjoy ‘Watalappan’ as much as I do!! A delicious treat for any time of the year that melt-in-your-mouth.

What is Watalappan?

Watalappan is also called watalappam or vattalappam
(Sinhala: වටලප්පන්, Tamil: வட்டலாப்பம், Malay: seri kaya)

Watalappan is, especially, a popular dessert among Sri Lanka’s Muslim community and is a part of traditional Ramadan celebrations, however, it’s loved by all Sri Lankans regardless of religion or race. And it’s a celebratory dessert, not an everyday staple. So, it is mostly served as a dessert on special occasions and celebrations as a dessert after a big meal.

It is a super easy-to-make steamed dessert that needs a few simple ingredients and less preparation, traditionally made with fresh coconut milk, eggs, and Kitul Jaggery with a hint of warming spices like cardamom and nutmeg. It’s common to find Watalappan served with a sprinkling of roasted cashews for added crunchiness, but you can serve it with or without the nuts.

About the Watalappan Recipe

Like any traditional food, there are countless recipes for Watalappan. In this post, I will show you how to make the best Watalappan in my way. I had to try it a few times to perfect the art of making Watalappan and then I learned from my mistakes.

This is a very simple coconut custard recipe, however, there are a few tips and tricks you’ll want to follow to make the Watalappan with perfect taste and texture. So please read the full post before you start making Watalappan, especially, if you are going to make it the first time.

There are many variations of Wataalppan in color, from yellow-brownish to dark brownish according to the sugar/palm sugar you use. The texture also can be different according to the ingredients you use and the steaming method.

Unlike a creme brulee or a caramel custard, this coconut custard doesn’t need any caramelization and the best Watalappan should have a texture with a lot of tiny holes filled with jaggery syrup, an ideal characteristic of Watalappan in terms of texture.

A Brief History of Watalappan

I googled and here are some fascinating facts about Watalappan that I found.

Watalappan’s history is believed to go back to the first Malay settlements in Sri Lanka in the 18th century during Dutch rule. It is said that the Watalappan is, more likely, derived from a Malay dish known as Srikaya.

Srikaya, also known as Kaya or Seri Kaya, is a steamed custard made from eggs, coconut milk, sugar/palm sugar, and infused with the fragrant aroma of pandan leaf. Nowadays, Kaya is a very popular spread or jam in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The name for the dessert during Dutch colonial rule in the early 1700s was vla, which is the Dutch word for custard. The present-day name Watalappan probably comes from the Tamil term vattil-appan, which loosely translates to “cupcake.” (The Tamil words Vattil (cup) and Appam or Appan (cake), hence Vatillappam (cupcake).

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Stovetop-Steamed vs. Oven-Steamed

Watalappan is traditionally cooked by steam and the stovetop-steamed version is the most common. However, nowadays, you will also find oven-steamed Watalappan too. If you use your oven to make it, make sure to bake the Watalappan in a water bath. The purpose of the water bath is to ensure that the mixture cooks evenly and gently into a smooth and creamy custard. As well as a water bath also creates moisture in the oven that will stop the custard from drying out.

The texture and the taste of stovetop-steamed and oven-steamed Watalappan are more or less different. Some may say steamed one is the best but it’s just personal preference. I have tried both versions, and both came out perfect. So if you ask me… both versions are equally delish and good in their own way.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. For the quantities of each ingredient, check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Coconut Milk- I’d rather like the milky taste of freshly squeezed coconut milk. But, here in Japan, I usually use canned coconut milk from Thailand. Use thick fresh coconut milk or good quality full-fat canned coconut milk.

Kithul Jaggery– Kithul Jaggery turns the Watalappan into a pretty caramel color and also provides a subtle sweet taste. if you can find Kithul Jaggery, do use it for the best authentic taste. Or use another kind of palm sugar (Indonesian, Malaysian, or Thai palm sugar), cane sugar, or brown sugar.

Eggs-I used large eggs (60-65g with shells)

Salt-Adding a pinch of salt enhances all the flavors.

Spices- I used whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves) as whole spices add a subtle aroma and flavor. You can also use a tiny amount of ground spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg.

Vanilla Extract-You can also about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to enhance the flavors. (I didn’t use)

What is Kithul Jaggery?

Kithul Jaggery (solid form) and Kithul Treacle (liquid form) are sugars extracted from one of the sugar palm trees known as Kithul (Caryota urens) in Sri Lanka. They have been used as a traditional sweetener for many centuries in Sri Lanka that gives authentic sweetness to Sri Lankan sweets.

substitutes for Kithul Jaggery

If you don’t have Kithul Jaggery, you can substitute it with other types of palm sugar or brown sugar. I have sometimes used Thai coconut sugar or Indonesian palm sugar with some brown sugar to make the sugar syrup.

You can also use Kithul Treacle or another kind of sugar syrup like Golden syrup or a similar kind of sugar syrup to make the syrup.

The taste of Kithul Jaggery is exclusive and different from the other kinds of palm sugars. So the Watalappan made with other palm sugars, brown sugars, or sugar syrups can rarely compete with the authentic taste of Watalappan made with Kithul jaggery.

Tips for Making the Best Watalappan

1. According to the color of the sugar you use, the color of Watalappan will be different. If you like your lighter-colored custard, use lighter color sugars
2. If you like a richer version of custard with a spongy texture, add an extra one or two egg yolks
3. You can also replace half of the thick coconut milk with coconut cream to make a richer custard
4. The whole spices add a delicate note of aroma and flavor but ground spices add a strong taste and aroma, so make sure to add them in small amounts
5. A tiny amount of spices enhance the flavor and aroma but if you add too much, especially nutmeg, they will ruin the taste of your Watalappan
6. The consistency of the custard mixture is very important. It should not be too runny. Use thick coconut milk and/or coconut cream and do not use too much water when making the sugar syrup
7. Do not over-whisk your eggs as it will result in a pudding-like texture. Wattalapm should have a texture that has a lot of holes inside filled with jaggery syrup once steamed
8. Do not overbake. if you use your oven to make it, bake it at a low temperature until just set. Baking it in a water bath is essential to get the right texture
9. If you use a steamer, steam on a medium-high flame which will make it rise well and create a holes-like texture inside
10. Steaming time/baking time depends on the mold you use. If it is a deep one it takes more time and if it is a flat one like a baking tray, it takes less time

Serving Suggestions

Watalappan is a rich dessert, so perfect just plain. And it also goes well with banana or ice cream! You can serve it warm but Watalappan tastes even better when it is chilled in the fridge overnight!

Storing Suggestions

Watalappa will keep (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Watalappan freezes pretty well for up to 3 months or so.

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Watalappan (Sri Lankan Coconut Custard) Step-by-Step Recipe

(Check out the printable recipe card at the end of the post)

Preparation 15 min
Cooking 40 min
Chilling time 2 hours or overnight

Equipment

14cm x 22cm x 4cm baking dish or a few baking molds as needed

Ingredients

150 g grated jaggery or palm sugar
100 g cane sugar
100 ml water
2 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1-inch cinnamon
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
250 ml thick coconut milk
50 g roasted cashews, halved, plus extra roughly chopped, to serve

Instructions

Prepare the grated jaggery.

Prepare the thick coconut milk. I used canned coconut milk, you can also use fresh thick coconut milk.

Preheat oven to 160°C and make the sugar mixture.

In a medium saucepan, heat the jaggery, sugar, water, and whole spices over medium heat just long enough to dissolve the jaggery and sugar, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool slightly.

While the sugar mixture is cooling, whisk the eggs.

Place the eggs in a large bowl and salt. Whisk lightly with a fork. Yes, whisking lightly with a fork is very important for making the Watalappan with a lot of those tiny holes.

Whisk in the vanilla extract if using but I didn’t use it.

Whisk in the coconut milk until thoroughly incorporated.

And then whisk in the sugar mixture.

Strain the mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer.

Oven-Steaming

You can make Watalappan in a large dish or with individual baking molds. Butter the baking tray/molds. Pour the mixture into the baking tray/mold and place it in another larger tray. Take care not to overfill the molds as the Watalappan will rise slightly during the cooking process. Fill half of the large baking tray with warm water (40C).

Cover the tray loosely with parchment paper and/or foil paper. Keep it on the middle rack in the oven and bake it for about 40 minutes or until the custard is just set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

You can decorate the Watalappan with cashews before or after it is fully set. Or just keep it plain, it’s totally up to you. Remove the Watalappan from the oven before it is fully set (around 35 mins), decorate it with halves of cashews, or sprinkle with chopped cashews, and bake for a further 10 minutes or until just set.

Stovetop-Steaming

Butter the molds and pour the mixture. Take care not to overfill the molds as the Watalappan will rise slightly during the cooking process. Cover each mold with parchment paper and/or aluminum foil.

Place them in the steamer, cover, and steam for about 20 to 30 minutes or just until the custard is set. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out clean. Make sure to check and adjust the time as needed.

Remove from the oven or steamer. Set aside to cool and refrigerate, covered, for a few hours until ready to serve or overnight until fully chilled. You can also serve Watalappa warm—it’s delicious both ways!

Serve Watalappan in serving bowls or cut it into slices. You can sprinkle it with extra roasted cashews if you like.

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I love hearing from you so feel free to leave a comment on the post. If you make any of my recipes, I’d love to see pics of your creations #joyofeatingtheworld or @joyofeatingtheworld

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