By Jehan Yusoof  | Updated October 08, 2026  | ★ 4.5 (4 reviews) | 2 comments

Watalappan (watalappam) is a traditional Sri Lankan dessert that has a luscious and creamy texture and can be compared to a custard or flan.
It is made with kithul jaggery, thick coconut milk, and eggs, spiced with cardamom and nutmeg. It sets into a dark, honeycombed custard that tastes of smoky palm sugar
The beauty of Watalappan lies in its simplicity.
This is my grandmother’s authentic family recipe which helps you to make this dessert in the most authentic way.
You’ll also see it spelled watalappam, wattalappam, or vattalappam, but it is basically a steamed coconut milk and jaggery custard pudding.
And to those of you who are not familiar with the term “watalappan”, well, it’s a traditional Sri Lankan dessert that is made by Muslims (Moors) in Sri Lanka for Eid, weddings, and special occasions.

My Sweet Memories of Watalappan

I grew up in a house where making watalappam for the festival was never confined to 5 to 10 cups, more like 25 or sometimes more. 
Eggs, eggs, and more eggs were broken into large cooking pans, melting huge amounts of good-quality kithul hakuru (jaggery, palm sugar), beating up these two ingredients, and then pouring them into bowls. 
These large aluminium bowls filled with the watalappam mixture were steamed outdoors over a massive cooking pot to accommodate batch steaming. 
Each year the number of bowls increased, and the ingredients needed were recalculated and then bought.
My grandmother only used the best jaggery, which she only bought from one particular place, and she had almost all the ladies in the house working under her.
It took a whole day for this whole watalappan-making business to be done and dusted.
Memories like moving picture postcards where I see myself whisking a large pot of eggs and jaggery syrup, blooms of smoke outside where a large aluminium pot held two layers of bowls, huddled conversations, mixed with laughter and then some scolding from the matriarch of the family.
But writing about these memories will only delay you from getting your watalappam recipe so let’s move on, shall we?

Preserving the authentic watalappan recipe

Times have changed. Good jaggery is harder to find and more expensive. People have found much easier ways to make the steamed custard pudding.
It’s inevitable that as time goes by, everyone adapts to the new ways of making this dish (baking it, substituting ingredients, etc.)
At some point, a whole new generation will have no idea that the watalappan in its authentic form

• Was steamed.
• Made with certain whole spices, jaggery, coconut milk, and eggs, the steamed pudding has a honeycomb-like appearance with a taste that is unique as well.
• Was not made in Pyrex dishes.
• No vanilla was used.
• Nor was condensed milk used.
• Was served with two bananas placed on top (does anyone still do this?)

Watalappan ingredients

You’ll find exact quantities in the recipe card below.

This recipe will give you  3 bowls of watalappam. The bowls used here are 4″ to 5″ in diameter.

• Eggs: do not reduce the amount of eggs, as they set the watalappan
• Kithul jaggery: break it into smaller pieces. Gives it the flavour and colour.
• Water: just enough to melt the jaggery into a thick syrup.
• Lime juice: used so that the jaggery doesn’t harden or set.
• Thick, pourable coconut milk: use liquid coconut milk, not cream or powder.
• Whole spices.
  • Green cardamoms, lightly bruised
  • Nutmeg, freshly grated
  • Pandan leaf
  • If you can’t find the whole spices, use vanilla instead. But please try the whole spices at least once; the difference is worth it.

What is kithul jaggery?

Kithul jaggery (kithul hakuru) is made from the sap of the kithul palm.
It’s dark, soft enough to grate, and tastes almost smoky, closer to molasses than to sugar. Sri Lankan grocers in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US usually stock it in blocks or foil packs.
Good kithul jaggery is hard to find, and a lot of what’s sold has sugar mixed in.
If your watalappan steams up pale, that’s usually why (see the troubleshooting below).

What you will need in the kitchen

• Large, thin-bottomed cooking pan with a tight lid
• A piece of cotton cloth to tie over the lid of the pan
• A medium-sized pan to melt Jaggery
• A medium-sized bowl to whisk the eggs
• Whisk, fork, wooden spoon, large strainer
• A large jug or measuring jug to strain the watalappam mixture into
• Aluminium bowls (4″to 5″ in diameter)

How to make Watalappan step-by-step

Read the method through once before you start, and have every ingredient measured and ready

Steamed watalappan method

• Prepare the Steaming Pan
  • Use the thin-bottomed, deep cooking pot with the tight lid. The pan should also be wide enough that removing the steamed watalappan can be done without burning yourself.
  • Tie a thick cotton cloth over the lid, stretched tight on the side that faces into the pan. The cloth stops steam escaping and catches the condensation that would otherwise drip into the bowls and ruin the watalappan. Set the pan aside.

Melting the jaggery

Add water and jaggery into a medium-sized cooking pan.
The melting process would be easier if you break the hard jaggery into smaller pieces. 
Don’t add more water; you want the Jaggery to be a thick, heavy, dark syrup. 
Make sure the thick syrup does not stick to the pan by keeping the flame as low as possible.
Once the jaggery melts, take it off the heat, stir in the lime juice so it doesn’t harden, and leave it to cool completely.

Whole spices for the Watalappan

Have your whole spices ready: cardamom pods, grated nutmeg, pandan leaf. If you are unable to find the following spices, use Vanilla essence.
But please do try using the whole spices and experience the taste difference at least once.

Make the custard mixture

Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl to check each one, then tip them into a medium bowl.

Add the whole spices and pandan leaf to the egg mixture.

Whisk lightly for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the yolks are broken.
Keep the whisk off the bottom of the bowl: you’re mixing, not beating. For a large batch, a hand mixer on low works.

Set the beaten eggs aside for a few seconds and go back to your COOL melted jaggery.
Stir the Jaggery a little; the syrup should be completely cool.
Add the egg mixture to the Jaggery syrup.
Mix the Jaggery with the whisked eggs.

Add the coconut milk to the custard

Add the thick coconut milk to the custard mixture.
Use a whisk or fork to lightly beat the watalappam mixture for 3-5 minutes (I did it for 5 minutes).
Again, keep your movements light and avoid the whisk or fork hitting the bottom of the pan.

Strain the Watalappan mixture

Have a large jug and strainer ready.

Strain the watalappam mix into the jug.

Pour the mixture into aluminium bowls.
I am using 4″ bowls. I recommend sticking to this size; even 5″ would work.

Steaming the Watalappan

Place the pan you prepared for steaming over the stovetop. Pour 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water into the steaming pan.

Set a bowl inside, cover with the cloth-wrapped lid, and steam over steady low-medium heat.
In a thin-bottomed pan, this takes 30 to 45 minutes; a heavy-bottomed pan takes 45 minutes to an hour. Make sure no steam escapes

Check if it’s cooked

30 to 45 minutes later, switch off the fire, remove the lid, and check if the watalappam is cooked through.
You will notice the top of the watalappam puffed up; this is normal and will gradually settle to give you that distinct look you are familiar with.

Insert a knife in the middle.
If the knife comes out clean, the watalappan is cooked through, and you can remove the pan and let it cool.
Lift the bowl out with a thick oven glove, because the steam will burn your knuckles. Top up the water before you steam the next bowl.

Below is the result of a steamed watalappan done right.

Cool and Chill Overnight for best results

Let the watalappan cool, cover it with cling film and refrigerate for a day before you eat it. Trust me, it tastes far better this way.

Baked Watalappam method

Cover the bowl with foil and place it in a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°) and then bake for 60 minutes.

The image below shows you exactly how it looks when the watalappam is baked.

Pressure cooking watalappam

Although pressure cooking can reduce cooking time. the whole process can be slightly tricky, especially if you are using a stovetop pressure cooker.
Cover the bowl with foil.
Pour just enough water to cover the bottom part of the bowl.
Gently place the bowl within the narrow confines of the pressure cooker.
Place and lock the lid and pressure cook for 7 to 8 minutes(about 3 whistles).
Release pressure and gently open the lid, allow steam to escape as much as you can, and remove the bowl from the pressure cooker.
Should you find the watalappan is not cooked through, cover the bowl again and pressure cook for another 3 minutes.

A pressure-cooked bowl of Jaggery pudding will look as below.

When you cut through it.

Steamed vs Baked vs Pressure-Cooked: Taste Test

• Pressure-cooked method: creamy, like a smooth pudding; I couldn’t taste the nutmeg.
• Baked: dense, with a caramelised-sugar taste and creamier than pressure-cooked; no nutmeg either.
• Steamed: light, with the honeycomb texture and none of the over-the-top creaminess. You can clearly taste the nutmeg and cardamom.

Watalappan tips and troubleshooting

• Weigh the jaggery as it’s the one ingredient you can’t measure by cups.
• Use only liquid coconut milk, not powdered.
• A thin-bottomed pan steams faster than a heavy-bottomed pan, which takes longer.
• Keep the water topped up between steaming the watalappam.
• Always buy good quality jaggery. This is one ingredient that should be measured by weight rather than cups. So I have given the quantity in grams.
• Make sure no steam escapes the pan(very important).
• How to serve: take the watalappam out from the fridge, scoop a few tablespoons of it onto a bowl, cut a few slices of banana over it, and enjoy.

Troubleshooting

• My watalappan looks set outside but is watery inside.
  • There are a few reasons for your watery watalappam, meaning it looks cooked, but when sliced into, it’s still not set.
    • Not enough eggs.
    • Check if steam is escaping from the pot.
    • Less cooking time is needed depending on the type of steaming pan you’ve used(read beginner’s notes). 
    • Using larger bowls than the recommended size. Larger bowls need more time to cook.
• Once steamed, why does my watalappan mixture look lighter in colour and not the dark, rich colour you expect it to be?
  • This is due to the type of Jaggery you use. As I said, good quality Jaggery is hard to find; many mix sugar into it. There are two ways to solve it.
    • Use a few drops of brown colouring (cringing as I give you this solution, but it’s the easiest cheat’s way).
    • Caramelise 2 tablespoons of sugar with 4 tablespoons of water over a low fire until you get the dark amber colour, and add to the Jaggery mixture.
      If you are using this method, make sure you avoid caramelizing the sugar too much and turning it bitter.

More Sri Lankan Desserts and Puddings

Condensed milk fudge (milk toffee)
Fluffy pineapple pudding with condensed milk
Baked caramel pudding
Sri Lankan butter cake
Sri Lankan seeni ma|
Pineapple dosi

Watch more Sri Lankan recipes on my YouTube channel

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the same way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough that you can follow it too.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.