Watalappan (වටලප්පන්) — Sri Lankan Coconut Jaggery Custard

• 250 gkithul jaggery (finely chopped or grated)
• 400 mlthick coconut milk
• 5eggs (large)
• 6 podgreen cardamom (lightly crushed)
• 1 stickCeylon cinnamon
• 1rampe leaf (fresh pandan leaf, tied in a knot)
• 0.25 tspground nutmeg
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 40 graw cashews (split or roughly chopped)
• 1 tspcoconut oil (for greasing the steaming dish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Lightly grease a 1 l heatproof bowl or eight 125 ml ramekins with the coconut oil. Set a steamer over medium heat with enough water to steam for 50 minutes, and wrap the steamer lid in a clean kitchen towel so condensed water does not drip onto the custard.

2. 2

   Place the chopped kithul jaggery, 200 ml of the coconut milk, crushed cardamom pods, Ceylon cinnamon stick, rampe leaf, and fine sea salt in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring until the jaggery dissolves completely, then remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Strain the jaggery mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on the spices but not forcing any gritty sediment through. Discard the cardamom pods, Ceylon cinnamon stick, and rampe leaf, then stir in the remaining 200 ml coconut milk, vanilla extract, and ground nutmeg.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs just until the yolks and whites are evenly blended. Do not whip in excess air, because a foamy mixture makes watalappan rise unevenly and gives the custard a spongy texture instead of a smooth, dense set.

5. 5

   Slowly pour the cooled jaggery-coconut mixture into the eggs while whisking gently and constantly. Pass the combined custard through the fine sieve once more into a jug, which removes chalazae and any spice fragments for the cleanest texture.

6. 6

   Pour the custard into the prepared bowl or ramekins and scatter the cashews evenly over the surface. Cover the dish tightly with foil, making sure the foil does not touch the custard, so steam can cook it gently without adding water to the surface.

7. 7

   Steam over medium-low heat for 40 to 50 minutes for one large bowl, or 22 to 28 minutes for small ramekins. The watalappan is ready when the edges are set, the center has a soft wobble, and a thin knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.

8. 8

   Remove the custard from the steamer and let it cool uncovered for 20 minutes, then cover and chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve cold or cool, cutting the large custard into spoonable wedges or presenting individual ramekins with their glossy jaggery syrup pooled at the edges.