Watalappan: The Sri Lankan Dessert You Should Be Ordering
A spiced coconut custard set with jaggery. Watalappan is the Sri Lankan dessert Toronto has completely overlooked.
Sri Lankan food gets a fair bit of attention for its curries and almost none for its desserts, which is a shame, because watalappan is genuinely one of the best sweet things you can order in this city.
What it is
Watalappan is a steamed custard made from coconut milk, eggs, and jaggery, which is unrefined palm sugar. It is spiced with cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, and often has cashews on top. Think crème caramel, but darker, deeper and warmer.
Why jaggery matters
This is the whole dish. Jaggery is not just sugar. It has a smoky, almost molasses-like character that white sugar simply cannot produce. It is what gives watalappan its distinctive brown colour and its slightly savoury, caramelised edge. A watalappan made with regular sugar is a different, lesser dessert.
When you eat it
Traditionally it is a celebration dessert, closely associated with Eid and with Sri Lankan Muslim households in particular. If you are at a Sri Lankan Muslim family gathering, there is watalappan.
Who it is for
If you like flan, panna cotta or crème brûlée, you will like this. It is less sweet than most Western desserts and more aromatic, which means it works even after a heavy meal. That is not an accident, it was designed to follow a rice and curry.
Ordering it
Watalappan is a dish that tells you whether a kitchen is cutting corners. It takes time and real jaggery. If a Sri Lankan kitchen makes a good one, that is a strong signal about everything else on their menu.
Try it in Scarborough
We are a family-run halal Sri Lankan and Indian kitchen in Scarborough. See what else to try in our guide to the best Sri Lankan dishes, and if you are planning a celebration we can include it on a catering order.
Want to try it? Our watalappan is made in-house, and you can order online for delivery or pickup.
One dessert, many spellings
You will see it written watalappan, watalappam, vattalappam, wattalapam and more. They are the same coconut and jaggery custard, the spelling just follows whichever language the writer grew up with. On our menu it is listed as Vattalappam, $15, and inside our combos it appears as ktull wattalapam. Ktull is short for kithul, the palm whose sap gives the jaggery its dark, smoky taste.
What goes into ours
From our menu description: kithul jaggery, fresh coconut milk, eggs, and cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon, steamed until set. Two allergy notes follow from that. It contains egg, so it is not suitable for anyone avoiding eggs, and it is coconut-based, which matters for the small number of people who react to coconut.
Combos that already include it
If you are catering for 20 or more, you may not need to order it separately. Ktull wattalapam is part of these combos (per person, 20 minimum):
- Mutton Biryani Combo, $29
- Muthu Samba Ghee Rice Combo, $27
- Seeraga Samba Ghee Rice Combo, $30
- Samba Ghee Rice Combo, $28
- Ghee Rice Combo 1, 2 and 3, each $29, and Ghee Rice Combo 4, $28
- Saffron Ghee Rice Combo, $29
Note that the Chicken Biryani Combo 2 and the Beef Biryani Combo come with custard dessert instead, which is different.
Serving and storing it
- Serve it chilled or at cool room temperature. It is not a hot dessert.
- Keep it in the fridge, covered, and eat it within a couple of days. It is an egg custard, so do not leave it out on a warm afternoon.
- Cut it in small squares. It is rich, and people go back for seconds more readily than they finish a big slab.
- A thin layer on top may look darker and slightly glossy. That is the jaggery, not a fault.
Watalappan questions
Is it the same as crème caramel?
Similar texture, different flavour. Crème caramel is milk and white sugar; watalappan is coconut milk and kithul jaggery with warm spices.
Can I order it for a party without a full combo?
Yes, Vattalappam is on our regular menu at $15. Order on our direct ordering page, or see watalappan in Toronto. For larger quantities, call (647) 449-2924.