Watalappan for the Princess Paro

[ladymirth]

I am finally posting this long-promised and long delayed recipe that Paro, a.k.a queenofhearts17 , asked for. I am an awful person to have kept her waiting this long. I don’t know why she stays friends with me.

The following recipe should serve about 8 people, less if they’re greedy and want 3^rd helpings;

 

Watalappan

(authentic Sri Lankan Muslim dessert cuisine)

You need to get;

10 eggs

500 g of grated jaggery

½ cup of thick coconut milk

a handful (1/2 a cup?) of thoroughly crushed cardamom

some raisins and cashew nuts for decoration.

 

Beat 10 eggs, yolk and white both together, thoroughly in a sizable bowl. Add the grated jaggery and ½ cup of thick, foamy coconut milk and a lavish portion of the cardamom and continue to beat like it’s Saddam Hussein or something. Also a few drops of vanilla and a tablespoon of sugar. Continue to beat and once thick and foamy, strain into another tray, suitable for steaming and baking purposes. Lavishly besprinkle with the cashew nuts. I don’t like raisins in it much myself.

Now steam it for about half an hour on a low fire. We always use a pressure cooker, so I sincerely hope you have one too. We tried to pop it in the microwave once, but it kind of sank and grew stodgy. Ovens are as yet unexplored territory with regard to this dessert, and the cookery book says to steam as well. So if you do use a pressure cooker, just leave it for half an hour over a low fire.

It should end up like a thicker, browner version of caramel pudding with tiny air craters all over. I’d post a picture but I have not yet figured out how to do that. I be no seasoned LJ user, and am ashamed. *hangs head* Somebody help me on that, please? Holly?

For pity’s sake, get a professional cook to help you with the steaming or make sure you have fire insurance and medical cover. My own experiences with our infernal pressure cooker have left me scarred for life.

And let me know how it went!

Hugs and kisses and good luck wishes!

 

Correction the original entry erroneously listed almonds in the ingredients list. It's NOT almond. IT IS CARDAMOM> Many dire and contrite apologies!

Comments

[queenofhearts17.livejournal.com]

*HUGE huggles to Her Highness Hasini*

I'm friends with you because I looooooove you!!! Thank you so much for the recipe, and I'll have a shot at it this weekend. I was so busy this weekend, I didn't have time to come online so I'll try it for our aftaari party this Sunday ... XD

*lovely long loving hug to Her Highness Hasini*

Thank you!!! And I'll let you know how it turns out; I'm not the best with cooking (I almost burnt the kitchen down while making egg once :S), so I'll have to get Mum to help me in case it all goes horribly wrong. ><

And "beat like it's Saddam Hussein"? ... No problem! :P

*LOTS of love & huggles*

[ladymirth.livejournal.com]

Good idea! I'm okay with stove now, (thanks to my Mum's policy that Mothers are supposed to retire from the kitchen once their daughters hit seventeen, and demonstrated this by announcing "happy b'day! Now learn to make your own damn meals or starve!," a year ago.)but that pressure cooker frankly scares me.
Lots of love and huggles back!
(Because the feeling is reciprocated :-D.)

[queenofhearts17.livejournal.com]

Puaha...I know exactly what you mean. Mum's preparing me for uni by teaching me to cook all sorts of various dishes. Not once has there been an incident where I haven't set the stove on fire. >< I think pressure cookers in general are pretty scary things ... I mean ... *shudders* very scary. No worries, we can attack it with clubs and maces and make sure it never scares you again *brandishes club and mace menacingly at pressure cooker*

*waves pompoms* Yay! You're okay with the stove! *throws a party* Can you teach me, please? XD I think I'm destined to be a hopeless case ><

*lots of love & huggles*

[ladymirth.livejournal.com]

Here's a hint: when making omelette, do not crack the egg about five feet above the saucepan, cowering behind a chair. That's what I did the first time, and the consequences weren't pretty.
I wouldn't have such a quarrel with our pressure cooker if only it didn't make such an unearthly hissing noise every ten seconds. It makes my inner ear mechanisms wobble!
I haven't seen those pompoms for a while now. *produces own pompoms and waves back at Paro*

[queenofhearts17.livejournal.com]

*rofl* You're so cute! I can just imagine you hiding behind a chair and cracking the egg above the pan! *huggles to Her Highness for being so adorable* I'm sure the consequences weren't pretty ... they definitely aren't when you attempt to flip the egg like a pancake ... I was dared to do it, it's not my fault! :D

*brandishes plastic sword at pressure cooker* How dare you, O Minor Pressure Cooker, produce unearthly hissing noises every ten minutes at Royalty? Do you not see that you have injured Her Highness Hasini? *pokes pressure cooker* Shame on you! I banish you from the kingdom!

*waves pompoms at Hasini's pompoms* Yesh, my pompoms are back after a short holiday. I like your pompoms, too! XD

[ladymirth.livejournal.com]

Thank you!
Yeah, that pressure cooker should be clapped in irons! It should be arrested for disrupting the peace and generally being a really ugly bit of cockery. In fact I am going to read it its rights now.
*Attempts to handcuff pressure cooker* You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to an attorney, You have the right to remain silent, everything you hiss can and will be used against you in court...
Hmm, the basic thing, Paro darling, to know when you are dealing with frying pans, is to know what sticks to the ceiling, what does not do graceful backflips in mid-air and what should not leave the confines of the pan while in the process of frying. Egg is one of these. If you are going to deny a wee little downy headed hatchling its chance at life and fowl-dom, the least you can do is make sure its life as an omellette does not end in ignominy.
Now you must un-banish my pressure cooker, Princess Paro, because I am gonna make Wattalappan.

[queenofhearts17.livejournal.com]

*looks on as Her Highness reads rights & nods seriously* Serious offence, pressure cooker ... serious offence. I'll be in touch with it's lawyer.

Hmmm ... I suppose that's true. The least I can do for the poor little egg is make sure that it doesn't suffer from disgrace. *pats egg* Now, you wouldn't happen to have a list of what sticks to the ceiling, what does not do graceful backflips in mid-air and what should not leave the confines of the pan while in the process of frying? I could do with one for future reference. It is quite difficult, though, determining what can and cannot be done with certain foods in the frying pan.

*bows to Her Highness* Of course, Your Highness, I shall summon the pressure cooker from exile. *grins* You're making Watalappan? Ooooooh .... I'm going to make some on Sunday :D

*clears throat* O Minor Pressure Cooker, you have been summoned back from exile by Her Highness Hasini. This time, please try to show some respect or I may have to dismember you. *pressure cooker cowers & agrees to be respectful*

*beams* There we go! XD