How to make watalappan in a microwave?

Watalappan (or wattilappam or vattilappam) is a popular in Sri Lankan desert seemingly with a Malay in origin. It is more like a custard or pudding made with “jaggery“, coconut milk and eggs as the main ingredients. Traditionally this is steam cooked and would normally take about 45 minutes to 1 hour to prepare.

Here is my take on the same recipe with a little twist where I cook it in a microwave, which takes about 5 minutes for preparation and 5-8 minutes of cooking time. This is a quick and easy recipe for a delicious dessert, even for a guy like me.

Ingredients:

• 5 Eggs
• 250 ml Coconut milk, thick
• 250 g “Jaggery“
• 1 Cinnamon quill, broken
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Ground cloves (Optional)
• 1/4 tsp Grated nutmeg (Optional)
• 1/4 tsp Ground cardamom seeds (Optional)
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract (Optional)
• Butter, to grease
• Raisins and roasted cashew nuts, to serve

Directions:

• Add the eggs to a bowl, and whisk them well
• Add the coconut milk to the egg mixture, and mix well
• Add grated “jaggery” and all the spices, and blend them well
• Add the mixture into a greased microwave-safe bowl
• Cook it in a microwave, covered for 5-8 minutes
• Sprinkle some raisins and roasted cashew nuts
• Let it cool before serving

Notes:

• “Jaggery” is an unrefined sugar typically made from sugar cane or date palm sap and often used in Indian and Sri Lankan recipes. You can substitute it with grated dark palm sugar
• Cooking time can vary on depending on the microwave power or amount of the mixture. I would suggest start at 5 minutes and increase by a minute each time while checking if it is cooked.