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Kalu dodol
කළු දොදොල් (kalu dodol): dark, glossy, chewy sweet of rice flour, coconut milk and kithul jaggery, stirred for hours
Hambantota and Kalutara both claim the best kalu dodol, and roadside shops in each town sell long, black, glistening slabs wrapped in paper, bought by travellers as gifts for the family back home. The sweet is a test of stamina: coconut milk is cooked down until its oil separates, then rice flour and kithul jaggery are stirred in and the mixture is worked over the heat for two to three hours until it turns dark, glossy and stiff, with cashews and cardamom added at the end. It sets into a chewy, fudgy sweet with a deep caramel and coconut flavour, and is served in thin slices during Avurudu and at weddings. Giving up too early is the one mistake everyone makes once; undercooked dodol stays sticky and grey instead of firm and almost black. Chef's tip: use the widest heavy pan you have and a long wooden spoon, and keep stirring the same direction, scraping the base, so nothing catches.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dodol
- 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk
- 3 ¼ cups thick coconut milk2 tins
- 1 ⅛ lb kithul jaggerygrated
- ¾ cup water
- 1 /2 tsp salt
- 3 ½ oz cashewsroughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp coconut oilfor the tray
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Whisk 9 oz white or red rice flour with 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk until completely smooth.
Step 2: Melt 1 ⅛ lb kithul jaggery in ¾ cup water over a low heat, then strain out any grit.
5 minStep 3: Pour 3 ¼ cups thick coconut milk into a wide heavy pan and boil over a medium heat for 30–35 minutes, stirring often, until it reduces and the oil starts to separate.
35 minStep 4: Stir in the jaggery syrup and 1 /2 tsp salt and bring back to a simmer.
5 minStep 5: Pour in the rice flour mixture, whisking, then switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly over a medium-low heat for about 2 hours as it thickens, darkens and starts to pull away from the pan.
120 minStep 6: Add 3 ½ oz cashews and 1 tsp ground cardamom and keep stirring for 10–15 minutes until the dodol is almost black, very stiff, leaves the sides in one mass and oil seeps out.
15 minStep 7: Spread in a tray greased with 1 tsp coconut oil, smooth the top and pour off any loose oil. Leave to cool and set overnight.
Step 8: Cut into thin slices or squares. Keep in an airtight box for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kalu dodol take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of thin coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of thick coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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