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Weli thalapa
වැලි තලප (weli thalapa): crumbly, sandy-textured sweet of roasted rice flour, fresh coconut and kithul jaggery
Weli means sand, which perfectly describes the texture of this old-fashioned Sinhala sweet: soft, crumbly and slightly gritty on the tongue, packed with coconut and the dark, smoky sweetness of kithul jaggery. It is made in many southern and western homes for the Avurudu table and for pirith ceremonies, pressed into a tray and cut into squares or diamonds, and its simple ingredients make it a quick, frugal treat. Grated coconut is cooked in melted jaggery until it soaks up the syrup, then roasted rice flour is stirred in until the mixture clumps and leaves the pan. Overcooking at the end is a frequent slip, turning it hard and chewy instead of sandy, so take it off the heat as soon as it starts to come together. Chef's tip: roast the rice flour well in advance and let it cool; warm flour clumps and stops the sweet from getting that loose, sandy crumb.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the thalapa
- 9 oz white rice flour
- 9 oz kithul jaggerygrated
- ½ cup water
- 5 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or frozen and thawed
- 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp coconut oilfor the tray
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 9 oz white rice flour in a heavy pan over a low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until light beige and toasty. Sift and leave to cool.
10 minStep 2: Melt 9 oz kithul jaggery in ½ cup water over a low heat and strain out any grit.
5 minStep 3: Return the syrup to the pan, add 5 ½ oz grated coconut and cook over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the coconut has soaked up most of the syrup.
6 minStep 4: Add 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom and 1 pinch salt, then sprinkle in the rice flour a little at a time, stirring, and cook for 3–4 minutes until the mixture clumps and leaves the pan but still looks crumbly.
4 minStep 5: Press firmly into a tray greased with 1 tsp coconut oil to about 2 cm thick.
Step 6: Leave to cool for an hour, then cut into squares or diamonds. Store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does weli thalapa take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 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 kithul jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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