watalappam

{{Short description|Custard pudding}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{EngvarB|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox prepared food

| name = Watalappam

| image = Watalappan-Sri Lanka.jpg

| caption =

| alternate_name = Vattalappam

| country = Sri Lanka

| creator =

| course = Dessert

| type = Pudding

| served =

| main_ingredient = Coconut or Condensed cow's milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, other spices

| calories =

| other =

}}

Watalappam (also called watalappan or vattalappam) ({{Langx|si|වටලප්පන්}}, {{Langx|ta|வட்டலாப்பம்}}, Sri Lankan Malay: serikaya) is a Sri Lankan coconut custard pudding made of coconut milk or condensed milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs, various spices, including cardamom, cloves,{{cite news |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/08/30/fea02.asp |title=The Decline of Watalappam |work=Daily News |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |date=31 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023415/http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/08/30/fea02.asp |archive-date=4 March 2016}} and nutmeg, and sometimes thick pandan juice or grated vanilla pods.

The dish is believed to have been brought to the country by Sri Lankan Malays in the 18th century, who moved from Indonesia to the country during Dutch rule.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mysrilankanrecipe.com/watalappan/|title=Watalappan - My SriLankan Recipes|date=15 October 2013|language=en-US|access-date=15 July 2016}} The name, watalappam, could be a corruption of the Tamil words vattil (cup) and appam (cake), hence vatillappam (cup cake). The dish however was originally unknown to the Tamil population. It is more likely that the dessert is derived from a Malay dish known as serikaya, which is a steamed custard made from eggs, coconut milk, palm sugar and pandan or screwpine leaves. The similarity between the two dishes suggests a common origin.{{cite web|url=https://www.sailanmuslim.com/culture-heritage/the-origins-of-some-sri-lankan-muslim-foods-and-beverages-by-asiff-hussein-2/|title=The origins of some Sri Lankan Muslim Foods and Beverages|author=Hussein, Asiff|publisher=Sailan Muslim Foundation |access-date=26 May 2020}} It is likely that it is a word borrowed from the Dutch, Vla, which means a custard, and was applied by the Moors as a vernacular name, vattil-appan, using the Tamil phrasing.{{cite news|url=https://roar.media/english/life/food/brace-wattalapam-season/|title=Brace Yourself: Watalappam Season Is Here|author=Cassim, Aysha Maryam|publisher=Roar Media|date=6 July 2016|access-date=26 May 2020}}

The dessert has come to be strongly identified with Sri Lanka's Muslim community and is a part of a traditional Eid al-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of Ramadan. It is also popular during weddings, religious festivals and other social functions and celebrations.{{cite web|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/watalappan-sri-lankas-most-famous-dessert-2062075|title=Watalappan - Sri Lanka's Most Famous Dessert|author=Ashwin Rajagopalan, Ashwin|publisher=NDTV Food|date=1 July 2019|access-date=20 May 2020}}