How to make Pani Walalu that will absorb all of the Sweet Syrup
Pani Walalu, also known as Undu Walalu, is a traditional sweet from the Kandy region of Sri Lanka and it is made from Ulundu Flour. Pani Walalu is shaped into multiple rings and is covered with a sweet syrup. In this recipe, we solve the problem that most people have when making Pani Walalu which is the sweet syrup not being absorbed properly.
You will need to let the dough for this recipe rest for about 10 to 12 hours. It is better if you can make the dough the previous night and then use it the next day.
The Coconut Water (from 1 Coconut) for this recipe must be set aside to ferment for at least 4 hours. If you don't want to ferment the Coconut Water, you can add Coconut Milk instead but make sure to add 2 plain biscuits that are broken into pieces into the dough when you set it aside to let the dough rise.
A common problem most people have when making Pani Walalu is that the sweet syrup is not absorbed thoroughly. There are 3 ways to make sure it's absorbed. Traditionally, we can add a Banana paste into the dough so that it will create holes in the dough. Additionally, we have to make sure to let the dough rest for 10 to 12 hours so it will become more soft and absorb more. Finally, we have to ensure that the sweet syrup is hot when we add the Pani Walalu.
You will need to use a piping bag to pipe the dough into hot oil in the shape of a Pani Walalu. In the olden days, they would take a square piece of cotton cloth from an old shirt, remove the button, and then make sew around the button and use the cloth as a piping bag.
Ingredients
- 400g of Ulundu Flour
- 100g of All Purpose Flour
- 100g of Rice Flour
- Coconut Water from 1 Coconut (can use Coconut Milk)
- 1 Banana
- Coconut Milk
- Salt
- Kithul Treacle (can use caramelized Sugar or Jaggery)
- Sugar
Instructions
- Add the Coconut Water from 1 Coconut into a bowl and then set it aside for 4 hours to ferment (alternatively, you can use Coconut Milk instead without fermenting).
- Add 400g of Ulundu Flour into a bowl.
- Add 100g of All Purpose Flour.
- Add 100g of Rice Flour.
- Add the Coconut Water, a little at a time, while mixing and forming the dough (if you add Coconut Milk instead, add 2 broken pieces of plain biscuit).
- Once you get a thick wet dough, cover and set it aside for 10 to 12 hours.
- After you let the dough rise, take a spatula and mix the dough.
- Slice 1 Banana into thick slices and add it into a blender.
- Add a small amount of Coconut Milk into the blender.
- Blend into a thick paste.
- Add this Banana paste into the dough.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Add Salt to taste.
- Add a small amount of Coconut Milk if needed and mix thoroughly until you have a dough that is thick and will fall into the bowl from a spoon as clumps.
- Now heat some Kithul Treacle in saucepan over medium heat.
- Add some Sugar (we added 50g of Sugar to a total of 375ml of Kithul Treacle).
- Cook the Kithul Treacle syrup until it is bubbling and then take it off the stove.
- Now add the dough into a piping bag.
- Pipe the dough into hot Oil in the shape of a Pani Walalu.
- Fry both sides until golden brown.
- Add the Pani Walalu into hot sweet Kithul Treacle syrup and leave it for a couple of minutes so that it can absorb the syrup (make sure to keep the Kithul Treacle syrup heated while adding the Pani Walalu).
- After soaking the syrup, add the Pani Walalu into a bowl.
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