Dodol

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Lightly grease a small loaf tin or 15 cm square container with the coconut oil, then line the base and two sides with a strip of baking paper for easy lifting. Keep the tin close to the stove because the cooked dodol needs to be transferred while still hot.

   8 g coconut oil
2. 2

   In a bowl, whisk the rice flour with 100 ml of the coconut milk until completely smooth, with no lumps. Stirring the flour into a smaller portion first prevents clumping later.

   45 g rice flour300 ml thick coconut milk
3. 3

   Put the remaining 200 ml coconut milk, the chopped kithul jaggery, dark brown sugar, and salt into a wide heavy pan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the jaggery fully dissolves and the mixture looks smooth. Do not let it boil hard at this stage or the sugars may catch around the edges.

   300 ml thick coconut milk180 g kithul jaggery, finely chopped or grated20 g dark brown sugar1 g fine sea salt
4. 4

   Whisk the rice flour slurry again, then pour it into the pan in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Add the chopped cashews. Increase to low-medium heat and cook, stirring continuously with a flat wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the base and corners so nothing sticks.

   45 g rice flour300 ml thick coconut milk35 g cashews, roughly chopped
5. 5

   Continue cooking and stirring for 25-30 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick, glossy, and starts leaving the sides of the pan in one mass. A spoon dragged across the base should leave a trail for 1-2 seconds before closing. This concentrated, stretchy stage is what gives dodol its characteristic chewy texture.

6. 6

   Immediately scrape the hot dodol into the prepared tin. Wet the back of a spoon or lightly oil your spatula and press the surface level. Let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes until just firm enough to cut but still tender.

7. 7

   Lift out the dodol, cut into small diamonds or squares, and serve. For the cleanest slices, lightly oil the knife between cuts.

Origin & History

Dodol is a beloved Sri Lankan sweet, especially associated with the southern coastal region including Galle, where coconut and kithul jaggery are pantry staples. It is traditionally made for festive occasions and family gatherings, often in large batches that require patient, constant stirring. The sweet is related to other dodol-style confections across South and Southeast Asia, but the Sri Lankan version is distinct for its coconut richness and jaggery depth.