Wandu Appa (වණ්ඩු ආප්ප) – A Traditional Snack In A Simple Way

Yield – 6

Prep time – 10 mins                 Cooking time – 20 mins

Resting time – 60 mins 

Wandu Appa is a traditional Sri Lankan delicacy made by steaming a mixture of rice flour, jaggery, coconut milk, and coconut water. The batter used in Wandu Appa is similar to honey hoppers and the difference is in Wandu, we use “Kanda Kola” (Macaranga peltata) as a liner and steamed one by one in a steamer made with a clay pot wrapped its mouth with a cloth called as “Kada unni”. So, in the traditional way, it takes a lot of time to make this delicious food. Wandu is another Sri Lankan vegan and gluten-free healthy snack that you can enjoy without guilt.

Being a Sri Lankan foodie, my taste buds are so diverse and most of the time my mind is craving something, Sri Lankan. But, living in a western country is not always allowing me to satisfy my food cravings and there are thousands of foodies like me out there. As a matter of fact, I know that some people are thinking, that we can’t have our own food on foreign soil as we don’t have the same exact ingredient. This recipe will prove that you’re totally wrong. 

My foolproof Wandu Appa recipe is something that takes me back in time over and over again and it’s the perfect treat for evening teatime. It’s so simple to make with minimum ingredients and you can make it without coconut water and “Kanda Kola”. Don’t give me that look! I know it sounds impossible. But, I would highly recommend you try this recipe and let me know how it goes. You’re welcome!

What you need: 

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 3/4 cup jaggery powder
• 1/3 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 
• 1 cup coconut milk, thick 
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
• 3 Cardamom pods, crushed 
• 6 pieces of banana leaves or baking cups 

Let’s make it: 

1. Add rice flour, jaggery powder, salt, and yeast in a bowl and mix with a spoon. 
2. Add coconut milk little by little into the dry mixture and mix together to make a thick paste. 
3. Then add 1/4 cup warm water (around 40-45˚C) and mix again until everything combine together. 
4. Cover the mixture with a tea towel and rest in a warm place for 60 minutes. 
5. Add fennel seeds and cardamom into the thick, but runny batter and give one last mix. 
6. Take 6 ramekins or small tea cups and line them with banana leaves or baking cups. 
7. Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mixture into each container (Make sure to leave a headspace)
8. Keep the containers in a steamer and steam them for about 20 minutes until they become non-sticky and cracked on the surface. 
9. Serve them with a steamy cup of ginger tea. 

Tips for you: 

• You can use string hopper flour instead of white rice flour. 
• You can use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence instead of cardamom and fennel seeds. 
• If needed, use toothpicks to make the cones from banana leaves.
• You can also use the steamer portion of the rice cooker instead of a regular steamer. 
• When steaming, wrap the lid of the steamer to prevent diluting the batter. This will also help to steam them evenly. 

Make ahead info: 

• Prepare the steamer for steaming these Wandu Appa.