Pani Walalu (Sri Lankan Lentil Syrup Spirals)

Name: Pani Walalu (Sri Lankan Lentil Syrup Spirals)
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 150g urad dal, soaked overnight; 2 tbsp rice flour; 100ml water, for blending; 0.25 tsp salt; 300g caster sugar; 200ml water, for the syrup; 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 1 tbsp lime juice; 700ml sunflower oil, for deep frying

Crisp spirals of ground black gram and rice flour soaked in cardamom and lime syrup. A Sri Lankan New Year sweet.

Time1 hr (plus soaking)
LevelHard
Costabout £0.47 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

6 spirals

Ingredients

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150 gurad dalsoaked overnight
2 tbsprice flour
100 mlwaterfor blending
¼ tspsalt
300 gcaster sugar
200 mlwaterfor the syrup
3cardamom podslightly crushed
1 tbsplime juice
700 mlsunflower oilfor deep frying

Method

1
Drain the soaked urad dal. Blend with 100 ml water to a very smooth, thick batter, like thick double cream. Stir in the rice flour and salt. Beat for 2 minutes to make it light.
2
Make the syrup. Put the sugar, 200 ml water and cardamom in a pan, stir until dissolved, and simmer for 8 minutes until slightly sticky. Add the lime juice and keep warm.
8 min
3
Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 1 cm round nozzle, or a clean squeezy bottle.
4
Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 170C. Pipe a spiral about 6 cm wide onto a piece of baking paper, then slide it into the oil, or pipe straight into the oil in a circle.
5
Fry 3 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until pale golden and crisp.
2 min 30 s
6
Drop the hot spirals straight into the warm syrup. Soak for 5 minutes, turn once, then lift out onto a plate. Serve warm or cool.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.