Bibikkan බිබික්කන් is a Sri Lankan coconut and date cake, also known as “pol wandu” – Pol Wandu “Bibikkan”.
➡Dark and moist, based on grated coconut, jaggery, an unrefined syrup made from the sap of the kithul palm (a sort of dark molasses) and semolina, combined with a blend of spices.
➡Bibikkan is commonly prepared and consumed to celebrate festive and religious occasions, including Christmas and Sinhala and Tamil New Year, therefore it is part of the recipes in the “Christmas Around the World” section.
➡It seems to have been introduced to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese, who colonized the island’s coastal areas in 1505 and stayed until 1658.
➡Catholics from Goa (India) have a similar dish called Bebinca, akin to a traditional Filipino rice flour cake made with coconut milk, which is served on Christmas Day:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz kithul molasses (or molasses or caramel)
- 2 oz jaggery
- 12 oz grated coconut
- 5.5 oz rice flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 lime (zest only)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- to taste nutmeg
- 3 cardamom pods
- 9 oz dates
- 2 oz raisins
- 3 oz cashews
- 2 oz ginger powder
- 2 oz rava (semolina)
- 2 eggs
- to taste salt
Steps
Dissolve the jaggery in the molasses over medium heat, then add the coconut and a pinch of salt.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Let it cool.
Mix the flour with the baking powder.
Combine the vanilla extract, lime zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, crushed cardamom, dates, soaked and drained raisins, cashews, ginger, and semolina with the molasses mixture.
Add the flour.
Mix.
Add the beaten eggs.
Spread in a 20 cm (8-inch) square pan, bake in the oven at 350°F for 45 minutes.
Serve cut into squares.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is kithul molasses and how can it be substituted?
Kithul molasses is derived from the inflorescences of the kithul palm (Caryota urens), found in Sri Lanka.
The pure sap is boiled down into a sweet dark brown syrup, thick in consistency and similar in taste to dates, with a hint of caramel flavor.
Kithul molasses is traditionally accompanied by Sri Lankan buffalo yogurt, a kind of curd.
It can be replaced with molasses or caramel.What is jaggery?
Another product from boiling the kithul sap is an unrefined sugar known as jaggery.
