Halapa – Popular Sri lankan Snack

Halape is a traditional Sri Lankan sweet which we use for tea time. The main ingredient is Ragi Flour(Kurakkan flour). However when I prepare it I use both rice flour & kurakkan flour just to avoid the strong taste of Kurakkan flour although it is healthy. In Sri Lanka we use ‘Kanda Leaves ‘ to wrap halape. However because I cannot find that leaves in the country where I live,Banana leaves are the substitute. So you cannot see the correct outer appearance of it as in Sri Lanka because I have used ‘Banana leaves’,but the taste inside is the same.

 Ingredients

• Kandha leaves or Banana leaves
• 3- 4 cups of Kurakkan flour

Cooked treacle-coconut 

• 2- 3 cups of scraped coconut
• ¾ – 1 cup of sugar or 1 – 1 ¼ cup of treacle
• 1 tsp of Ground roasted cardamom, fennel and cloves (Refer to the method in Rasakama)
• Few cardamom seeds
• 2 cloves
• 1 tsp of Fennel seeds
• 1/8 tsp of salt (a pinch)
• Water as needed

 Method

• Firstly, make cooked-treacle-coconut-mixture (Pani Pol) as shown and leave it aside until it cool downs to room temperature. Then, in a mixing bowl, combine “pani Pol” with kurakkan (Finger Millet) flour. 
• Remember, your consistency should be slightly sticky. You can adjust the consistency with little bit of water, if necessary.
• Now, make balls with your palms and place on either a Kandha leaf or cut banana leaf and fold by pressing gently.

• After, place them vertically around the wall of the steamer, allowing the steam to be exposed to Halapa from the center.

• Steam for about 4 minutes and enjoy with a plain- tea without sugar. 

Keywords: Halapa Snack

Kindly Bookmark and Share it: