A dense, dark Malabar cake made from rice flour and jaggery, studded with fried coconut slivers, shallots and cumin, and slow-cooked in a heavy covered pan until set. The mix of sweet jaggery with savoury fried shallots and cumin is its signature.

Why are there shallots in a sweet cake?

That savoury-sweet contrast is exactly what makes Kalathappam distinctive. Fried shallots and cumin against the deep jaggery sweetness is traditional and central to the flavour — don't skip them.

Can I bake Kalathappam in an oven?

Yes. Traditionally it's cooked low and slow in a heavy covered pan (appachatti), but you can bake it at 180°C for about 35–40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Why is my Kalathappam dense and not cooked through?

Usually the heat was too high, setting the outside before the centre cooked. Keep it on the lowest flame, covered, and resist opening the lid for the first 30 minutes.

Recipe

Kalathappam recipe (Malabar rice & jaggery cake)

By Abdulla K P 26 May 2026 PT1H5M total

A wedge of dark Kalathappam, the Malabar rice-and-jaggery cake, showing coconut and shallot pieces.

Low and slow, lid on

The whole secret is gentle heat and patience. Kalathappam cooks covered on the lowest flame so the centre sets without the base burning — lift the lid too early or turn the heat up and you get a scorched bottom and a raw middle. Give it the full time.

More on Kalathappam and jaggery in our glossary.

Recipe