About this component
The silky coconut-egg jam, scented green with pandan, that crowns Singapore's beloved kaya toast. A shared Nyonya treasure of Singapore and Malaysia, it rewards slow, patient cooking.
Component facts
- Yield
- About 1.5 cups (360 ml)
- Prep
- 45 minutes
- Heat
- None
Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author’s working draft rather than a verified result.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
- 4 pandan leaves, knotted
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Whisk eggs and sugar until smooth; strain.
- Warm coconut milk with the pandan leaves; discard leaves.
- Combine over a double boiler and cook, stirring constantly, 30–40 minutes until thick and custardy.
- For traditional caramel kaya, cook part of the sugar to a caramel first.
- Cool; it thickens as it sets.
Notes from the book
- Balancing
- Sweet, rich and fragrant; salt sharpens the coconut.
- Substitutions
- Pandan extract if fresh leaves are unavailable (use sparingly).
- Storage and food safety
- Refrigerate in a clean jar up to 1 week. Contains egg. Food-safety note: this is an egg custard — keep chilled and do not leave at room temperature.
Pairs with in this book
The Complete Edition
Kaya (Coconut & Pandan Jam) sits in the foundations
The book carries this component alongside the other twenty-three, the twenty-seven pantry studies, and the Singapore chapter it belongs to.
Available from Amazon
- Kindle edition — $9.99 (Kindle Store price) — available now
- Paperback — $49.99 (print list price) — available now