Kaya

Ingredients

Base

• 6eggs
• 2egg yolks
• 300 mlthick coconut milk
• 200 gcaster sugar
• a pinch of salt

For the pandan style

• 6pandan leaves, knotted
• or 1 tablespoon pandan extract

For the Hainanese style

• 60 gextra sugar, for caramel
• 2 tablespoonswater

To serve

• thick white toast
• cold salted butter
• soft-boiled eggs with soy and pepper

Equipment

• a heatproof bowl over a pan of water
• a fine sieve

Directions

1. Wash them and cut them into short lengths. Blend them with a little of the coconut milk. Squeeze the pulp through a cloth. Warm the coconut milk with the knotted leaves. Let them steep for thirty minutes off the heat. Put the extra sugar and water in a small pan.
2. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then stop stirring and let it boil. Cook it until it is a deep amber colour. Take it off the heat immediately at that point.
3. Let it cool a little before using it. Hot caramel added to eggs will cook them. Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a bowl. Whisk them gently rather than beating in air. Add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and the pandan liquid. Add the pinch of salt as well. Whisk it into a smooth pale mixture. Those threads will never dissolve during cooking.
5. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. The bowl must not touch the water below it. Keep the water at a bare tremble throughout. Stir the mixture constantly with a spatula. It takes forty-five minutes to an hour.
6. Keep stirring steadily through that change. Add the cooled caramel now for the Hainanese style. Stir it through until the colour is even. Judging when it is done takes a little practice.
7. Spoon the hot jam into sterilised jars. Seal them and let them cool down. Refrigerate it once it is cold. Toast thick white bread until well browned. Spread kaya generously over one slice. Lay slices of cold salted butter on top. The butter should not melt entirely. Serve soft-boiled eggs alongside.

Technique

• Kopitiam kaya toast is a fixed institution in Singapore and Malaysia and is eaten with soft-boiled eggs and coffee.
• The eggs are cooked so the whites are barely set and are seasoned with dark soy sauce and pepper.

Substitutions

• Pandan extract replaces fresh leaves and gives a stronger colour, though the flavour is less rounded.
• Tinned thick coconut milk works well throughout.

Variations

• Nyonya kaya is green from pandan and lighter in flavour.
• Hainanese kaya is brown from caramel and deeper.
• Some households add a knob of butter at the end for a richer jam.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kaya?

Kaya is a sauce & condiment from Singapore: jam of coconut milk, egg and pandan, stirred slowly until thick and fragrant.

How long does Kaya take to make?

Kaya takes 15 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes about 500 g. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kaya?

Yes, within limits. Pandan extract replaces fresh leaves and gives a stronger colour, though the flavour is less rounded. Tinned thick coconut milk works well throughout.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kaya?

Let it cool a little before using it. Hot caramel added to eggs will cook them. Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a bowl. Whisk them gently rather than beating in air. Add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves.