Homemade Kaya

香兰咖椰

Kaya is a sweet and creamy/custardy jam made from coconut milk, eggs and sugar. It is served in toast with butter in most coffee stalls. Kaya comes in two flavours: pandan or caramel. I'm sharing the recipe for pandan kaya which is less sweet. 

Ingredients

coconut milk - squeeze from 1 freshly coconut (about 250g of grated coconut) mixed with 80g hot water

eggs (100% of coconut milk)

caster sugar (28% of coconut milk)

1.5 tsp pandan extract (from 5 pandan leaves and 100ml of water)

Method

1. Prepare pandan extract one day before: Cut pandan leaves into small pieces and put into blender with 100ml of water. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or tea bag and squeeze out all liquid. Discard the pulp. Store the extracted pandan liquid in the fridge for 12 to 18  hours. The liquid will separate into 2 distinct layers: a clear yellowish water on top and a thick deep emerald sendiment. The next day, gently pour away the yellowish liquid without disturbing the sendiment. What is left is the concentrated pandan extract.

2. In a container/bowl, lightly beat the eggs and sugar until sugar dissolves. Sieve the egg mixture into a small pot, add in the pandan extract and the fresh coconut milk. Stir using a small whisk to combine.

3. Set up bain-marie: Prepare a big pot and put a steaming rack in it. Fill up with water until it just covers the steaming rack. Place the small pot with coconut egg mixture on the steaming rack (so just a small amount of water touched the bottom of the small pot), turn on the stove heat and bring the water to a boil. Then lower heat to medium-low and keep stirring the coconut egg mixture in one direction. Note: High heat will cause the coconut egg mixture to curdle and kaya will be lumpy.

4. It took me 1.5 hours to cook down the mixture and get my preferred thick and custardy texture and consistency. Remove the small pot from bain-marie once done and continue to keep stirring at room temperature to cool the kaya down. Once completely cooled, store in a clean and sterilised jar and refrigerate. Best consumed within 2 -3 weeks.