Home-Made Kaya: A Breakfast Favourite
A rich, creamy coconut jam scented with pandan. It takes time and patience, but the result is liquid gold.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk (thick)
- 4 large eggs
- 200g sugar
- 4-5 pandan leaves, knotted
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Mix the Base
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine. Strain this mixture into a heatproof bowl to remove any egg chalaza.
The Double Boil
Set up a double boiler (bain-marie). Place the bowl over simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Add the knotted pandan leaves.
Stir, Stir, Stir
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula. This is crucial to prevent the eggs from scrambling. The mixture will slowly thicken into a custard consistency. This can take 30-45 minutes.
Caramelize (Optional)
For the traditional brown Hainanese kaya, you can caramelize a bit of sugar separately and stir it in at the end for colour and depth.